The pharmacokinetics of nebulized nanocrystal budesonide suspension in healthy volunteers.

Nanocrystal budesonide (nanobudesonide) is a suspension for nebulization in patients with steroid-responsive pulmonary diseases such as asthma. The pharmacokinetics and safety of the product were compared to those of Pulmicort Respules. Sixteen healthy volunteers were administered nanobudesonide 0.5 and 1.0 mg, Pulmicort Respules 0.5 mg, and placebo in a four-way, randomized crossover design. All nebulized formulations were well tolerated, with no evidence of bronchospasm. Nebulization times were significantly shorter for nanobudesonide compared to Pulmicort Respules. Because of a low oral bioavailability, plasma concentration of budesonide is a good marker of lung-delivered dose. The pharmacokinetics of nanobudesonide 0.5 and 1.0 mg were approximately dose proportional with respect to Cmax, AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-infinity). Nanobudesonide 0.5 mg and Pulmicort Respules 0.5 mg exhibited similar AUCs, suggesting a similar extent of pulmonary absorption. A higher Cmax was noted with nanobudesonide 0.5 mg, and the tmax was significantly different, suggesting a more rapid rate of drug delivery of nanobudesonide 0.5 mg than Pulmicort Respules. In conclusion, nebulized nanobudesonide 0.5 mg was safe in healthy volunteers, with a similar extent of absorption as Pulmicort Respules

Survey of parasitoids and hyperparasitoids (Hymenoptera) of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae and the foxglove aphid, Aulacorthum solani (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in British Columbia

We surveyed the parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, and the foxglove aphid, Aulacorthum solani in the lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Field surveys were conducted using isolated pepper plants, with aphids, as trap plants. Primary parasitoids recorded from field surveys were Aphidius ervi, A. matricariae, Praon gallicum, P. unicum, P. humulaphidis, Ephedrus californicus, Diaeretiella rapae, Monoctonus paulensis, Aphelinus abdominalis and A. asychis. Diaretiella rapae only emerged from green peach aphids, and Ephedrus californicus only emerged from foxglove aphids. Aphidius matricariae was the most abundant primary parasitoid species reared from both aphid species. Hyperparasitoid species collected belonged to the genera Dendrocerus, Asaphes, Alloxysta, Pachyneuron and Syrphophagous. In greenhouses, Dendrocerus carpenteri was the dominant hyperparasitoid species. Aphidius and Aphelinus spp. were attacked by hyperparasitoids at similar rates. In the field, Aphidius spp. were attacked by five species of hyperparasitoid, and Aphelinus spp. were attacked by one, Alloxysta ramulifera. In general, the rate of attack by hyperparasitoids was much lower in field surveys than in our collections from greenhouses

Desorption of Herbicides from Atmospheric Particulates During High-Volume Air Sampling

Pesticides can be present in the atmosphere either as vapours and/or in association with suspended particles. High-volume air sampling, in which air is aspirated first through a glass fibre filter to capture pesticides associated with atmospheric particulates and then polyurethane foam (PUF), often in combination with an adsorbent resin such as XAD-2, to capture pesticides present as vapours, is generally employed during atmospheric monitoring for pesticides. However, the particulate fraction may be underestimated because some pesticides may be stripped or desorbed from captured particulates due to the pressure drop created by the high flow of air through the filter. This possibility was investigated with ten herbicide active ingredients commonly used on the Canadian prairies (dimethylamine salts of 2,4-D, MCPA and dicamba, 2,4-D 2-ethylhexyl ester, bromoxynil octanoate, diclofop methyl ester, fenoxaprop ethyl ester, trifluralin, triallate and ethalfluralin) and seven hydrolysis products (2,4-D, MCPA, dicamba, bromoxynil, diclofop, clopyralid and mecoprop). Finely ground heavy clay soil fortified with active ingredients/hydrolysis products was evenly distributed on the glass fibre filters of high-volume air samplers and air aspirated through the samplers at a flow rate of 12.5 m3/h for a 7-day period. The proportion desorbed as vapour from the fortified soil was determined by analysis of the PUF/XAD-2 resin composite cartridges. The extent of desorption from the fortified soil applied to the filters varied from 0% for each of the dimethylamine salts of 2,4-D, MCPA and dicamba to approximately 50% for trifluralin, triallate and ethalfluralin