Carrier-bound Methotrexate. III.‡ Antiproliferative Activity of Macromolecular MTX Conjugates Against the Human HeLa and Colo Carcinoma Cell Lines

In continuation of studies in these laboratories aiming at the bioevaluation of macromolecular anticancer drug models, in vitro cytotoxicity screens are performed on several series of water-soluble polymer-methotrexate  conjugates. The methotrexate drug in these conjugates is bound through amide or ester linkages to water- soluble polyamide- or polyamidoamine-type carriers by previously developed anchoring techniques.Tests were  conducted against the HeLahumancervical carcinoma cell line generally considered to be drug-sensitive, and  against two variants of the rather refractory Colo 320 DM, a human colon adenocarcinoma line.KEYWORDS: Drug conjugation, Colo cell line, HeLa cell line, methotrexate, polyaspartamide,  polyamidoamine

Carrier-bound Methotrexate. IV. Antiproliferative Activity of Polyaspartamide-MTX Conjugates against Leukemic Lymphoblast Cell Lines

Polymeric conjugates of methotrexate (MTX) with macromolecular carriers, obtained from amine-functionalized polyaspartamides by coupling with one of the drug’s carboxyl groups, are used in this  preliminary screening project for in vitro cytotoxicity assessment. The water-soluble conjugates, crudely fractionated by aqueous dialysis, possess mass-average molecular masses in the range of 20000–30000. Screens are performed by standard procedures against cultured CEM/S human leukemic lymphoblast cells, a drug-sensitive line, and against CEM/E, its drug-resistant subline, for comparison also against  unconjugated MTX. All compounds tested, including the unconjugated drug, display decreasing activity on  going from CEM/S to CEM/E, resistance factors (IC50 [CEM/E]/IC50[CEM/S]) being in the vicinity of 15–20 for MTX as well as for the majority of conjugates. On the other hand, comparisons of IC50 values for conjugates versus free drug, both against CEM/S and CEM/E, show vastly superior antiproliferative performance of the drug in the carrier-anchored state over the free form, with activity factors (IC50[free MTX]/IC50 [conjugate]) typically in the 10–50 range and higher. On the basis of these promising in vitro findings, the polyaspartamide-MTX conjugates are considered to be excellent candidates for further cell culture and extended in vivo tests.KEYWORDS: Methotrexate conjugates, polyaspartamide, CEM leukemic lymphoblasts

Randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid in topical treatment of eczema

Justin J Gandy, Jacques R Snyman, Constance EJ van RensburgDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaBackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) in the treatment of eczema in patients two years and older.Methods: In this single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study, 36 volunteers with predetermined eczema were randomly assigned to receive either the study drug or placebo twice daily for four weeks.Results: All safety parameters remained within normal limits, with no significant differences in either group. Significant differences were observed for both severity and erythema in the placebo and CHD-FA treated groups, and a significant difference was observed for scaling in the placebo-treated group. With regard to the investigator assessment of global response to treatment, a significant improvement was observed in the CHD-FA group when compared with the placebo group. A statistically significant decrease in visual analog scale score was observed in both groups, when comparing the baseline with the final results.Conclusion: CHD-FA was well tolerated, with no difference in reported side effects other than a short-lived burning sensation on application. CHD-FA significantly improved some aspects of eczema. Investigator assessment of global response to treatment with CHD-FA was significantly better than that with emollient therapy alone. The results of this small exploratory study suggest that CHD-FA warrants further investigation in the treatment of eczema.Keywords: fulvic acid, eczema, anti-inflammatory, efficacy, safet

Investigation of the Anti-HIV properties of Oxihumate

GesondheidswetenskappeGeneeskundige VirologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

A prospective, observational study comparing the PK/PD relationships of generic Meropenem (Mercide®) to the innovator brand in critically ill patients

Mervyn Mer,1 Jacques Rene Snyman,2 Constance Elizabeth Jansen van Rensburg,2 Jacob John van Tonder,3 Ilze Laurens2 1Department of Medicine, Divisions of Critical Care and Pulmonology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; 2Office of the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 3Scientific Affairs Department, Triclinium Clinical Development (Pty) Ltd, Centurion, South Africa Introduction: Clinicians’ skepticism, fueled by evidence of inferiority of some multisource generic antimicrobial products, results in the underutilization of more cost-effective generics, especially in critically ill patients. The aim of this observational study was to demonstrate equivalence between the generic or comparator brand of meropenem (Mercide®) and the leading innovator brand (Meronem®) by means of an ex vivo technique whereby antimicrobial activity is used to estimate plasma concentration of the active moiety. Methods: Patients from different high care and intensive care units were recruited for observation when prescribed either of the meropenem brands under investigation. Blood samples were collected over 6 hours after a 30 minute infusion of the different brands. Meropenem concentration curves were established against United States Pharmacopeia standard meropenem (Sigma-Aldrich) by using standard laboratory techniques for culture of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Patients’ plasma samples were tested ex vivo, using a disc diffusion assay, to confirm antimicrobial activity and estimate plasma concentrations of the two brands. Results: Both brands of meropenem demonstrated similar curves in donor plasma when concentrations in vials were confirmed. Patient-specific serum concentrations were determined from zones of inhibition against a standard laboratory Klebsiella strain ex vivo, confirming at least similar in vivo concentrations as the concentration curves (90% confidence interval) overlapped; however, the upper limit of the area under the curve for the ratio comparator/innovator exceeded the 1.25-point estimate, i.e., 4% higher for comparator meropenem. Conclusion: This observational, in-practice study demonstrates similar ex vivo activity and in vivo plasma concentration time curves for the products under observation. Assay sensitivity is also confirmed. Current registration status of generic small molecules is in place. The products are therefore clinically interchangeable based on registration status as well as bioassay results, demonstrating sufficient overlap for clinical comfort. The slightly higher observed comparator meropenem concentration (4%) is still clinically acceptable due to the large therapeutic index and should ally fears of inferiority. Keywords: bioequivalence, antimicrobial, multisource products, Meropenem, ­pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic

Flow Cytometric Evaluation of Apoptosis and Cell Viability as a Criterion of Anti-tumour Drug Toxicity

GesondheidswetenskappeFarmakologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Cytotoxicity and Cell Death Pathways Invoked by Two New Rhodium-Ferrocene Complexes in Benign and Malignant Prostatic Cell Lines

GesondheidswetenskappeFarmakologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Microarray analysis of immediate-type allergy in KU812 cells in response to fulvic acid

Fulvic acid (FA) is class of compounds of humic substances formed through the degradation of organic substances by chemical and biological processes. FA has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine and possesses various pharmacological properties. Previously, we reported that FA extracted from solubilized excess sludge (SS-FA) had an inhibitory effect on β-hexosaminidase release in human leukemia basophilic (KU812) cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of SS-FA on the immediate-type allergic reaction and studied its possible mechanisms of action in KU812 cells following activation with phorbol myristate acetate (20 nmol L−1) plus calcium ionophore A23187 (1 μmol L−1) (PMACI). The inhibitory effect of SS-FA on degranulation in PMACI-stimulated KU812 cells was examined using histamine release assay. SS-FA significantly decreased the histamine release in KU812 cells at concentrations of 0.1–10.0 μg mL−1. To gain more information regarding the mechanism of the suppression of degranulation following SS-FA treatment, microarray was conducted to determine which genes were differentially expressed in response to SS-FA in PMACI-activated KU812 cells. From a total of 201 genes in the DNA chip, 28 genes were up-regulated and 173 genes were down-regulated in cells pretreated with SS-FA for 15 min and stimulated with PMACI. From the 71 genes that showed more than two fold change in expression, 16 genes were significantly down-regulated that were subjected to hierarchical clustering. SS-FA affected the expression of genes that were involved in the following pathways: signal transduction, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, immune response, cell adhesion molecules and IgE receptor β subunit response