The effect of combined tobramycin-clarithromycin on Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates36841

This study investigated the susceptibility of 25 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates to tobramycin (TBM) and clarithromycin (CLM). The effect of the drugs administered together was examined for possible synergistic effect. The median minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for both drugs was 8 mug/ml. In 36% of the isolates, a decrease of the CLM MIC by a single or two-fold dilution was observed when a sub-inhibitory concentration of TBM was added. The results suggest that both drugs should be investigated further as potential adjuncts to the treatment of resistant tuberculosis, in particular through new drug delivery systems such as the dry powder inhaler allowing high lung deposition</p

New inhalation-optimized itraconazole nanoparticle-based dry powders for the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Christophe Duret,1 Nathalie Wauthoz,1 Thami Sebti,2 Francis Vanderbist,2 Karim Amighi11Laboratoire de Pharmacie Gal&amp;eacute;nique et de Biopharmacie, Universit&amp;eacute; Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; 2SMB Laboratoires, Brussels, BelgiumPurpose: Itraconazole (ITZ) dry powders for inhalation (DPI) composed of nanoparticles (NP) embedded in carrier microparticles were prepared and characterized.Methods: DPIs were initially produced by reducing the ITZ particle size to the nanometer range using high-pressure homogenization with tocopherol polyethylene 1000 succinate (TPGS, 10% w/w ITZ) as a stabilizer. The optimized nanosuspension and the initial microsuspension were then spray-dried with different proportions of or in the absence of mannitol and/or sodium taurocholate. DPI characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy for morphology, laser diffraction to evaluate the size-reduction process, and the size of the dried NP when reconstituted in aqueous media, impaction studies using a multistage liquid impactor to determine the aerodynamic performance and fine-particle fraction that is theoretically able to reach the lung, and dissolution studies to determine the solubility of ITZ.Results: Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that the DPI particles were composed of mannitol microparticles with embedded nano- or micro-ITZ crystals. The formulations prepared from the nanosuspension exhibited good flow properties and better fine-particle fractions, ranging from 46.2% &amp;plusmn; 0.5% to 63.2% &amp;plusmn; 1.7% compared to the 23.1% &amp;plusmn; 0.3% that was observed with the formulation produced from the initial microsuspension. Spray-drying affected the NP size by inducing irreversible aggregation, which was able to be minimized by the addition of mannitol and sodium taurocholate before the drying procedure. The ITZ NP-based DPI considerably increased the ITZ solubility (58 &amp;plusmn; 2 increased to 96 &amp;plusmn; 1 ng/mL) compared with that of raw ITZ or an ITZ microparticle-based DPI (&amp;lt;10 ng/mL).Conclusion: Embedding ITZ NP in inhalable microparticles is a very effective method to produce DPI formulations with optimal aerodynamic properties and enhanced ITZ solubility. These formulations could be applied to other poorly water-soluble drugs and could be a very effective alternative for treating invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.Keywords: aspergillosis, spray-drying, homogenization, inhalation, saturation, solubilit

Realization and analysis of He-implanted foils for the measurement of ( alpha , gamma ) reaction cross-sections in nuclear astrophysics

Thin Al foils of 50 mu g/cm/sup 2/ thickness were implanted with /sup 4/He ions with fluences ranging between 10/sup 17/ and 10/sup 18/ atoms/cm/sup 2/. The bulk He contents was measured by the Rutherford backscattering method. The He implantation profile versus depth was obtained by elastic recoil detection analysis. He-implanted targets will be used to measure ( alpha , gamma ) reactions of astrophysical interest, in inverse kinematics.Anglai

Increased susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to macrolides and ketolides in eukaryotic cell culture media and biological fluids due to decreased expression of oprM and increased outer-membrane permeability.

Macrolides show antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa in eukaryotic media through increased uptake and reduced efflux. These data may help explain the clinical efficacy of macrolides against pseudomonal infections

Realization and analysis of He-implanted foils for the measurement of (alpha, gamma) reaction cross-sections in nuclear astrophysics

Thin Al foils of 50 mug/cm(2) thickness were implanted with He-4 ions with fluences ranging between 10(17) and 10(18) atoms/cm(2). The bulk He contents was measured by the Rutherford backscattering method. The He implantation profile versus depth was obtained by elastic recoil detection analysis. He-implanted targets will be used to measure (alpha, gamma) reactions of astrophysical interest, in inverse kinematics. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Performance of the ARES recoil separator for (p,γ) reaction measurements

In Louvain-la-Neuve, the Astrophysics REcoil Separator (ARES), was installed to measure (p,γ) reactions of astrophysical interest induced by radioactive beams. ARES was coupled to the CYCLONE44 cyclotron. First tests performed with an 19F stable beam, i.e., the H(19F,20Ne)γ reaction, are reported

Study of the Ne-19(p,gamma)Na-20 reaction and subsequent improvements to ARES

The aim of the recoil separator ARES, installed at Louvain-la-Neuve, is to study (p,gamma) reactions of astrophysical interest involving unstable nuclei. ARES is coupled to CYCLONE44, a cyclotron dedicated to the post-acceleration of intense low-energy radioactive ion beams. The first measurement using a Ne-19 radioactive beam has been performed recently. The resonance strength of the state at 448 keV above the Ne-19+p threshold has been investigated and an upper limit omega gamma < 15.2 meV has been obtained. This first measurement with ARES has suggested some improvements to be performed to the separator, which are described in this paper

A first experimental approach to the 15O + a elastic scattering

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe