6 research outputs found
Pharmacokinetics, Metabolism, and Partial Biodistribution of āPincer Therapeuticā Nitazoxanide in Mice following Pulmonary Delivery of Inhalable Particles
Nitazoxanide (NTZ) induces autophagy
in mammalian cells and also
has mycobactericidal activity, displaying a two-pronged therapeutic
effect, on the host as well as the pathogen. The pharmacokinetics
and biodistribution of inhaled NTZ were investigated. Particles containing
NTZ in a matrix of PLGA were prepared by spray drying. HPLC and LCāMS/MS
methods were developed and validated. Particles were administered
as inhalations to mice. Drug concentrations in plasma and tissues
were estimated at different time points. Drug loading (ā¼36%),
entrapment efficiency (>90%), and the conversion of NTZ into metabolites
in plasma and lung homogenates were assessed satisfactorily by HPLC.
NTZ pharmacokinetics and biodistribution following intravenous administration
or inhalation were established by LCāMS. NTZ converted into
tizoxanide (99% in 30 min) and other metabolites. Pulmonary delivery
of NTZ entrapped in particles increased the half-life of the drug
by factors of 3, 12, and 200 in the plasma, lung tissue, and alveolar
macrophages, respectively. Targeted delivery and prolonged lung retention
along with dose sparing of the kidneys was observed upon pulmonary
delivery as compared to intravenous administration
Mechanically controlling the reversible phase transformation from zinc blende to wurtzite in AlN
<p>IIIāV and other binary octet semiconductors often take two phase formsāwurtzite (wz) and zinc blende (zb) crystal structuresāwith distinct functional performance at room temperature. Here, taking AlN as a representative IIIāV compound, we investigate how to control the synthesized phase structure to either wz or zb phase by tuning the interfacial strain. By applying <i>in situ</i> mechanical tests at atomic scale in a transmission electron microscope, we observed the reversible phase transformation from zb to wz, and characterized the transition pathāthe collective glide of Shockley partials on every two {111} planes of the zb AlN.</p> <p><b>IMPACT STATEMENT</b></p> <p>The <i>innovation</i> of this paper is that a new type of plastic-deformation-driven reversible phase transition in AlN has been captured at atomic scale.</p
Fluid and Resistive Tethered Lipid Membranes on Nanoporous Substrates
Cell
membranes perform important biological roles including compartmentalization,
signaling, and transport of nutrients. Supported lipid membranes mimic
the behavior of cell membranes and are an important model tool for
studying membrane properties in a controlled laboratory environment.
Lipid membranes may be supported on solid substrates; however, protein
and lipid interactions with the substrate typically result in their
denaturation. In this report, we demonstrate the formation of intact
lipid membranes tethered on nanoporous metal thin films obtained via
a dealloying process. Uniform lipid membranes were formed when the
surface defect density of the nanoporous metal film was significantly
reduced through a two-step dealloying process reported here. We show
that the tethered lipid membranes on nanoporous metal substrates maintain
both fluidity and electrical resistivity, which are key attributes
to naturally occurring lipid membranes. The lipid assemblies supported
on nanoporous metals provide a new platform for investigating lipid
membrane properties, and potentially membrane proteins, for numerous
applications including next generation biosensor platforms, targeted
drug-delivery, and energy harvesting devices
Discovery-Based Science Education: Functional Genomic Dissection in Drosophila by Undergraduate Researchers
Discovery-Based Science Education: Functional Genomic Dissection in Drosophila by Undergraduate Researcher
Example of the Type of Data Available from the Online Database (http://www.bruinfly.ucla.edu)
<p>Example of the Type of Data Available from the Online Database (<a href="http://www.bruinfly.ucla.edu" target="_blank">http://www.bruinfly.ucla.edu</a>)</p
Representative Pictures from the Laboratory Section of the Course
<p>Representative Pictures from the Laboratory Section of the Course</p