Metabolic efficacy and safety of once-daily pioglitazone monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Pioglitazone is a novel oral anti-diabetic agent belonging to the thiazolidinedione class. Pioglitazone has been shown to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes, as it reduces insulin resistance and improves glycaemic control and abnormal lipid profiles. This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study was conducted for further evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of once-daily administration of pioglitazone monotherapy alongside dietary measures in patients with type 2 diabetes. Following a 10-week washout period, 251 patients received one of three treatment regimens for 26 weeks: placebo + diet (n = 84), pioglitazone 15 mg once-daily + diet (n = 89), or pioglitazone 30 mg once-daily + diet (n = 78). Pioglitazone, both 15 and 30 mg/day, in addition to dietary control, was associated with significant reductions (vs. placebo) in mean levels of both glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA 1C ) and fasting blood glucose (FBG). HbA 1C was reduced by 0.92 % and 1.05 %, respectively, and FBG was reduced by 34.3 and 36.0 mg/dl, respectively, compared with the control group. Pioglitazone at 15 and 30 mg/day significantly reduced postprandial blood glucose levels at all visits (- 163 and - 165 mg/dl/hour, respectively) compared with an increase of 47.7 mg/dl/hour on placebo. The profile and frequency of adverse events were similar in all treatment groups. These results indicate that pioglitazone monotherapy together with dietary control is both effective and safe in patients with type 2 diabetes.     

Immunochemical study of Clostridium botulinum type B toxin

Fractionation of type B. Cl. botulinum toxin, a protein complex, was carried out; as a result, 3 fractions, alpha, beta, and gamma, were isolated in a pure form, alpha-fraction, or neurotoxin, is highly toxic (5-10.10(7) LDm per 1 mg of protein), beta-fraction showed hemagglutinating activity (64-128 HAU per 1 mg of protein), gamma-fraction was not biologically active. The molecular weight of alpha and gamma-fractions was 150,000. All these fractions had antigenic properties. alpha-fraction was serologically specific. beta- and gamma-fractions showed incomplete serologic identity.     

A型肉毒毒素ELISA鉴别试验方法的建立

目的建立鉴定A型肉毒毒素的ELISA鉴别试验方法以替代传统的动物试验法。方法采用现代免疫学技术,制备马源性和兔源性抗A型肉毒毒素多克隆抗体,建立了双抗体夹心ELISA,并就此初步进行方法学验证。结果所建立的ELISA具有良好的特异性、灵敏度、精密度和耐用性,具有替代动物试验方法的良好前景。结论在进一步验证和确认之后,该方法有望正式成为可用于鉴定A型肉毒毒素的试验方法以替代动物试验法。     

注射用A型肉毒毒素的稳定性验证

目的验证注射用A型肉毒毒素(商品名:衡力)成品的稳定性。方法依据《中华人民共和国药典》2010版(三部)(简称《中国药典》)各论中注射用A型肉毒毒素成品检定标准,对注射用A型肉毒毒素成品进行稳定性长期试验(2~8℃)、加速试验(25±2)℃、高温试验(35±2)℃;同时监测在低温(-5~-20℃)冻存条件下药品到有效期终点时的质量稳定性数据及复溶后的质量稳定性数据;采用趋势分析和批内批间变异系数分析药品的稳定性。结果该药品在3年有效期内(2~8℃)保存,各项质量指标的检测结果均符合要求,批内、批间一致性亦符合要求;在室温保存条件(25±2)℃,6个月和高温(35±2)℃,15 d情况下,药品的各项质量指标同样符合《中国药典》的标准。药品在低温冻存(-5~-20℃)条件下至有效期终点,其关键质量指标均符合标准。药品复溶后在2~8℃保存6 d,其效价持续稳定,无菌检查合格。结论注射用A型肉毒毒素在≤8℃条件下保存的有效期为3年,在室温连续保存期限为6个月,高温条件连续保存时限为15 d。药品复溶后在2~8℃无菌条件可保存6 d。     

治疗用A型肉毒毒素的制备及其质量控制

我国治疗用Ａ型肉毒毒素采用酸等电点沉淀,磷酸盐提取,核糖核酸酶处理,ＤＥＡＥ Ａ５０离子交换层析,硫酸铵浓缩及自然结晶等程序从Ａ型肉毒梭菌培养物中提取,并经稀释、冻干而成。它毒力强、纯度高、性能稳定,宜于长期保存。经生化、免疫学测定,毒素系神经毒素和血凝素的复合体,纯度为２５～３．０×１０７ＬＤ５０（小鼠,下同）／ｍｇｐｒ,ＯＤ２６０／ＯＤ２８０≤０．５５不仅达到了美国ＦＤＡ对注射用Ａ型肉毒毒素的质量要求,而且在冻干损失,稳定性方面还优于美国制品。     

Role for standards in assays of botulinum toxins: international collaborative study of three preparations of botulinum type A toxin

The biological activity of therapeutic preparations of botulinum type A toxin is currently expressed in units defined on the basis of the median lethal intraperitoneal dose of that preparation in mice at 72 h, the LD50 dose. In this study we describe the comparison, by ten laboratories in five countries, of three different formulations of botulinum type A toxin using the mouse lethality test, and also using the relative activities of the preparations. The results of this study show that use of a standard preparation and expression of relative potency gives substantially greater consistency between and within laboratories than when mouse LD50 unit is used to define activity of botulinum toxin.     

Stabilization of botulinum toxin type A during lyophilization.

Botulinum toxin for medical use is diluted to very low concentrations (nanograms per milliliter); when it is preserved by lyophilization, considerable loss of activity can occur. In the present study, conditions that gave > 90% recovery of the toxicity after lyophilization of solutions containing 20 to 1,000 mouse 50% lethal doses per ml were found. Toxicity was recovered upon drying 0.1 ml of toxin solution when the pH was maintained below 7 and bovine or human serum albumins were used as stabilizers. Various other substances tested with albumin, including glucose, sucrose, trehalose, mannitol, glycine, and cellibiose, did not increase recovery on drying.     

Stabilization of botulinum toxin type A during lyophilization.

Botulinum toxin for medical use is diluted to very low concentrations (nanograms per milliliter); when it is preserved by lyophilization, considerable loss of activity can occur. In the present study, conditions that gave > 90% recovery of the toxicity after lyophilization of solutions containing 20 to 1,000 mouse 50% lethal doses per ml were found. Toxicity was recovered upon drying 0.1 ml of toxin solution when the pH was maintained below 7 and bovine or human serum albumins were used as stabilizers. Various other substances tested with albumin, including glucose, sucrose, trehalose, mannitol, glycine, and cellibiose, did not increase recovery on drying.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Clostridium botulinum toxin type A.

The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using the so-called "double-sandwich technique" has been applied to determine botulinum toxin type A. By this assay, 50-100 mouse ip LD50 of toxin type A can be detected. No cross-reaction occurs with botulinum toxins of other types tested. In all probability this is due to the high specificity of the antiserum prepared against the toxic component of type A toxin.