Design and <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vitro/In Vivo</Emphasis> Evaluation of Ultra-Thin Mucoadhesive Buccal Film Containing Fluticasone Propionate

Fluticasone propionate is a synthetic corticosteroid drug distinguished by its potent anti-inflammatory action with low systemic side effects in comparison to other corticosteroids making it a potential drug for local buccal delivery. The aim of the present study was to design mucoadhesive buccal film containing fluticasone that is aesthetically acceptable and could maintain local drug release for a sustained period to manage the sign and symptoms of severe erosive mouth lesions. Solvent casting technique was used in film preparation. Different polymeric blends were used either alone or in combination with mucoadhesive polymers, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC), or Carbopol 971P at different concentrations. The physicochemical properties, in vitro mucoadhesion time as well as the drug release properties for all prepared formulations were determined. Selected formulations with adequate properties were further examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and subjected to in vivo evaluation. Films containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)/ethyl cellulose (EC) showed acceptable physicochemical properties, homogenous drug distribution, convenient mucoadhesion time, moderate swelling as well as sustained drug release up to 12 h. The biological performance of these formulations was assessed on healthy human volunteers and compared with a prepared mouthwash which showed enhanced pharmacokinetic parameters for the selected films in comparison to the mouthwash. The results revealed that the optimized formulation containing HPMC/EC and 10% SCMC could successfully achieve sustained drug release for 10 h which is considered promising for local treatment of severe mouth lesions.     

Interaction Between Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ and Adrenergic System on Food Intake in Neonatal Chicken

The information emerging from the studies demonstrates adrenergic system and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) play a crucial role on appetite regulation but there is no information for their interaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of prazosin (α₁ receptor antagonist), yohimbine (α₂ receptor antagonist), metoprolol (β₁ adrenergic receptor antagonist), ICI 118,551 (β₂ adrenergic receptor antagonist) and SR59230R (β₃ adrenergic receptor antagonist) on N/OFQ-induced hyperphagia by 3-h food-deprived neonatal broiler chicken. In experiment 1, chicken injected with saline, prazosin (10 nmol), N/OFQ (16 nmol) and co-injection of prazosin + N/OFQ. In experiment 2, ICV injection of saline, yohimbine (13 nmol), N/OFQ (16 nmol) and yohimbine + N/OFQ applied to the birds. In experiment 3, injections were saline, metoprolol (24 nmol), N/OFQ (16 nmol) and metoprolol + N/OFQ. In experiment 4, the birds received ICV injection of saline, ICI 118,551 (5 nmol), (C) N/OFQ (16 nmol) and co-administration of ICI 118,551 + N/OFQ. In experiment 5, chicken injected with saline, SR59230R (20 nmol), N/OFQ (16 nmol) and SR59230R + N/OFQ. Then, cumulative food intake was recorded until 120 min after injection. According to the results, ICV injection of N/OFQ significantly increased food intake (P < 0.001). The effect of N/OFQ significantly amplified by co-injection of N/OFQ + β₂ adrenergic receptor antagonist (P < 0.001). Also, administration of β₁ or β₃ adrenergic receptor antagonist had no effect on N/OFQ-induced hyperphagia (P > 0.05). These results suggest that the effect of N/OFQ on cumulative food intake is mediated via β₂ adrenergic receptors in neonatal chicken.     

Antiproliferative activity of chloroformic extract of Persian Shallot, Allium hirtifolium, on tumor cell lines

Allium hirtifolim (Persian Shallot) belongs to Allium genus (Alliaceae family). We investigated the in vitro effects of chloroformic extract of A. hirtifolium and its Allicin on the proliferation of HeLa (cervical cancer), MCF7 (human, caucasion, breast, adenocarcinoma) and L929 (mouse, C3H/An, connective) cell lines. Our results showed that components of A. hirtifolium might inhibit proliferation of tumor cell lines. This inhibition in HeLa and MCF-7 cells was dose-dependent. The presence of Allicin was evaluated by TLC method in bulbs and the extract of A. hirtifolium was analyzed by HPLC. MTT test was performed 24, 48 and 72 h after cell culture. A significant decrease in cell lines was observed in HeLa and MCF-7 as compared to L929 cell lines. DNA fragmentation analysis revealed a large number of apoptotic cells in treated HeLa and MCF-7 cell groups, but no effects in L929 cells. Therefore A. hirtifolium might be a candidate for tumor suppression.     

How fast do marine invertebrates burrow?

The burrowing of bivalves, arthropods, and echinoderms collected from tidal flats and shallow subtidal sediments of the Ogeechee estuary, Georgia, U.S.A was analyzed using time-elapse, X-ray analysis of thin-walled aquaria. The rate of sediment intrusion was determined for each animal. Burrowing rates ranged between 0.01 and 0.15 cm³/h for suspension-feeding animals. Deposit-feeding animals moved between 1 and 10 cm³ of sand per hour, approximately 10 to 100 times more sediment than the suspension feeders moved over similar times.Neoichnological experiments show that ten filter-feeding individuals could take as long as 115 yr to churn a 1 m² plot of sediment, by indexing the measured burrowing rates to realistic animal population densities. Ten such mobile deposit feeders as irregular echinoderms could bioturbate the same sediment in just 42 days. Under the maximum population densities modeled, the animals could bioturbate the sediment plot in 61 min. Given the reported results, qualitative interpretation of the rock record is possible: highly burrowed examples of the Skolithos Ichnofacies reflect high population densities and at least seasonal time spans. Highly burrowed examples of the Cruziana Ichnofacies may represent moderate population densities and short time spans.     

Evidence for Ca2+- and ATP-sensitive peripheral channels in nuclear pore complexes.

In eukaryotic cells the nuclear envelope (NE) serves as a functional barrier between cytosol and nucleoplasm perforated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Both active and passive transport of ions and macromolecules are thought to be mediated by the centrally located large NPC channel. However, 3-dimensional imaging of NPCs based on electron microscopy indicates the existence of additional small channels of unknown function located in the NPC periphery. By means of the recently developed nuclear hourglass technique that measures NE electrical conductance, we evaluated passive electrically driven transport through NPCs. In isolated Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei, we varied ambient Ca2+ and ATP in the cytosolic solution and/or chelated Ca2+ in the perinuclear stores in order to assess the role of Ca2+ in regulating passive ion transport. We noticed that NE electrical conductance is large under conditions where macromolecule permeability is known to be low. In addition, atomic force microscopy applied to native NPCs detects multiple small pores in the NPC periphery consistent with channel openings. Peripheral pores were detectable only in the presence of ATP. We conclude that NPC transport of ions and macromolecules occurs through different routes. We present a model in which NE ion flux does not occur through the central NPC channel but rather through Ca2+- and ATP-activated peripheral channels of individual NPCs.     

A comparative analysis of the rate of meiosis, chiasma frequency and terminalization in the Jerboas Allactaga and Jaculus (Rodentia: Dipodidae) in Egypt

The rate of seven meiotic stages (zygotene-pachytene, diplotene-diakinesis, metaphase I, anaphase I, metaphase II, anaphase II, and quartet) was studied in the jerboas Jaculus jaculus jaculus, Jaculus orientalis, and Allactaga tetradactyla, chiasma frequency and terminalization being examined only in J. jaculus and J. orientalis, and compared with the previous data concerning A. tetradactyla. Significant differences in the rate of meiosis, frequency of bivalent types, and frequency of interstitial and distal or terminal chiasmata per genome length were observed between A. tetradactyla and the two congeneric species J. jaculus and J. orientalis. Differences of these parameters among individuals within each species are also discussed in detail.     

Tolerance of pesticides and antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from wastewater-irrigated soil

A total of 64 bacterial isolates (40 Pseudomonas spp., 12 Azotobacter and 12 Rhizobium spp.) were characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics. All the isolates were tested for their tolerance to the pesticides endosulfan, carbofuran, and malathion. 12.5% of the Pseudomonas isolates from soil tolerated concentrations of 1600 g malathion ml whereas 7.5% of isolates tolerated the same concentration of carbofuran. However, Pseudomonas isolates demonstrated a tolerance limit to endosulfan at a concentration of 800 g/ml. Asymbiotic N₂-fixers (Azotobacter) and symbiotic N₂-fixers (Rhizobium spp.) were also able to tolerate concentrations of pesticides up to 1600 g/ml. All the isolates were further tested for their antibiotic susceptibility against seven different antibiotics, nalidixic acid, cloxacillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, amoxycillin, methicillin, doxycycline. 100% of the Pseudomonas isolates were resistant to cloxacillin and 57.5% were resistant to methicillin. 7.5% of the isolates exhibited multiple resistance to five different antibiotics in three different combinations whereas 25% of the isolates showed multiple resistance to four different antibiotics in seven different combinations. Some of the resistant isolates were also screened for plasmid DNA and found to harbour a single plasmid.