Carbopol-Based Gels for Nasal Delivery of Progesterone

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nasal absorption of progesterone from carbopol-based nasal gels in rabbits. Progesterone nasal gels were prepared by dispersing carbopol 974 (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) in distilled water followed by addition of progesterone/progesterone–β cyclodextrin complex dissolved in propylene glycol then neutralization. The potential use of β cyclodextrin (CD) as nasal absorption enhancer by simple addition, as a physical mixture and as a complex with progesterone was investigated. The absolute bioavailability of progesterone from nasal gels in rabbits was studied by estimating the serum progesterone level by competitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassay in comparison to intravenous injection. The carbopol gel formulations produced a significant increase in bioavailability. CD complex promotes the nasal absorption of progesterone from carbopol gels as compared with gels where the CD is added by simple addition and gels which do not contain CD. This method of addition of CD as an inclusion complex in the gels could be considered as a preferred platform in nasal drug administration.     

Permeation Studies of Indomethacin from Different Emulsions for Nasal Delivery and Their Possible Anti-Inflammatory Effects

The purpose of this research was to develop an emulsion formulation of indomethacin (IND) suitable for nasal delivery. IND was incorporated into the oil phases of oil in water (O/W) and water in oil (W/O) emulsions. For this purpose, different emulsifying agents (Tween 80, Span 80 and Brij 58) were used in two emulsion formulations. When the effects of several synthetic membranes (nylon, cellulose, cellulose nitrate) were compared with the sheep nasal mucosa, the cellulose membrane and sheep nasal mucosa showed similar permeation properties for O/W emulsion (P > 0.05). To examine the absorption characteristics of IND, the anti-inflammatory properties of intravenous solution of IND, intranasal O/W emulsions of IND (with or without enhancers) and intranasal solution of IND (IND-Sol) were investigated in rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema. When citric acid was added to the nasal emulsion, the anti-inflammatory activity was similar to that of intravenous solution (P > 0.05). Finally, it was concluded that, intranasal administration of IND emulsion with citric acid may be considered as an alternative to intravenous and per oral administrations of IND to overcome their adverse effects.     

Anatomy of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses in Aegyptopithecus and early Miocene African catarrhines

Neontological comparisons suggest that paranasal sinus anatomy is diagnostic of several catarrhine clades such as Cercopithecoidea, Hominoidea, Homininae, and Ponginae. However, while the loss of sinuses in cercopithecoids is generally recognized as a derived condition, determining the polarity of character-state changes within noncercopithecoid catarrhines requires knowledge of the primitive catarrhine condition. To address this problem, the paranasal sinus anatomy of Aegyptopithecus and several early Miocene catarrhines was investigated. Two partial facial skeletons of Aegyptopithecus were subjected to computed tomography in order to reveal their internal anatomy. These data were compared with facial and palatal specimens of Proconsul, Limnopithecus, Dendropithecus, Rangwapithecus, and Kalepithecus in the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, and to wet and dry specimens of living taxa. Results confirm that cercopithecoid paranasal anatomy is derived, and reveal that the sinus anatomy of stem catarrhines included a hominoid-like maxillary sinus as well as an ethmofrontal system like that of hominines. Accordingly, these two features do not constitute evidence for the hominoid, hominid, or hominine status of any fossil species. Conversely, the absence of the ethmofrontal sinus system in Sivapithecus and Pongo is synapomorphic. In addition, features of the nasal cavity of Limnopithecus and Kalepithecus support previous suggestions that these taxa are stem catarrhines rather than hominoids.     

An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization

The mammalian nose is a multi-functional organ with intricate internal structures. The nasal cavity is lined with various epithelia such as olfactory, respiratory, and squamous epithelia which differ markedly in anatomical locations, morphology, and functions. In adult mice, the nose is covered with various skull bones, limiting experimental access to internal structures, especially those in the posterior such as the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Here we describe an effective method for obtaining almost the entire and intact nasal tissues with preserved anatomical organization. Using surgical tools under a dissecting microscope, we sequentially remove the skull bones surrounding the nasal tissue. This procedure can be performed on both paraformaldehyde-fixed and freshly dissected, skinned mouse heads. The entire deboning procedure takes about 20-30 min, which is significantly shorter than the experimental time required for conventional chemical-based decalcification. In addition, we present an easy method to remove air bubbles trapped between turbinates, which is critical for obtaining intact thin horizontal or coronal or sagittal sections from the nasal tissue preparation. Nasal tissue prepared using our method can be used for whole mount observation of the entire epithelia, as well as morphological, immunocytochemical, RNA in situ hybridization, and physiological studies, especially in studies where region-specific examination and comparison are of interest.     

Bone‐forming capacity of adult human nasal chondrocytes

Nasal chondrocytes (NC) derive from the same multipotent embryological segment that gives rise to the majority of the maxillofacial bone and have been reported to differentiate into osteoblast‐like cells in vitro. In this study, we assessed the capacity of adult human NC, appropriately primed towards hypertrophic or osteoblastic differentiation, to form bone tissue in vivo. Hypertrophic induction of NC‐based micromass pellets formed mineralized cartilaginous tissues rich in type X collagen, but upon implantation into subcutaneous pockets of nude mice remained avascular and reverted to stable hyaline‐cartilage. In the same ectopic environment, NC embedded into ceramic scaffolds and primed with osteogenic medium only sporadically formed intramembranous bone tissue. A clonal study could not demonstrate that the low bone formation efficiency was related to a possibly small proportion of cells competent to become fully functional osteoblasts. We next tested whether the cues present in an orthotopic environment could induce a more efficient direct osteoblastic transformation of NC. Using a nude rat calvarial defect model, we demonstrated that (i) NC directly participated in frank bone formation and (ii) the efficiency of survival and bone formation by NC was significantly higher than that of reference osteogenic cells, namely bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells. This study provides a proof‐of‐principle that NC have the plasticity to convert into bone cells and thereby represent an easily available cell source to be further investigated for craniofacial bone regeneration.     

鼻内镜下鼻中隔软骨、筛骨垂直板或耳屏软骨修补鼻中隔穿孔

目的:探讨鼻内镜下应用颞肌筋膜包裹自体鼻中隔软骨、筛骨垂直板或耳屏软骨修补鼻中隔穿孔的临床疗效。方法:回顾性分析2007年8月至2014年8月我院17例行鼻内镜下鼻中隔穿孔修补术患者的临床资料,所有患者术前均行鼻内镜及副鼻窦CT检查,术中分别采用颞肌筋膜包裹自体鼻中隔软骨、筛骨垂直板或带软骨膜的自体耳屏软骨,形成骨性支架,修补鼻中隔穿孔。术后均予抗生素抗感染,并用碱性成纤维细胞生长因子凝胶涂抹创面,促进周边黏膜向穿孔处生长。结果:17例患者均一次修复成功,术后1~2月穿孔处被黏膜完全覆盖,鼻中隔正常解剖结构得以恢复,随访1~3年无再次穿孔,鼻中隔穿孔产生的临床症状术后改善明显。结论:鼻内镜下应用鼻中隔软骨、筛骨垂直板或耳屏软骨修补鼻中隔穿孔安全、有效、简便,值得推广。     

地佐辛超前镇痛对鼻内镜手术患者全麻气管拔管不良反应的干预作用

目的：探讨地佐辛超前镇痛对全麻条件下鼻内镜手术后预防气管拔管时不良反应的可行性及安全性。方法：美国麻醉师协会（ASA）评分Ⅰ～Ⅱ级,行择期鼻内镜手术患者60例,随机分为试验组和对照组（n=30）。常规心电监测后用咪达唑仑0．04mg／kg,芬太尼5／μg／kg,丙泊酚2mg／kg,阿曲库铵0．6mg／kg行麻醉诱导,丙泊酚加七氟醚静吸复合维持麻醉。试验组手术开始前15min肌肉注射地佐辛0．1mg／kg,对照组则给予同等容量的生理盐水。记录术前、术中、拔管时及拔管后的收缩压、舒张压、心率及血氧饱和度、苏醒时间、拔管时躁动、寒战情况以及术后24h疼痛情况。结果：术后气管拔管时试验组收缩压、舒张压及心率显著低于对照组（P〈0．05）,且试验组术后24h疼痛视觉模拟评分（VAS）明显低于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论：地佐辛超前镇痛用于鼻内镜手术,能有效保持气管拔管时血流动力学的平稳,减少不良反应的发生,减轻患者疼痛。     

牛肺磷脂注射液在呼吸窘迫综合征患儿正压通气中的应用

目的:探讨牛肺磷脂注射液联合呼吸机鼻塞式持续正压通气治疗新生儿呼吸窘迫综合征的疗效。方法:98例呼吸窘迫综合征新生儿为研究对象,随机数字法分为两组。对照组应用呼吸机鼻塞式持续正压通气治疗,研究组应用牛肺磷脂注射液联合治疗。结果:研究组有效率高于对照组(P<0.05);治疗前两组患儿的动脉血气指标无明显差异,治疗后,研究组12 h及24 h后的PaO₂、血pH水平高于对照组,PaCO₂水平低于对照组,两组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);治疗前两组患儿的胸部X线情况对比无明显差异,治疗后,研究组胸部X线各项情况的改善均优于对照组,两组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);研究组用机时间、住院时间均短于对照组(P<0.05);研究组并发症的发生率低于对照组,两组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:牛肺磷脂注射液联合呼吸机鼻塞式持续正压通气治疗新生儿呼吸窘迫综合征效果理想,能够改善患儿的动脉血气指标,提高治疗的效果,缩短患儿的用机及住院时间。     

HFNC与NPPV治疗急性1型呼吸衰竭的临床效果比较

目的:比较经鼻高流量氧疗(High-flow Nasal Cannula,HFNC)与无创正压通气(Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation,NPPV)治疗1型呼吸衰竭的临床疗效及安全性。方法:选取2016年9月到2017年12月我院收治的急性1型呼吸衰竭患者46例,根据入院的顺序数字表法随机分为HFNC组和NPPV组,每组23例,分别给予HFNC治疗与NPPV治疗。比较两组治疗前及治疗后2 h、24 h、48 h的动脉血气pH值、动脉二氧化碳分压(Arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure,PaCO2)、动脉血氧分压(Arterial oxygen partial pressure,PaO2)、氧合指数、呼吸频率、心率等指标的变化情况。结果:两组动脉血气pH值治疗前、治疗后2 h、24 h、48 h比较无显著差异性(P0.05),组间比较也无显著性差异(P0.05);两组治疗后2 h、24 h及48 h PaO2和动脉血气氧合指数均显著高于治疗前,且随着时间的延长逐渐升高(P0.05),且治疗后48 h,NPPV组显著高于HFNC组(P0.05);两组治疗后2 h、24 h及48 h的PaCO2值与治疗前比较无显著性差异(P0.05),而治疗后48 h的PaCO2值NPPV组显著低于HFNC组(P0.05);两组治疗后2 h、24 h及48 h呼吸频率均显著低于治疗前,且随着时间逐渐降低(P0.05),且治疗后2 h、24 h及48 h的呼吸频率NPPV组显著高于HFNC组(P0.05);两组治疗后2 h、24 h及48 h心率显著低于治疗前,且随着时间的延长逐渐降低(P0.05),组间比较无显著性差异(P0.05)。结论:HFNC与NPPV治疗单纯1型呼吸衰竭的临床效果相当,但HFNC在提高患者治疗中的舒适度及耐受性等方面可能优于NPPV。     

Numerical modeling of odorant uptake in the rat nasal cavity

An anatomically accurate 3-dimensional numerical model of the right rat nasal cavity was developed and used to compute low, medium, and high flow rate inspiratory and expiratory mucosal odorant uptake (imposed patterning) for 3 odorants with different mucus solubilities. The computed surface mass flux distributions were compared with anatomic receptor gene expression zones identified in the literature. In general, simulations predicted that odorants that were highly soluble in mucus were absorbed dorsally and medially, corresponding roughly to receptors from one of the gene expression zones. Insoluble odorants tended to be absorbed more peripherally in the rat olfactory region corresponding to the other 2 zones. These findings also agreed in general with the electroolfactogram measurements and the voltage-sensitive dye measurements reported in the literature. This numerical approach is the first to predict detailed odorant flux information across the olfactory mucosa in the rat nasal cavity during inspiratory and expiratory flow and to relate it to anatomic olfactory receptor location, physiological function, and biochemical experiment. This numerical technique can allow us to separate the contributions of imposed and inherent patterning mechanisms on the rat olfactory mucosa.