Composition and Variation of the Human Milk Microbiota Are Influenced by Maternal and Early-Life Factors

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Factors affecting exhaled nitric oxide measurements: the effect of sex

Background

Exhaled nitric oxide (F_ENO) measurements are used as a surrogate marker for eosinophilic airway inflammation. However, many constitutional and environmental factors affect F_ENO, making it difficult to devise reference values. Our aim was to evaluate the relative importance of factors affecting F_ENO in a well characterised adult population.

Methods

Data were obtained from 895 members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study at age 32. The effects of sex, height, weight, lung function indices, smoking, atopy, asthma and rhinitis on F_ENO were explored by unadjusted and adjusted linear regression analyses.

Results

The effect of sex on F_ENO was both statistically and clinically significant, with F_ENO levels approximately 25% less in females. Overall, current smoking reduced F_ENO up to 50%, but this effect occurred predominantly in those who smoked on the day of the F_ENO measurement. Atopy increased F_ENO by 60%. The sex-related differences in F_ENO remained significant (p < 0.001) after controlling for all other significant factors affecting F_ENO.

Conclusion

Even after adjustment, F_ENO values are significantly different in males and females. The derivation of reference values and the interpretation of F_ENO in the clinical setting should be stratified by sex. Other common factors such as current smoking and atopy also require to be taken into account.     

Influence of Rheology of Dispersion Media in the Preparation of Polymeric Microspheres through Emulsification Method

Chitosan microspheres as drug delivery system have attained importance and attracted the attention of researchers in last few years. This study was aimed toward the elucidation of the effect of viscosity of external oil phase on the properties of microspheres prepared by emulsification method. Chitosan microspheres were prepared utilizing oil phase of different viscosity viz. castor oil, heavy liquid paraffin, light liquid paraffin and mixture of light paraffin, and petroleum ether (1:1 v/v ratio). Microspheres prepared in highly viscous castor oil exhibited an average size of 11.52 ± 0.57 μm with a percentage drug entrapment of 43.12 ± 2.14. On the other hand, very small microspheres of 3.15 ± 0.04 μm and 68.87 ± 1.03% drug entrapment were obtained when mixture of liquid paraffin and petroleum ether was utilized as oil phase. Effect of viscosity on percent mucoadhesion, percent drug entrapment, zeta potential, percent process yield, etc. of microspheres has been observed. In vitro drug release in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 was determined for different batch of microspheres. The results revealed a difference in the drug release pattern of the different microspheres prepared as a function of viscosity of different oil phase. Use of low viscose oil resulted in the formulation of spherical and small size microspheres. This work was a part of our ongoing thrust and project to develop microparticulate drug delivery system.     

Identification and Sequence-Based Validation of the EST-SSR Markers from Calotropis procera

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand is a medicinally and economically important woody shrub used to cure various diseases. In the present study, for the first time,...     

Synthesis,analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of some novel pyrazolines derivatives

In search for a new analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent with improved potency, we designed and synthesized a series of 3,2-(4,5-dihydro-5-(4-morphilinophenyl)-1H-pyarazol-3-yl)phenols 6(a–g) and its N-phenylpyrazol-1-carbothioamide 7(a–g) by Claisan–Schmidt condensation followed by the reaction of hydrazine hydrate. All the synthesized compounds were assayed for their in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. All the compounds synthesized showed the potential to demonstrate analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, of particular interest compounds 6a, 6b, 6g, 7a, 7d and 7g were found comparable to Diclofenac.     

Mannosylated liposomes bearing Amphotericin B for effective management of visceral Leishmaniasis

The cationic and mannosylated liposomes were prepared using the cast film method and compared for their antileishmaniasis activity. The surface of the Amphotericin B (Amp B)-bearing cationic multilamellar liposomes was covalently coupled with p-aminophenyl-α-D-mannoside using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent, which was confirmed by agglutination of the vesicles with concanavalin A. The prepared liposomes were characterized for shape, size, percent drug entrapment, vesicle count, zeta potential, and in vitro drug release. Vesicle sizes of cationic and mannosylated liposomes were found to be 2.32 ± 0.23 and 2.69 ± 0.13 μm, respectively. Zeta potential of cationic liposomes was higher (30.38 ± 0.3 mV), as compared to mannosylated liposomes (17.7 ± 0.8 mV). Percentage drug release from cationic and mannose-coupled liposomes was found to be 45.7% ± 3.1 and 41.9% ± 2.8, respectively, after 24 hours. The in vivo antileishmanial activity was performed on Leishmania donovani-infected golden hamster, and results revealed that Amp B solution was reduced by 42.5 ± 1.8% in the parasite load, whereas the placebo cationic liposomes and drug-containing cationic liposomes showed a reduced parasite load (i.e., 28.1 ± 1.5 and 61.2 ± 3.2%, respectively). The mannose-coupled liposomes showed a maximum reduction in parasite load (i.e., 78.8 ± 3.9%). The biodistribution study clearly showed the higher uptake of mannosylated liposomes in the liver and spleen and hence the active targeting to the reticular endothelial system, which, in turn, would provide a direct attack of the drug to the site where the pathogen resides, rendering the other organs free and safe from the toxic manifestations of the drug.