Structure based release kinetics analysis of doxazosin mesylate sustained-release tablets using micro-computed tomography

The structures of solid dosage forms determine their release behaviors and are critical attributes for the design and evaluation of the solid dosage forms.Here,the 3D structures of doxazosin mesylate sustained-release tablets were parallelly assessed by micro-computed tomography(micro-CT).There were no significant differences observed in the release profiles between the RLD and the generic formulation in the conventional dissolution,but the generic preparation released slightly faster in media with ethanol during an alcohol-induced dose-dumping test.With their 3D structures obtained via micro-CT determination,the unique release behaviors of both RLD and the generic were investigated to reveal the effects of internal fine structure on the release kinetics.The structural parameters for both preparations were similar in conventional dissolution test,while the dissolutions in ethanol media showed some distinctions between RLD and generic preparations due to their static and dynamic structures.Furthermore,the findings revealed that the presence of ethanol accelerated dissolution and induced changes in internal structure of both RLD and generic preparations.Moreover,structure parameters like volume and area of outer contour,remaining solid volume and cavity volumewere not equivalent between the two formulations in 40%ethanol.In conclusion,the structure data obtained from this study provided valuable insights into the diverse release behaviors observed in various modified-release formulations in drug development and quality control.

Pharmacokinetics of nifedipine sustained-release tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers

Aim To establish a LC-MS method for determining the concentration of nifedipine in human plasma and to evaluate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of nifedipine sustained-release tablets. Methods A XB-C18 （5 μm, 4.6 mm ×150 mm） column and a mobile phase of methanol： 0.01 mol·L^-1ammonium acetate （60：40, V/V） were used to separate nifedipine, the detections was accuracy under atmosperic pressure electronic spray ionization （AP-ESI） mode and ion mass spectrum （m/z） of 314.9 [M＋H]^＋ for nifedipine, and 320.8 [M＋H]^＋ for lorazepam （Internal Standard, IS）. Results The linear range of nifedipine was 0.3 - 80 ng·mL^-1 （ r = 0.9997）, and the limit of quantitation （LOQ） was 0.3 ng·mL^-1. The nifedipine pharmacokinetic parameters after a single dose of 20 mg nifedipine sustained-release tablets test （T） or reference （R） were as the followings, t1/2 （6.73 ± 2.00） h and （7.04 ± 2.18） h, Tmax （4.28 ± 0.70） h and （4.48 ± 0.70） h, Cmax（39.66 ± 10.58） ng·mL^-1 and （40.19 ± 10.97） ng·mL^-1, AUC0-36 （391.63 ± 108.55） ng·mL^-1·h and （387.57 ± 121.51） ng·mL^-1·h, and AUC0-∞ （408.28 ± 121.16） ng·mL^-1·h and （406.15 ± 133.13） ng·mL^-1·h. The relative bioavailability of nifedipine sustained-release tablets （test） was （103.02 ± 13.93） %. Conclusion LC-MS method for the determination of concentrations of nifedipine in human plasma was sensitive and accurate, and could be used in nifedipine bioavailability and pharmacokinetic studies.

Preparation of Sustained-release Silybin Microspheres by Spherical Crystallization Technique

Aim To improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of silybin. Methods Sustained-release silybin microspheres were prepared by the spherical crystallization technique with soliddispersing and release-retarding polymers. A differential scanning calorimeter and an X-ray diffractometer were used to investigate the dispersion state of silybin in the microspheres. The shape, surface morphology, and internal structure of the microspheres were observed using a scanning electron microscope. Characterization of the microspheres, such as average diameter, size distribution and bulk density of the microspheres was investigated. Results The particle size of the microspheres was determined mainly by the agitation speed. The dissolution rate of silybin from microspheres was enhanced by increasing the amount of the dispersing agents, and sustained by the retarding agents. The release rate of microspheres was controlled by adjusting the combination ratio of the dispersing agents to the retarding agents. The resuits of X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated that silybin was highly dispersed in the microspheres in amorphous state. The release profiles and content did not change after a three-month accelerated stability test at 40 ℃ and 75% relative humidity. Conclusion Sustained-release silybin microspheres with a solid dispersion structure were prepared successfully in one step by a spherical crystallization technique combined with solid dispersion technique. The preparation process is simple, reproducible and inexpensive. The method is efficient for designing sustained-release microspheres with water-insoluble drugs.

Pharmacokinetics and Relative Bioavailability ofsustained-release Tablets of Diclofenac Sodiumin Male Volunteers

The pharmacokinetics of a sustained- release formulation and an enteric- coated tablet of diclofenac sodium were studied on 8 healthy male volunteers in an open,randomized crossover study.Drug level in serum was assayed by HPLC method.The changes in serum concentration were conformed to a l-compartment open model.The t_1/2 (Ke)averaged 2.15±0.17 and ll.60 ± l.95 h,and the areas under the drug concentration curves were 5.87 ± 0.67 and 5.55 ± 0.57μgh/ml for enteric-coated and sustained-release tablet of diclofenac sodium,respectively. The mean relative bioavailability of sustained-release tablet was 0.95 to that of enteric-coated tablet.

Comparison of chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on magnetic microparticles with traditional colorimetric ELISA for the detection of serum α-fetoprotein

A chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on magnetic microparticles (MmPs-CLEIA) was developed to evaluate serum a-fetoprotein (AFP) in parallel with traditional colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).A systematic comparison between the MmPs-CLEIA and colorimetric ELISA concluded that the MPs-CLEIA exhibited fewer dosages of immunoreagents,less total assay time,and better linearity,recovery,precision,sensitivity and validity.AFP was detected in forty human serum samples by the proposed MPs-CLEIA and ELISA,and the results were compared with commercial electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) kit.The correlation coefficient between MPs-CLEIA and ELISA was obtained with R 2 0.6703;however,the correlation between MPs-CLEIA and ECLIA (R 2 0.9582) was obviously better than that between colorimetric ELISA and ECLIA (R 2 0.6866).

Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Microparticles in Snowpits on the Tibetan Plateau, China

The work presents microparticle concentrations in snowpits from the East Rongbuk Glacier on Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) (ER) (28.02°N, 86.96°E, 6536 m a.s.l.), the Zhadang Glacier on Mt. Nyainqentanglha (NQ) (30.47°N, 90.65°E, 5800m a.s.l.), and the Guoqu Glacier on Mt. Geladaindong (GL) (33.95°N, 91.28°E, 5823m a.s.l.) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Variations of microparticle and major ions (e.g. Mg2+, Ca2+) concentrations in snowpits show that the values of the microparticles and ions in the non-monsoon seasons are much higher than those in the monsoon seasons. Annual flux of microparticle deposition at ER is lower than those at NQ and GL, which could be attributed to the long distance away from the possible dust source regions as well as the elevation for ER higher than the others. Compared with other remote areas, microparticle concentrations in the southern TP are much lower than those in the northern TP, but still much higher than those in Greenland and Antarctica. The seasonal and spatial microparticle variations are clearly related to the variations of atmospheric circulation according to the air mass 5-day backward trajectory analyses of HYSPLIT Model. Resultingly, the high microparticle values in snow are mainly attributed to the westerlies and the strong dust storm outbreaks on the TP, while the monsoon circulation brings great amount of precipitation from the Indian Ocean, thus reducing in the aerosol concentrations.

Preparation of Thermosensitive Chitosan Formulations Containing 5-Fluorouracil/Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate Microparticles Used as Injectable Drug Delivery System

The auto-gelling and drug release properties of the thermosensitive chitosan-β-glycerophosphate formulation were investigated. According to rheological study, gelation lag time of chitosan/β-glycerophosphate （GP） solutions varied from 2 to 60min with different deacetylation degree of chitosan, pH, gelation temperature, and the particles in the sol. The gelation properties were also found to influence the release profilles of a hydrophilic drug, 5-fluorouracil （5-FU）. Morphological examination by scanning electron microphotography demonstrated that large ＂pores＂ occurred during the gel-forming process, which created hydrophilic environment and led to the rapid initial release of the drug （85% in f＇LrSt 8h）. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate （PHB）, a biodegradable material, was applied here as scaffold to capture 5-FU into microparticles with high encapsulation efficiency by solvent-nonsolvent method. Combination of these microparticles into the chitosan-β-GP formulation could drop the rapid initial release from 85% down to 29% in the optimized PHB content （75%, by mass）. The release could sustain for about 10 months. Tiffs study provided an understanding of the potential of injectable implant using thermosensitive chitosan-β-GP formulation containing PHB based particles for the water soluble drugs that need the property of long-term delivery.

Synthesis of Iron-containing Carbon Microparticles from Deoiled Asphalt and Ferrocene

The deoiled asphalt as the carbon source and the ferrocene as the metal source and the catalyst precursor were chosen to synthesize iron-containing carbon microparticles through co-carbonization at the temperature of about 450℃ for 3 h. The resulting products were treated at 2 000 ℃ for 2 h. All samples were examined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that the iron particles in the heat-treated material are completely coated by carbon. In addition to the fully filled carbon microparticles as well as hollow carbon ones, also form carbon fibers with hollow centers. The formation mechanism of the as-prepared products was discussed briefly.

Role of microparticles in endothelial dysfunction and arterial hypertension

Microparticles are small cell vesicles that can be released by almost all eukaryotic cells during cellular stress and cell activation. Within the last 1-2 decades it has been shown that microparticles are useful blood surrogate markers for different pathological conditions, such as vascular inflammation, coagulation and tumour diseases. Several studies have investigated the abundance of microparticles of different cellular origins in multiple cardiovascular diseases. It thereby has been shown that microparticles released by platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells can be found in conditions of endothelial dysfunction, acute and chronic vascular inflammation and hypercoagulation. In addition to their function as surrogate markers, several studies indicate that circulating microparticles can fuse with distinct target cells, such as endothelial cells or leukocyte, and thereby deliver cellular components of their parental cells to the target cells. Hence, microparticles are a novel entity of circulating, paracrine, biological vectors which can influence the phenotype, the function and presumably even the transcriptome of their target cells.This review article aims to give a brief overview about the microparticle biology with a focus on endothelial activation and arterial hypertension. More detailed information about the role of microparticles in pathophysiology and disease can be found in already published work.

Supercritical Antisolvent Precipitation of Microparticles of Quercetin

Supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process is a recently developed technology to produce micro- and nano particles. This paper presents a continuous apparatus to conduct experiment of SAS process. With the apparatus, the effects of pressure, temperature and flow ratio of CO2 to the solution on the shape and size of particles are studied for the quercetin-ethanol-CO2 system. Spherical quercetin microparticles with diameters ranging form 1 μm to 6μm can be obtained while ethanol is used as organic solvent. The most effective fact on the shape and size of particles is pressure, the next is temperature and the last is the flow ratio of CO2 to solution.

Dynamics of circulating microparticles in chronic kidney disease and transplantation:Is it really reliable marker?

The deterioration of endothelial structure plays a very important role in the development of vascular diseases. It is believed that endothelial dysfunction starts in the early stage of kidney disease and is a risk factor of an unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis. Because a direct assessment of biological states in endothelial cells is not applicable, the measurement of endothelial microparticles(EMPs) detached from endothelium during activation or apoptosis is thought to be a marker of early vascular disease and endothelial dysfunction in children with chronic kidney disease(CKD). Few studies have shown increased circulating EMPs and its relationship with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with CKD.MPs contain membrane proteins and cytosolic material derived from the cell from which they originate. EMPs having CD144, CD 146, CD31+/CD41-, CD51 and CD105 may be used to evaluate the vascular endothelial cell damage and determine asymptomatic patients who might be at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in CKD and renal transplant.

Biocompatibility of Porous Spherical Calcium Carbonate Microparticles on Hela Cells

Recently there has been a wide concern on inorganic nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers. CaCO3 particles have shown promising potential for the development of carriers for drugs, but little research had been performed regarding their safe dosage for maximizing the therapeutic activity without harming biosystems. In this study, we assessed the biological safety of porous spherical CaCO3 microparticles on Hela cells. The reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), carbonyl content in proteins (CCP), DNA-protein crosslinks (DPC) and cell viability were measured. Results showed that with the exposure concentration increase, ROS and CCP in Hela cells presented a significant increase but GSH contents in Hela cells and cell viability showed a significant decrease respectively compared with the control. DPC coefficient ascended, but no statistically significant changes were observed. The results indicated that porous spherical CaCO3 microparticles may induce oxidative damage to Hela cells. But compared with other nanomaterials, porous spherical CaCO3 appeared to have good biocompatibility. The results implied that porous spherical calcium carbonate microparticles could be applied as relatively safe drug vehicles, but with the caveat that the effect of high dosages should not be ignored when attempting to maximize therapeutic activity by increasing the concentration.

Methylprednisolone microsphere sustained-release membrane inhibits scar formation at the site of peripheral nerve lesion

Corticosteroids are widely used for the treatment of acute central nervous system injury. However, their bioactivity is limited by their short half-life. Sustained release of glucocorticoids can prolong their efficacy and inhibit scar formation at the site of nerve injury. In the present study, we wrapped the anastomotic ends of the rat sciatic nerve with a methylprednisolone sustained-release membrane. Compared with methylprednisone alone or methylprednisone microspheres, the methylprednisolone microsphere sustained-release membrane reduced tissue adhesion and inhibited scar tissue formation at the site of anastomosis. It also increased sciatic nerve function index and the thickness of the myelin sheath. Our findings show that the methylprednisolone microsphere sustained-release membrane effectively inhibits scar formation at the site of anastomosis of the peripheral nerve, thereby promoting nerve regeneration.

Properties of Aroma Sustained-release Cotton Fabric with Rose Fragrance Nanocapsule

The aroma sustained-release cotton fabric was prepared by finishing rose fragrance nanocapsules directly on cotton.The structure and properties of nanocapsules were demonstrated by transmission electron microscope(TEM),dynamic light scattering(DLS),fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR),X-ray diffraction (XRD),gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)and electronic nose.The results showed that the spherical nanocapsule dispersed evenly and the average diameter kept 51.4 nm.The existence of COO peak(1741 cm? 1)in the FTIR curve of the finished cotton fabric and the decrease of crystallinity demonstrated that rose fragrance nanocapsules have been incorporated into the cotton fabrics.The washing resistance of the cotton fabrics finished by 51.4 nm nanocapsules was much better than that by rose fragrance alone.Besides,the loss of fragrance from the cotton fabrics finished by 51.4 nm nanocapsules was obviously lower than that by 532 nm nanocapsules and rose fragrance.The smaller the nanocapsule size,the better the sustained release property.Electronic nose analysis also displayed that the aroma released from the cotton fabrics finished by nanocapsules after washing has no obvious variety in contrast to that without washing.The cotton fabrics finished by nanocapsules has the excellent sustained release property.

Subchronic Oral Toxicity of Silica Nanoparticles and Silica Microparticles in Rats

Objective To investigate the subchronic oral toxicity of silica nanoparticles（NPs） and silica microparticles（MPs） in rats and to compare the difference in toxicity between two particle sizes.Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups： the control group; the silica NPs low-, middle-, and high-dose groups; and the silica MPs low-, middle-, and high-dose groups [166.7,500, and 1,500 mg/（kg·bw·day）]. All rats were gavaged daily for 90 days, and deionized water was administered to the control group. Clinical observations were made daily, and body weights and food consumption were determined weekly. Blood samples were collected on day 91 for measurement of hematology and clinical biochemistry. Animals were euthanized for necropsy, and selected organs were weighed and fixed for histological examination. The tissue distribution of silicon in the blood, liver,kidneys, and testis were determined.Results There were no toxicologically significant changes in mortality, clinical signs, body weight,food consumption, necropsy findings, and organ weights. Differences between the silica groups and the control group in some hematological and clinical biochemical values and histopathological findings were not considered treatment related. The tissue distribution of silicon was comparable across all groups.Conclusion Our study demonstrated that neither silica NPs nor silica MPs induced toxicological effects after subchronic oral exposure in rats.

Preparation and Crystal Modification of Ibuprofen-Loaded Solid Lipid Microparticles

An emulsion-congealing technique is used to prepare solid lipid microparticles （SLM） containing ibuprofen with glyceryl behenate, tripalmitin and beewax as excipients. The difference of the solubility parameters between the excipients and ibuprofen are used to analyze their compatibility. Both the solubility parameter analysis and the experimental results show that glyceryl behenate is the best among the three excipients. The solid particles disperse well in aqueous phase when the drug loading reaches 10% （relative to lipid only）. Glycerides exhibit marked polymorphism and their rapid rates of crystallization accelerate the formation of metastable crystal modification. The metastable crystal modification characterizes high drug loading capacity but less stability. Increasing the content of lipophilic drug in a lipid matrix facilitates the transformation of excipients to more stable polymorphic forms.

Release performance and sustained-release efficacy of emamectin benzoate-loaded polylactic acid microspheres

High-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） was employed to determine drug release rates based on emamectin benzoate concentrations in the medium. Release kinetics equations were used to fit the drug release behavior. The effects of particle size and release medium pH on the release rate were also investigated. The indoor toxicity of emamectin benzoate-loaded polylactic acid microspheres on the diamondback moth larva （Plutella xylostella） was studied to explore drug sustained-release performance. In acidic and neutral media, the drug release behavior of the microspheres was in accord with the first-order kinetics equation. Increasing the spray dosage of emamectin benzoate-loaded polylactic acid microspheres initially resulted in an equivalent insecticidal efficacy with the conventional emamectin benzoate microemulsion. However, the drug persistence period was four-fold longer than that observed using the conventional formulation. The developed emamectin benzoate-loaded polylactic acid microspheres showed dramatic sustained-release performance. A treatment threshold of greater than 35 mg mL-1 was established for an efficient accumulated release concentration of emamectin benzoate-loaded microspheres.

The preparation and the in-vitro pharmacodynamics study of the intracapsular sustained-release preparations for the prevention of posterior capsule opacification

Docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparation based on 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate(HEMA)and Methyl methacrylate(MMA)cross-linked copolymer(P(HEMA-co-MMA))was prepared to examine the potential use for preventing posterior capsule opacification(PCO).The preparations were prepared by polymerizing the mixture of HEMA,MMA,cross-linking agent(EGDMA),initiator(AIBN)and docetaxel.The influence factors and mechanism of drug release were studied in the experiments.FT-IR,X-RD and SEM methods were used to characterize the polymer(P(HEMA-co-MMA))and docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations.Biocompatibility of P(HEMA-co-MMA)and in-vitro effect of docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations were also evaluated.The results showed that docetaxel could release sustainedly from these preparations prepared by cross-linking polymerization.And the release rate could be accelerated by increasing the MMA ratio or EGDMA ratio of the polymer.Release mechanism of docetaxel fitted the Higuchi model well.The results of IR and X-RD showed that only a hydrogen bond was formed between docetaxel and P(HEMA-co-MMA).Docetaxel dispersed in P(HEMA-co-MMA)in amorphous form.The elution test showed that P(HEMA-co-MMA)had good biocompatibility and the in-vitro pharmacodynamics study proved that docetaxel could release stably from the preparations and inhibit HLECs’proliferation.The docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations proved to be a promising therapy for preventing PCO.These results also lay a theoretical and experimental foundation for the future.

Changes in the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells after transarterial chemoembolization with gelatin sponge microparticles for hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: A series of clinical studies have established the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) with gelatin sponge microparticles(GSMs) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). HCC can lead to obvious necrosis inside tumors, especially larger ones, although it is unclear whether such necrotic tumor tissue can induce favorable immune reactions against the tumor. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs)have immunosuppressive functions and are currently considered a very important cell type affecting tumor immunity. This study observed changes in MDSC frequency in peripheral blood before and after GSM–TACE to evaluate the effect on the immune function of HCC patients.Methods: Eight patients diagnosed with HCC underwent GSM–TACE treatment in the Hepatobiliary Interventional Department of Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, Beijing, China;we followed up with the patients over a period of 30 days post-surgery. We used flow cytometry(FCM) to quantify the frequency of MDSCs in peripheral blood before TACE, 10 days after surgery and 30 days after surgery.Results: MDSC frequency after GSM–TACE had a significant downward trend. Pre-TACE, it was 30.73% ? 11.93%,decreasing to 18.60% ? 11.37% at 10 days after operation. This decrease was not statistically significant(P > 0.05). MDSC frequency was even lower 30 days after TACE(7.63% ? 7.32%) than at 10 days after TACE(P < 0.05), and there was a significant difference compared with pre-TACE(P < 0.001). We evaluated tumor response at 30 days after GSM–TACE according to the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(mRECIST), and all eight patients showed partial response(PR).Conclusion: Our results confirmed that GSM–TACE was beneficial for improving anti-tumor immunity in the treatment of HCC.

Effect of Y(OH)_3 microparticles on the electrochemical performance of alkaline zinc electrodes

This work focused on the zinc powder coated with Y(OH)3 microparticles by means of ultrasonic immersion for performance improvement of zinc electrodes in alkaline battery systems.Scanning electron microscopy and other characterization techniques were applied to examine the influence of the ultrasonic power on the sonochemical growth of Y(OH)3 microparticles in direct contact with zinc powder.Electrochemical properties of zinc electrodes containing Y(OH)3 microparticles were discussed through the measurement...