OBJECTIVETo determine the contents of L-enantiomer impurity in valaciclovir hydrochloride.

METHODSValaciclovir enantiomers were separated and determined by using chiral high performance liquid chromatography. Chromatographic conditions were as follows:CROWNPAK(®) CR(+) chiral column (4 mm×150 mm, 5 μm), detection wavelength:254 nm, mobile phase:water-methanol-perchloric acid (19:1:0.1), flow rate:0.75 ml/min, sample injection volume:10 μl.

RESULTSD-valaciclovir was completely separated from L-enantiomer impurity. The contents of L-enantiomer impurity were 0.65%-2.62% on average in 8 batches of valaciclovir hydrochloride.

CONCLUSIONEnantiomeric impurity contents in each batch of products were all meet criteria of United States Pharmacopeia, which can be used in criteria of Chinese Pharmacopeia as references.

Acyclovir ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Stereoisomerism ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis

Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Valsartan

Benzimidazoles ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; biosynthesis ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Valsartan

OBJECTIVETo explore the pathogenic changes of myocardial apoptosis in heart hypertrophy during hypertension and evaluate the anti-apoptosis effect of Valsartan.

METHODSThirty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were divided into two groups: 15 treated with Valsartan (20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) (SHR + Valsartan group), the others with placebo (SHR + placebo group), with 15 normal Wistar rats as control. Systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. The observation period was from 8 to 16 weeks of age. Cardiac apoptosis was evaluated by a Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-Mediated dUTP-biotin Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay.

RESULTSMean blood pressure values were 127 +/- 2 mm Hg in controls, 163 +/- 6 mm Hg in the SHR + Valsartan group and 193 +/- 7 mm Hg in the SHR + placebo group at 16 weeks of age, whereas the blood pressure in 8-week-old SHR and Wistar rats were 175 +/- 3 mm Hg and 125 +/- 5 mm Hg, respectively. The ratio of the heart weight over body weight declined in Wistar (3.07 +/- 0.03 mg/g) and SHR + Valsartan groups (3.22 +/- 0.19 mg/g) compared with the SHR + placebo group (4.02 +/- 0.31 mg/g) (P < 0.05). The density of TUNEL-positive cells in Wistar and SHR +/- Valsartan groups was 23.3 +/- 3.3 nuclei/HPF and 35.0 +/- 1.3 nuclei/HPF, both of which were significantly less than that of the SHR + placebo group (116.7 +/- 11.3 nuclei/HPF).

CONCLUSIONSIn response to chronic pressure overload, cardiomyocyte-specific apoptosis contributes to the transition from compensatory hypertrophy to decompensation. Apoptosis may be effectively inhibited by Valsartan in the early stage of hypertension.

Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cardiomegaly ; pathology ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Wistar ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Valsartan

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of intradermal injection of methylene blue for treatment of moderate to severe acute thoracic herpes zoster and prevention of postherpetica neuralgia in elderly patients.

METHODSSixty-four elderly patients with herpes zoster were randomized to receive a 10-day course of intradermal injection of methylene blue and lidocaine plus oral valaciclovir (group A, 32 cases) and intradermal injection of lidocaine plus oral valaciclovir (group B).Herpes evaluation index, pain rating index, incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, and comprehensive therapeutic effect were compared between the two groups at 11, 30 and 60 days after the treatment.

RESULTSThe baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared with that in group B, the time for no new blister formation, blister incrustation and decrustation, and pain relief was significantly shortened in group A (P<0.05) with also obviously lower pain intensity after the treatment. The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was significantly lower in group A than in group B at 30 days (P<0.05), but not at 60 and 90 days after the treatment. The total clinical response rate was 93.8% in group A, much higher than that in group B (62.5%, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONIntradermal injection of methylene blue can effectively shorten the disease course, reduce the pain intensity and prevent the development of postherpetic neuralgia in elderly patients with herpes zoster.

Acyclovir ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Aged ; Herpes Zoster ; complications ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intradermal ; Lidocaine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Methylene Blue ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; therapy ; Pain Measurement ; Valine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

The valaciclovir was used as the model drug, the bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA-NP) were prepared by desolvation process. Glycyrrhizin (GL) was oxidized by sodium periodate to be conjugated to surface reactive amino groups (SRAG) of the VACV-BSA-NP. Gel filtration method combined with HPLC method verified that GL was covalent coupling to the surface of VACV-BSA-NP with mean 9 GL residues per albumin molecule. The mean diameter of the VACV-BSA-NP-GL was 268 +/- 23 nm, the drug loading was 1.35%, and embedding ratio was 68.76%. The characteristics of release in vitro were in accord with two-phase kinetics. The uptake amount of VACV-BSA-NP-GL by primary cultured rat hepatocytes in vitro was higher, compared to the control-VACV-BSA-NP. 69.89% and 64.82% of the VACV were concentrated in liver at 15 min after i.v. VACV-BSA-NP-GL and VACV-BSA-NP, respectively. There is a significant difference between surface-modified group and control group (P<0.10). VACV-BSA-NP-GL was successfully prepared, which is considered to be a novel drug delivery system for targeting to hepatocytes.
Acyclovir ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Microspheres ; Nanostructures ; Nanotechnology ; Particle Size ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; pharmacology ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effect of integrative medicinal therapy with Qinzhu Liangxue Mixture (QLM) in combined with valaciclovir on herpes zoster (HZ) in middle and old aged patients.

METHODSNinety-seven HZ patients were randomly assigned to three groups and treated respectively with QLM alone (A), valaciclovir alone (B) and QLM plus valaciclovir (C). Times for stopping newly appeared blisters, scabbing relieving pain, and curing, as well as incidence rate of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) after treatment were evaluated. Patients' symptoms and signs were scored before and after treatment.

RESULTSTime for appeaed newly blister and scabbing was shorter in Group B than in Group A; time for relieving pain and curing was shorter in Group C than in Group A; and the PHN incidence rate in Group C was the lowest.

CONCLUSIONValaciclovir can control the skin rash of HZ with quicker initiating time, and QLM can effectively relieve pain, the combined use with the two drugs can decrease the incidence rate of PHN availably.

Acyclovir ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Aged ; Analgesics ; therapeutic use ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Herpes Zoster ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Middle Aged ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of hydrochloride valacyclovir in treatment of varicella in pediatric patients between April 2006 and March 2007.

METHODSA randomized controlled multi-center clinical trial was conducted in 5 pediatric centers, i.e., Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Pediatric Department of Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology and Children's Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences. Patients who were clinically diagnosed as varicella without any complications and were beyond 3 years of age were enrolled into the study from the out-patient clinics. The subjects were divided into two groups randomly, one was treated with hydrochloride valacyclovir, the other with ribavirin. There were 128 cases in the group treated with hydrochloride valacyclovir and 132 cases in control group treated with ribavirin. The treatment duration of two groups was five days. The clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated after the first day and the fourth day of the treatment and within three days after the end of the treatment. The clinical efficacy was assessed by efficacy index.

RESULTS(1) The efficacy index on the fourth day of the therapy (0.80 +/- 0.24) in the valacyclovir group was significantly higher than that of ribavirin control group (0.59 +/- 0.37) (t = 5.42, P < 0.01). The efficacy index at the end of the treatment (0.86 +/- 0.14) in the hydrochloride valacyclovir group was also significantly higher than that (0.70 +/- 0.30) of the ribavirin control group (t = 5.43, P < 0.01). (2) In the valacyclovir and ribavirin groups, the effective rates on the fourth day of the therapy were 94.53% and 72.7% respectively (chi2) = 22.38, P < 0.01). The effective rates at the end of the therapy were 99.2% and 88.6%, respectively (chi(2) = 12.60, P < 0.01). The rates of cure of the two groups were 33.6% and 25.0% (chi2) = 2.32, P > 0.05). (3) No severe adverse drug reactions were observed in any of the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe hydrochloride valacyclovir was safe, reliable and convenient in treatment of uncomplicated varicella in children.

Acyclovir ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Chickenpox ; drug therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Valine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) using macromolecular contrast agent (P792) for assessment of vascular disrupting drug effect in rabbit VX2 liver tumor models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. DCE-MRI was performed with 3-T scanner in 13 VX2 liver tumor-bearing rabbits, before, 4 hours after, and 24 hours after administration of vascular disrupting agent (VDA), using gadomelitol (P792, n = 7) or low molecular weight contrast agent (gadoterate meglumine [Gd-DOTA], n = 6). P792 was injected at a of dose 0.05 mmol/kg, while that of Gd-DOTA was 0.2 mmol/kg. DCE-MRI parameters including volume transfer coefficient (K(trans)) and initial area under the gadolinium concentration-time curve until 60 seconds (iAUC) of tumors were compared between the 2 groups at each time point. DCE-MRI parameters were correlated with tumor histopathology. Reproducibility in measurement of DCE-MRI parameters and image quality of source MR were compared between groups. RESULTS: P792 group showed a more prominent decrease in K(trans) and iAUC at 4 hours and 24 hours, as compared to the Gd-DOTA group. Changes in DCE-MRI parameters showed a weak correlation with histologic parameters (necrotic fraction and microvessel density) in both groups. Reproducibility of DCE-MRI parameters and overall image quality was not significantly better in the P792 group, as compared to the Gd-DOTA group. CONCLUSION: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging using a macromolecular contrast agent shows changes of hepatic perfusion more clearly after administration of the VDA. Gadolinium was required at smaller doses than a low molecular contrast agent.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Benzophenones/therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Heterocyclic Compounds/administration & dosage/*chemistry ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy/pathology/*radiography ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds/administration & dosage/*chemistry ; Rabbits ; Reproducibility of Results ; Valine/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use