OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy of two vehicles for nebulized salbutamol in treatment of asthma exacerbations with Meta-analysis.

METHODSAll relevant randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT) with isotonic magnesium sulphate and saline as vehicles for inhaled salbutamol in treatment of asthma exacerbations were searched. A Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the results of the two therapies.

RESULTFive relevant RCTs from literature were collected and total 219 cases were included for analysis. The meta-analysis indicated that the significant improvements were obtained from isotonic magnesium sulphate as a vehicle for nebulized salbutamol, in comparison with saline [pooled standardized mean difference (SMD)=0.55(95% CI 0.28 - 0.83), P <0.001]. By further subgroup analysis, this change was properly significant in the subgroup of severe patients with their baseline FEV1% <30% [FEV1 weighted mean difference (WMD)=0.72 L(95% CI 0.30 L - 1.14 L), P <0.01]. The pooled results of vital signs between two vehicles did not demonstrate statistical significance. Overall, the risk of admission to hospital was not statistically reduced in patients using magnesium sulphate, who presented to the emergency department with an asthma exacerbation [pooled RR=0.64(95% CI 0.38 - 1.08), P >0.05].

CONCLUSIONCompared with saline,the use of isotonic magnesium sulfate as an adjuvant to nebulize salbutamol is a beneficial therapy with improving spirometric airway function in the severe asthma exacerbation.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists ; administration & dosage ; Albuterol ; administration & dosage ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnesium Sulfate ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

BACKGROUNDIn recent years the interest of sustained drug delivery into inner ear is promising, at the same time a great deal of novel oral drugs using biodegradable vehicles have been produced to achieve sustained drug release. The aim of this study was to use biodegradable vehicles to release dexamethasone in the round window membrane application.

METHODSDexamethasone gels composed of alginate and chitin were prepared and the release-permeating profiles were studied using a reproducible in vitro apparatus. A longer-period time course was simulated using the parameters acquired in this study. The data obtained in this study was compared with those of other studies in intratympanic drug delivery, and an appropriate initial dosage was extrapolated.

RESULTSThe combination of alginate and chitin could efficiently restrict dexamethasone diffusion and the time course suggested a sustained drug concentration within 24 hours. A higher initial dosage was estimated to achieve a stable therapeutic concentration in vivo.

CONCLUSIONThe combination of alginate and chitin could be used as vehicle for sustained release of dexamethasone in intratympanic application.

Alginates ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Chitosan ; administration & dosage ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Dexamethasone ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Glucuronic Acid ; administration & dosage ; Guinea Pigs ; Hexuronic Acids ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Permeability ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; Round Window, Ear ; metabolism

Lipoproteins are biological lipids carriers. The natural and reconstituted lipoprotein based drug delivery systems have been extensively developed in recent years. This article reviews the development of natural and reconstituted low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein based vehicles in the antitumor area.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Apolipoproteins B ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Peptides ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; chemistry

Total paeony glycoside (TPG) is extracted and purified from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It has many biological and pharmacological activities. However, there are few dosage forms of TPG in the market because of its low bioavailability. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) is a vital tool in solving low bioavailability of poor absorption drugs. So the objective of this study is to develop a new TPG-SMEDDS for the oral delivery of poorly soluble TPG. Through the construction of pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, the optimum prescription was obtained, which consisted of 18.70% TPG, 16.27% ethyl oleate as oil, 43.34% Cremophor RH40 as surfactant and 21.73% Transcutol P as cosurfactant. The characterizations of TPG-SMEDDS including morphological characterization, droplet size, zeta-potential, emulsification time, and dissolution study of TPG-SMEDDS were evaluated. The results showed that TPG-SMEDDS is stable and its release rate is high in four different media (0.1 mol x L(-1) HCl, pH 6.8 PBS, pH 7.4 PBS, and water). The relative bioavailability of SMEDDS was dramatically enhanced in an average of 1.52-fold that of TPG-suspension. It is concluded that the bioavailability of TPG is enhanced greatly by SMEDDS.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Stability ; Emulsions ; Ethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Oleic Acids ; chemistry ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Rats ; Solubility

AIMTo investigate the permeation mechanism of paclitaxel by enhancers and preparation factors.

METHODSThe fluidity of mucous membrane and membrane protein conformation changes were determined by using electron spin resonance (ESR) when mucous membrane was treated by several enhancers. At the same time, the factors of penetration of lower dissolution drug across the intestinal mucous membrane were studied in three formulas inclusion complex, microemulsion and injection.

RESULTSPolyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) and phospholipid as enhancers could reinforce the permeation of paclitaxle because of loosening of protein conformation in intestinal mucous membrane. Paclitaxel-HP-beta-CD inclusion complex and paclitaxel microemulsion as vehicle could significantly increased permeation kinetic rate of paclitaxel with fluid diffuse method.

CONCLUSIONCharacteristics of enhancing intestinal absorption of poor dissolution drug had been provided with enhancer the change of membrane fluid.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Synergism ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Emulsions ; Injections ; Intestinal Absorption ; drug effects ; Intestinal Mucosa ; drug effects ; Membrane Fluidity ; drug effects ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; pharmacology ; Phospholipids ; pharmacology ; Polyethylene Glycols ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta-Cyclodextrins ; pharmacology

In vivo electroporation has emerged as a leading technology for developing nonviral gene therapies, and the various technical parameters governing electroporation efficiency have been optimized by both theoretical and experimental analysis. However, most electroporation parameters focused on the electric conditions and the preferred vehicle for plasmid DNA injections has been normal saline. We hypothesized that salts in vehicle for plasmid DNA must affect the efficiency of DNA transfer because cations would alter ionic atmosphere, ionic strength, and conductivity of their medium. Here, we show that half saline (71 mM) is an optimal vehicle for in vivo electroporation of naked DNA in skeletal muscle. With various salt concentrations, two reporter genes, luciferase and beta-galactosidase were injected intramuscularly under our optimal electric condition (125 V/cm, 4 pulses x 2 times, 50 ms, 1 Hz). Exact salt concentrations of DNA vehicle were measured by the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and the conductivity change in the tissue induced by the salt in the medium was measured by Low-Frequency (LF) Impedance Analyzer. Luciferase expression in-creased as cation concentration of vehicle dec-reased and this result can be visualized by X-Gal staining. However, at lower salt concentration, transfection efficiency was diminished because the hypoosmotic stress and electrical injury by low conductivity induced myofiber damage. At optimal salt concentration (71 mM), we observed a 3-fold average increase in luciferase expression in comparison with the normal saline condition (p < 0.01). These results provide a valuable experimental parameter for in vivo gene therapy mediated by electroporation.
Animals ; Comparative Study ; DNA/*administration & dosage/metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Electric Conductivity ; Electroporation/methods ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; Female ; Gene Therapy/*methods ; *Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genes, Reporter ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Luciferase/metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Osmolar Concentration ; Plasmids/genetics/*metabolism ; Sodium Chloride/*pharmacology ; Transfection ; Vehicles/*administration & dosage ; beta-Galactosidase/metabolism

In vivo electroporation has emerged as a leading technology for developing nonviral gene therapies, and the various technical parameters governing electroporation efficiency have been optimized by both theoretical and experimental analysis. However, most electroporation parameters focused on the electric conditions and the preferred vehicle for plasmid DNA injections has been normal saline. We hypothesized that salts in vehicle for plasmid DNA must affect the efficiency of DNA transfer because cations would alter ionic atmosphere, ionic strength, and conductivity of their medium. Here, we show that half saline (71 mM) is an optimal vehicle for in vivo electroporation of naked DNA in skeletal muscle. With various salt concentrations, two reporter genes, luciferase and beta-galactosidase were injected intramuscularly under our optimal electric condition (125 V/cm, 4 pulses x 2 times, 50 ms, 1 Hz). Exact salt concentrations of DNA vehicle were measured by the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and the conductivity change in the tissue induced by the salt in the medium was measured by Low-Frequency (LF) Impedance Analyzer. Luciferase expression in-creased as cation concentration of vehicle dec-reased and this result can be visualized by X-Gal staining. However, at lower salt concentration, transfection efficiency was diminished because the hypoosmotic stress and electrical injury by low conductivity induced myofiber damage. At optimal salt concentration (71 mM), we observed a 3-fold average increase in luciferase expression in comparison with the normal saline condition (p < 0.01). These results provide a valuable experimental parameter for in vivo gene therapy mediated by electroporation.
Animals ; Comparative Study ; DNA/*administration & dosage/metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Electric Conductivity ; Electroporation/methods ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; Female ; Gene Therapy/*methods ; *Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genes, Reporter ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Luciferase/metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Osmolar Concentration ; Plasmids/genetics/*metabolism ; Sodium Chloride/*pharmacology ; Transfection ; Vehicles/*administration & dosage ; beta-Galactosidase/metabolism