Application of 64-slice spiral computed tomography angiography in extremity vascular injuries.

The objective of the current study was to assess the utility of 64-row helical computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the evaluation of extremity vascular traumas. The extremities from 17 clinical cases of suspected traumatic vascular damage were evaluated using 64-row helical CTA. To evaluate extremity vascular traumas using CTA, volume rendering, multiple planar reconstruction, and curved planar reconstruction technology were applied to accurately and rapidly indicate the type and extent of blood vessel damage, as well as any relationship with injuries to adjacent bones, joints, soft tissue swelling, or hematomas. The types of extremity vascular traumas evaluated included damaged arteries, artery spasms or block, blood vessels shifted because of pressure, pseudo aneurysms, arteriovenous fistula, and vein occlusion. The results of the study indicated that 64-row helical CTA could be highly efficient and accurate in the evaluation of extremity vascular traumas, and could aid in making clinical assessments.

[Study of diphacinone in biological samples by high performance liquid chromatography/diode array detector].

An analytical approach has been developed for high performance liquid chromatographic determination of diphacinone extracted from liver, blood, urine and kidney of rabbit by solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges (using SAX, CN or SILICA GEL) with coumarin as the internal standard. Diphacinone was separated by reversed-phase gradient chromatography with DAD detection at 286 nm. The Analytical column was Hypersil BDS C18(150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microns) and the guard column was Phenomenex ODS(4 mm x 3.0 mm i.d.). The mobile phase was a gradient mixture of aqueous solution (A) and methanol solution (B) both containing 0.5% ion pair A. There was a good linear relationship between the concentration of diphacinone and the ratio of peak areas of diphacinone and coumarin (internal standard) (r = 0.9999). The linear range was 1 mg/L-100 mg/L, and the lower detection limit was 5 ng (S/N = 3). The average recoveries of diphacinone in urine, blood and liver were 88.4% (n = 3, RSD = 1.25%, SPE by CN column), 82.2% (n = 3, RSD = 1.67%, SPE by SAX column), 91.0% (n = 3, RSD = 2.77%, SPE by SILICA GEL column), respectively.

Preliminary study of oral polylactide microcapsulated insulin in vitro and in vivo.

AIM: Although the oral route for insulin delivery is the most convenient, directly administered oral insulin is degraded by proteolytic enzymes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Polylactide was prepared in order to microcapsulate the insulin to avoid the enzymes in the GI. The physical characteristics and therapeutic possibilities of polylactide microcapsulated insulin (PLA-MCI) were studied in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: PLA-MCI was prepared by the two-step method of emulsion and solvent extraction. Its morphologic character was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The insulin release profile was determined in vitro by insulin measurement and in vivo by blood glucose measurement after the force-feeding of 66 diabetic rats. RESULTS: When the microcapsule was spherical in shape (diameter 1.5-2.0 microm) the entrapment efficiency of insulin was 90% and the loading rate was 10% (W/W). The PLA-MCI (which contained 3.0 units of insulin/mg of PLA) had peak release rates of 65-74% over 6-8 h in phosphate buffer. The same dose of PLA-MCI (insulin 2.5 mg) led to decreased responses (from 28% to 68% of control blood glucose levels) in the level of blood glucose in 32 rats which had not fasted after they had been force-fed. When 1.2, 1.8, 2.2 and 3.0 mg of insulin + PLA-MCI was administered to eight diabetic rats, their blood glucose levels decreased by 28%, 36%, 54% and 78%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PLA microcapsules are capable of protecting insulin from degradation by the proteolytic enzymes in the GI and of alleviating hyperglycaemia for a prolonged period of time in diabetic rats. It may therefore be considered as a new carrier for oral insulin.