Pharmacokinetics of long-acting nalbuphine decanoate after intramuscular administration to Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of nalbuphine decanoate after IM administration to Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis). ANIMALS: 9 healthy adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots of unknown sex. PROCEDURES: Nalbuphine decanoate (37.5 mg/kg) was administered IM to all birds. Plasma samples were obtained from blood collected before (time 0) and 0.25, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours after drug administration. Plasma samples were used for measurement of nalbuphine concentrations via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated with computer software. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of nalbuphine increased rapidly after IM administration, with a mean concentration of 46.1 ng/mL at 0.25 hours after administration. Plasma concentrations of nalbuphine remained > 20 ng/mL for at least 24 hours in all birds. The maximum plasma concentration was 109.4 ng/mL at 2.15 hours. The mean terminal half-life was 20.4 hours. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In Hispaniolan Amazon parrots, plasma concentrations of nalbuphine were prolonged after IM administration of nalbuphine decanoate, compared with previously reported results after administration of nalbuphine hydrochloride. Plasma concentrations that could be associated with antinociception were maintained for 24 hours after IM administration of 37.5 mg of nalbuphine decanoate/kg. Safety and analgesic efficacy of nalbuphine treatments in this species require further investigation to determine the potential for clinical use in pain management in psittacine species.

Antinociceptive effects of long-acting nalbuphine decanoate after intramuscular administration to Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the thermal antinociceptive effects and duration of action of nalbuphine decanoate after IM administration to Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis). ANIMALS: 10 healthy adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots of unknown sex. PROCEDURES: Nalbuphine decanoate (33.7 mg/kg) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution was administered IM in a randomized complete crossover experimental design (periods 1 and 2). Foot withdrawal threshold to a noxious thermal stimulus was used to evaluate responses. Baseline thermal withdrawal threshold was recorded 1 hour before drug or saline solution administration, and thermal foot withdrawal threshold measurements were repeated 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after drug administration. RESULTS: Nalbuphine decanoate administered IM at a dose of 33.7 mg/kg significantly increased thermal foot withdrawal threshold, compared with results after administration of saline solution during period 2, and also caused a significant change in withdrawal threshold for up to 12 hours, compared with baseline values. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nalbuphine decanoate increased the foot withdrawal threshold to a noxious thermal stimulus in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots for up to 12 hours and provided a longer duration of action than has been reported for other nalbuphine formulations. Further studies with other types of nociceptive stimulation, dosages, and dosing intervals as well as clinical trials are needed to fully evaluate the analgesic effects of nalbuphine decanoate in psittacine birds.

Evaluation of phospholipid and liposomal S-adenosyl methionine for the treatment of liver injury in a murine model.

We have used a murine model of Acetaminophen induced hepatoxicity to determine if S-adenosyl methionine 1,4 butanedisulfonate (SD4) in liposomes can prevent liver injury when administered immediately prior to acetaminophen, as judged by serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, and histological evidence of liver necrosis. No protection was observed when mice received 1 g/kg unencapsulated SD4. Partial protection was observed with 5 or 0.5 mg/kg SD4 in unextruded distearoylphosphatidylglycerol (DSPG) liposomes. Protection comparable to that seen in mice receiving encapsulated SD4 is achieved when mice received lipid alone in equivalent amounts, suggesting that the contribution of encapsulated SD4 to the efficacy of the liposomes may be minimal. Unextruded distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) liposomes show only slight effects even at 50 mg/kg SD4. This is likely caused by the size of unextruded DSPC lipsomes, because extruded DSPC liposomes, whose size is smaller, are of comparable efficacy to unextruded DSPG liposomes.

Analgesic effects of carprofen and liposome-encapsulated butorphanol tartrate in Hispaniolan parrots (Amazona ventralis) with experimentally induced arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the microcrystalline sodium urate (MSU) method for inducing arthritis in parrots and to compare the analgesic efficacy of long-acting liposome-encapsulated butorphanol (LEBT), carprofen, or a combination of both. ANIMALS: 20 Hispaniolan parrots. PROCEDURES: MSU was injected into a tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal (intertarsal) joint to induce arthritis (time 0). Four treatments were compared (LEBT [15 mg/kg, SC] administered once at time 0; injections of carprofen [3 mg/kg, IM, q 12 h] starting at time 0; administration of LEBT plus carprofen; and a control treatment of saline [0.9% NaCl] solution). Weight load testing and behavioral scoring were conducted at 0, 2, 6, 26, and 30 hours. RESULTS: Injection of MSU into the intertarsal joint induced arthritis, which resolved within 30 hours. Treatment with LEBT or LEBT plus carprofen resulted in significantly greater weight-bearing load on the limb with induced arthritis, compared with the control treatment. Treatment with carprofen alone caused a slight but nonsignificant improvement in weight-bearing load on the arthritic limb, compared with the control treatment. Behaviors associated with motor activity and weight bearing differed between the control and analgesic treatments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Butorphanol was an effective treatment for pain associated with arthritis, but carprofen administered every 12 hours was insufficient. Injection of MSU to induce arthritis in a single joint was a good method for evaluating tonic pain in parrots, and measurement of the weight-bearing load was accurate for assessment of arthritic pain; however, behavioral changes associated with pain were subtle.

Evaluation of liposome-encapsulated butorphanol tartrate for alleviation of experimentally induced arthritic pain in green-cheeked conures (Pyrrhura molinae).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate injection of microcrystalline sodium urate (MSU) for inducing articular pain in green-cheeked conures (Pyrrhura molinae) and the analgesic efficacy of liposome-encapsulated butorphanol tartrate (LEBT) by use of weight load data, behavioral scores, and fecal corticosterone concentration. ANIMALS: 8 conures. PROCEDURES: In a crossover study, conures were randomly assigned to receive LEBT (15 mg/kg) or liposomal vehicle subsequent to experimental induction of arthritis or sham injection. The MSU was injected into 1 tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal (intertarsal) joint to induce arthritis (time 0). weight-bearing load and behavioral scores were determined at 0, 2, 6, 26, and 30 hours. RESULTS: MSU injection into 1 intertarsal joint caused a temporary decrease in weight bearing on the affected limb. Treatment of arthritic conures with LEBT resulted in significantly more weight bearing on the arthritic limb than treatment with vehicle. Administration of vehicle to arthritic conures caused a decrease in activity and feeding behaviors during the induction phase of arthritis, but as the arthritis resolved, there was a significant increase in voluntary activity at 30 hours and feeding behaviors at 26 and 30 hours, compared with results for LEBT treatment of arthritic birds. Treatment with LEBT or vehicle in conures without arthritis resulted in similar measurements for weight bearing and voluntary and motivated behaviors. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Experimental induction of arthritis in conures was a good method for evaluating tonic pain. Weight-bearing load was the most sensitive measure of pain associated with induced arthritis. Pain associated with MSU-induced arthritis was alleviated by administration of LEBT.

Genes required for rapid expression of nitrogenase activity in Azotobacter vinelandii.

Rnf proteins are proposed to form membrane-protein complexes involved in the reduction of target proteins such as the transcriptional regulator SoxR or the dinitrogenase reductase component of nitrogenase. In this work, we investigate the role of rnf genes in the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii. We show that A. vinelandii has two clusters of rnf-like genes: rnf1, whose expression is nif-regulated, and rnf2, which is expressed independently of the nitrogen source in the medium. Deletion of each of these gene clusters produces a time delay in nitrogen-fixing capacity and, consequently, in diazotrophic growth. Deltarnf mutations cause two distinguishable effects on the nitrogenase system: (i), slower nifHDK gene expression and (ii), impairment of nitrogenase function. In these mutants, dinitrogenase reductase activity is lowered, whereas dinitrogenase activity remains essentially unaltered. Further analysis indicates that deltarnf mutants accumulate an inactive and iron-deficient form of NifH because they have lower rates of incorporation of [4Fe-4S] into NifH. Deltarnf mutations also cause a noticeable decrease in aconitase activity; however, they do not produce general oxidative stress or modification of Fe metabolism in A. vinelandii. Our results suggest the existence of a redox regulatory mechanism in A. vinelandii that controls the rate of expression and maturation of nitrogenase by the activity of the Rnf protein complexes. rnf1 plays a major and more specific role in this scheme, but the additive effects of mutations in rnf1 and rnf2 indicate the existence of functional complementation between the two homologous systems.

New advances and novel treatments in heart failure.

As briefly summarized in this report, the prevalence of heart failure is high and it will continue to rise as the population ages. There will be over 1 million hospitalizations for acutely decompensated heart failure this year. The goals of treatment for patients with acutely decompensated heart failure are to lower cardiac filling pressures, remove fluids and improve symptoms of dyspnea, decrease vascular resistance, and increase cardiac output without activating the RAAS. There are few guidelines for the treatment of individuals with acutely decompensated heart failure and many different agents have been used in patients with this disease. Many of these drugs are not completely effective and may lead to serious adverse events. BNP is a natural protein produced by myocardial cells in response to ventricular distension, and its level is dramatically increased in patients with heart failure. The results of several recent clinical trials have shown that administration of nesiritide is safe and highly effective for the initial treatment of patients with acutely decompensated heart failure and can help physicians and nurses meet treatment goals for the management of patients with this serious condition.