Design and Evaluation of Transdermal Patches of Timolol Maleate.

BACKGROUND: Continuous intravenous infusion of controlled drug delivery has certain risks. This could be diligently duplicated devoid of its hassles by using the skin as the port of drug entry. Transdermal drug delivery system is the main route with discrete, self-contained dosage forms when placed on the skin, transporting the medicament through the skin into the systemic circulation in a wellcontrolled manner. OBJECTIVE: The rationale of the current work was to formulate and evaluate a transdermal patch of an antihypertensive drug by using different grades of polymers with a view to circumvent the hepatic first pass metabolism and also to escalate its bioavailability. METHODS: Solvent-casting method was used to prepare transdermal patches of timolol maleate using Eudragit RL100, Eudragit RS100, ethyl cellulose as polymers, and dibutyl phthalate as the plasticizer. The formulated patches were evaluated for their physiochemical parameters such as folding endurance, percentage moisture content, thickness, and water vapour transmission. The formulated patches were subjected to in-vitro permeation studies by using a Franz diffusion cell with a dialysis sac. The optimized formulation chosen on the basis of physiochemical characteristics and in-vitro studies was subjected to in-vivo studies on methyl prednisolone acetate-induced hypertensive rats. RESULTS: The data from release kinetics disclosed that the Korsmayer-Peppas could be the best fitting model. The results obtained from in-vitro studies disclosed that formulation with high proportion of Eudragit grade RL100 in acetone solvent system exhibited better drug release compared to rest of the formulations. The output obtained from in-vivo studies performed on rats revealed that the optimized formulation showed decrease in blood pressure from 158.53 ± 0.39 to 128.91 ± 0.50 mmHg. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that timolol maleate patch could be formulated into a matrix-type transdermal patch for the management of hypertension.

A study on prevalence and correlates of depression among women living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome in North Karnataka.

CONTEXT: Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric condition seen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals. Various biological, sociocultural, and economic factors make women more vulnerable to HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Depression affects medication adherence and immunity against HIV thus contribute significantly to disease progression. AIMS: The aim is to assess the prevalence, sociodemographic, and clinical correlates of depression among women living with HIV/AIDS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre attached to government medical college hospital in North Karnataka and cross-sectional design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted among of 145 women living with HIV/AIDS, depression was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory, and social support was assessed using Lubben Social Network Scale and quality of life (QoL) using the World Health Organization QoL BREF scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Chi-square test with P value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 145 HIV-positive women, 50 (34.5%) were depressed. Depression was statistically significant in women from rural background. Significant association between depression and risk of social isolation was observed. Scores of all domains of QoL, that is, physical, psychological, social, and environmental were reducing with increase in the severity of depression indicating that QoL was decreasing with increase in severity of depression. Among the four domains, social domain was the most affected. CONCLUSIONS: Depression among women living with HIV/AIDS which is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Depression negatively impacts adherence and immunity leading rapid progression of the infection. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of depression are essential.

Isolation and analysis of a symbiosis-regulated and Ras-interacting vesicular assembly protein gene from the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor.

• A yeast two-hybrid library prepared from Laccaria bicolor × Pinus resinosa mycorrhizas was screened using a LbRAS clone, previously characterized, as a bait to isolate LbRAS interacting signaling-related genes from L. bicolor. • Using this method, a novel line of Ras-interacting yeast two-hybrid mycorrhizal (Rythm) clones were isolated and analysed for their symbiosis-regulation. One such clone identified (RythmA) had homology to Ap180-like vesicular proteins. • Sequence homology and parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis showed its relatedness to Ap180-like proteins from other systems. DNA analysis suggested that L. bicolor had one or two copies of the RythmA gene. • An RNA analysis showed that the expression of RythmA could be detected 36 h after interaction with the host, which follows the expression of Lbras. Immunolocalization of LbRAS near dolipore septum of the fungal cells in the Hartig net area suggests that RythmA protein may be involved in the transport of signaling proteins such as LbRAS.