Mefenamic Acid Loaded and TPGS Stabilized Mucoadhesive Nanoemulsion for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Development, Optimization, and Brain-Targeted Delivery via Olfactory Pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a very common disorder that affects the elderly. There are relatively few medications that can be used orally or as a suspension to treat AD. A mucoadhesive (o/w) nano emulsion of mefenamic acid was made by adding Carbopol 940P to the optimised drug nanoemulsion using distilled water as the aqueous phase (6%); Solutol HS: tween 20 (3.6%) as the surfactant and co-surfactant; and clove oil: TPGS (0.4%) as the oil phase and mefenamic acid as the drug (2.8 mg/ml). The mucoadhesive nanoemulsion (S40.5%w/v) had a particle size of 91.20 nm, polydispersity index of 0.270, and surface charge of - 12.4 mV. Significantly higher (p < 0.001) drug release (89.37%) was observed for mucoadhesive drug formulation in comparison to mucoadhesive drug suspension (25.64%) at 8 h. The ex vivo nasal permeation of 83.03% in simulated nasal fluid and 85.71% in artificial cerebrospinal fluid was observed. The percent inhibition and inhibitory concentration (IC50) of mucoadhesive drug nanoemulsion were found to be 91.57 ± 2.69 and 6.76 respectively. Higher cell viability on glioblastoma cells (85-80%) was researched for mucoadhesive nanoemulsion as compared to drug suspension (80-70%). Significantly higher (p < 0.001) drug absorption and Cmax (491.94 ± 24.13 ng/ml) of mucoadhesive drug nanoemulsion were observed than mucoadhesive drug suspension (107.46 ± 11.46 ng/ml) at 8 h. The stability studies confirmed that the formulation was stable at 40°C ± 2°C and 75 ± 5% RH. The authors concluded that the mucoadhesive mefenamic acid-loaded nanoemulsion may be an effective technique for treating Alzheimer's disease by intranasal route.

Evaluation of serum calcium and serum parathyroid levels in post-menopausal women with and without oral dryness.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to estimate and secondary objective was to compare the serum calcium levels and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in post-menopausal women with and without oral dryness (OD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out on 80 selected post-menopausal women. Salivary flow was assessed by flow rate; serum calcium concentrations were assessed through Semi Autoanalyzer by Arsenazo III reaction. The serum PTH concentration was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Severity of OD was assessed by a questionnaire through which the xerostomia inventory (XI) score could be measured. Statistical analysis of Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Pearson's correlation was used. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mean values of both serum PTH concentration and XI score in post-menopausal women with/without OD (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference (p = 0.354) was found in salivary flow rate and serum calcium levels in post-menopausal women in both groups. A positive correlation was found between the serum PTH and XI score in both case and control groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Severity of oral dryness in post-menopausal women is associated with the high levels of serum PTH. However, the correlation of severity of OD with serum calcium could not be established.

Osteosarcoma: A case report and evaluation.

Osteosarcoma (OS) comprises 2.1% of all malignant oral and maxillofacial tumors. OS arising from the jaw OS differs from OS of the long bones in its biological behavior, presenting a lower incidence of metastasis and a better prognosis. The morphologic and behavioral heterogeneity observed in OS and the perplexity of the varied histological features mimicking other primary and metastatic bone tumors has emphasized the need of advanced molecular techniques in its diagnosis. Hereby, we present a case of OS which was diagnosed by immunohistochemical analysis, aiding in establishing its histogenetic origin.

Monocytoid B cell lymphoma: A case report and evaluation.

Lymphomas are a group of malignant blood cell tumors that develop from lymphocytes. Two main categories of lymphomas are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), of which 90% are of the NHL type. The objectives of classifying is to help in the identification of homogenous group of well-defined entities and facilitating the recognition of uncommon diseases that further require classification as it affects prognosis and therapeutic implications. Nodal marginal zone lymphoma, also known as monocytoid B-cell lymphoma (MBCL), is an uncommon form of lymphoma representing 1.5%-1.8% of lymphoid neoplasms, with only rare reports in the literature that have attempted morphologic or immunophenotypic characterization. Specific markers for MBCLs are still lacking, so its diagnosis is based on exclusion of other small B-cell lymphomas. This article illustrates a case report of MBCL highlighting the intricacies and difficulties involved in establishing a diagnosis.

Evaluation of a case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Lymphomas are a group of malignant blood cell tumors that develop from lymphocytes representing 2.2% of all malignant neoplasms of the head and neck. Two main categories of lymphomas are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of which 90% are of the NHL type. Several classification systems have existed for lymphomas, the objectives of which are to help in identification of homogeneous group of well-defined entities and facilitating the recognition of uncommon diseases that require further classification as it affects prognosis and therapeutic implications. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common NHL in the oral cavity involving Waldeyer's ring, base of the tongue, buccal mucosa and hard palate. DLBCL can be divided into germinal center B-cell-like, activated B-cell-like or type 3 gene expression profiles. This paper highlights a case report of DLBCL revisiting the intricacies and difficulties involved in establishing a diagnosis.

Nanoformulations for Ocular Delivery of Drugs - A Patent Perspective.

Efficient delivery of ocular therapeutics with improved efficacy, enhanced bioavailability, and acceptable patient compliance presents unique challenges. This can be attributed to the presence of protective mechanisms, physicobiological barriers, and structural obstacles in the eye. Nanotherapeutic interventions have been explored extensively over the past few years to overcome these limitations. The present review focusses on the nanoformulations developed for the diagnosis and treatment of various ocular diseases besides providing an in-depth insight into the patents reported for the same.

Nanomedicines for dental applications-scope and future perspective.

Nanotechnology is directed at manipulating matter at the nanometer level and the application of the same to medicine is called nanomedicine. Over the past few years researchers have developed various nanomedicines for diagnosis, prevention as well as cure of various ailments both locally and systemically. In dentistry, drug loaded nanopharmaceuticals based on nanomaterials have been utilized extensively over the past few years to cure dental problems and facilitate attainment of a near-perfect oral hygiene. Although various drug delivery systems have already been investigated for treating periodontitis, research is currently focused on nanodelivery systems for efficient targeted delivery of drugs to the periodontal pocket. In this context a few nanodelivery systems explored include nanocomposite hydrogels, nanoparticles, nanoemulsion etc. A number of herbal and synthetic drugs examples of which include trichlosan, tetracycline, Harungana madagascariensis leaf extract, minocycline, metronidazole, chlorhexidine have been encapsulated into nanodelivery systems for treating periodontitis. A few examples of polymers investigated as matrices for the delivery of drugs to the periodontal pocket include chitosan, Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid copolymer, poly e caprolactone, polylactic acid, polypropylene, cellulose acetate propionate and ethyl vinyl acetate. In the near future also nanotechnology is expected to find its application in all the specializations of dentistry ranging from diagnosis and treatment of oral cancers to development of colloidal suspension containing millions of active analgesic micron-size dental robots resulting in anesthesia in patients. In the light of the above facts the current editorial focuses on the applications of nanotechnology based nanomedicines which cannot be undermined in the improvement of dental health and hygiene both, in the current as well as in future scenario.

Sex assessment by molar odontometrics in North Indian population.

INTRODUCTION: Human identification is based on scientific principles, mainly involving dental records, fingerprints, estimation of age, postmortem reports, differentiation by blood groups, and DNA comparisons. Sex assessment is one of the prime factors employed to assist with the identification of an individual. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate univariate sex differences in the dimensions of permanent first molars and to assess sex, based on buccolingual (BL) and mesiodistal (MD) dimensions of permanent first molars in a population of north India. In addition, the study intended to evaluate the reliability of dimensional variation of these teeth in assessment of sex among the population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consists of 410 adult individuals (200 males and 210 females), from a north Indian population. The BL and MD diameters of the permanent first molars were measured using digital vernier callipers. RESULTS: It was observed statistically significant difference between males and females with P < 0.05, in maxillary casts in both BL and MD dimensions; but only in the MD dimension in mandibular casts. A high level of sexual dimorphism of 7.7% was found in the BL dimension of the maxillary right first molar. The accuracy of sex assessment by each dimension was deliberated by univariate analyses with an overall accuracy ranging from 67.5 to 88% for various dimensions. CONCLUSION: Sexual dimorphism of teeth is population specific and among north Indian population, BL and MD dimensions in maxillary first molar and MD dimension in mandibular first molar can be used for sex assessment.

Nanostructured lipid carriers: An emerging platform for improving oral bioavailability of lipophilic drugs.

Nowadays exploration of novel lipid-based formulations is akin to a magnet for researchers worldwide for improving the in vivo performance of highly lipophilic drugs. Over the last few years, new compositions of lipids have been developed, and the probable bioavailability enhancement has been investigated. We reviewed the most recent data dealing with backlogs of conventional lipid-based formulations such as physical instability, limited drug loading capacities, drug expulsion during storage along with all the possible hindrances resulting in poor absorption of highly lipophilic drugs such as P-glycoprotein efflux, extensive metabolism by cytochrome P450 etc. In tandem with these aspects, an exclusive formulation approach has been discussed in detail in this paper. Therefore, this review focuses on resolving the concerned ambiguity with successful oral administration of highly lipophilic drugs through designing novel lipidic formulations (nanostructured lipid carriers [NLC]) that constitute a blend of solid and liquid lipids. The article highlights the potential role of such formulation in normalizing the in vivo fate of poorly soluble drugs. Finally, the present manuscript discusses the dominance of NLC over other lipid-based formulations and provides a perspective of how they defeat and overcome the barriers that lead to the poor bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs.

Stromal response in different histological grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma: a histochemical study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to evaluate the connective tissue changes in different grades of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC's) and the influence of these changes in predicting the biological behavior of these tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 39 cases of OSCC's and 6 sections of controls were examined using seven connective tissue special histochemical stains. RESULTS: Staining intensity of collagen, reticulin, acid mucins, fibrin, glycoproteins, sulfated mucins, elastic fibers around the tumor islands and within the connective tissue was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor cells which grow progressively in the host stroma have the capacity to pre-empt and subvert the response of host, which is essential for their growth and spread. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The reactive changes in the tumor stroma may alter the biological aggressiveness of oral cancer, and by incorporating this concept into a prognostic system, we may help to reflect the biologic diversity of oral cancer and predict its clinical outcomes.