Retention, Bacterial Adhesion, and Biofilm Formation between Anionic and Zwitterionic Bandage Contact Lenses in Healthy Dogs: A Pilot Study.

This study aimed to compare the in vitro and in vivo retention, bacterial adhesion, and biofilm formation between anionic and zwitterionic bandage contact lenses (BCLs) in healthy canines. BCL retention and tolerance were evaluated in 10 healthy canines via a single-masked, crossover study for 7 days. To compare in vitro bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, four Staphylococcus strains were incubated with the BCLs at 37 °C for 2 or 24 h, and the bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) adhering to the BCLs were counted. Next, to compare in vivo bacterial adhesion, the CFUs of bacteria adhering to the BCLs worn by canines for 24 h were counted. Anionic lenses significantly retained and reduced in vitro bacterial adhesion than in the zwitterionic lenses. However, the amount of in vitro biofilm formation was more likely to be higher on anionic lenses than on zwitterionic lenses. In vivo bacterial adhesion was not significantly different between the two types of BCLs. Nevertheless, both BCLs were well-tolerated by the canines; thus, their short-term use in dogs can be recommended as safe.

In vitro and in vivo performance of epinastine hydrochloride-releasing contact lenses.

A number of drug-releasing contact lenses are currently being studied to address issues inherent in eye drops as a drug delivery method. In this study, we developed epinastine hydrochloride-releasing daily soft contact lenses for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis and examined their in vitro and in vivo performance. Preformed soft contact lenses with/without ionic functional groups were soaked in a solution of epinastine hydrochloride in phosphate-buffered saline to prepare epinastine hydrochloride-releasing soft contact lenses. Among these contact lenses with different ionicities, anionic lenses demonstrated the maximum, relatively linear epinastine hydrochloride release, in vitro. The amount of epinastine hydrochloride release was directly proportional to the concentration of the epinastine hydrochloride solution used to prepare the contact lens. The epinastine hydrochloride-releasing anionic soft contact lens also demonstrated prolonged drug release and significantly greater efficacy compared with epinastine hydrochloride eye drops 12 h after treatment, in vivo. Further studies are required to determine the appropriate amount of epinastine hydrochloride to be contained in the anionic soft contact lenses.

Linear trinuclear Zn(II)-Ce(III)-Zn(II) complex which behaves as a single-molecule magnet.

Linear Zn(II)-Ce(III)-Zn(II) complex, which involves only one 4f electron as a spin source, behaves as an SMM. Easy-axis magnetic anisotropy for the ground (2)F(5/2) state of Ce(III) was achieved by a uni-axial crystal field, which is formed with four phenoxo oxygens as axial donors with the other five oxygens as equatorial donors.

Correlation between slow magnetic relaxation and the coordination structures of a family of linear trinuclear Zn(II)-Ln(III)-Zn(II) complexes (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb).

Six linear trinuclear [Ln{Zn(L)(AcO)}(2)]BPh(4) complexes (H(2)L denotes the Schiff-base ligand formed by a condensation reaction between ethylenediamine and two equivalents of o-vanillin), including Ln = Tb (1), Dy (2), Ho (3), Er (4), Tm (5) and Yb (6) were synthesized and were confirmed to be isostructural via X-ray crystallographic analyses. The Ln(III) ion in each complex is deca-coordinated by four equatorial oxygen donors from the methoxo groups of the Schiff-base ligands, two oxygen donors from the acetate anions and four axial oxygen donors from the phenoxo groups of the Schiff-base ligands. AC susceptibility measurements, with an oscillating frequency of 10 to 10,000 Hz, revealed that 1, 2, 4 and 6 show slow magnetic relaxation under a 1000 Oe DC bias field, which occurs via a single process, as confirmed by the semi-circular Cole-Cole plots. These complexes are considered to be field-induced single-molecule magnets under these conditions. The presence or absence of the slow magnetic relaxation process is discussed by correlating the characteristic magnetic anisotropy of each Ln(III) ion with the ligand field anisotropy.