Interaction of liposomes with bile salts investigated by asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4): A novel approach for stability assessment of oral drug carriers.

For oral drug delivery the stability of liposomes against intestinal bile salts is of key importance. Here, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and a differential refractive index (dRI) detector was employed to monitor structural re-arrangement of liposomes upon exposure to the model bile salt taurocholate. For comparison, a conventional stability assay was employed using a hydrophilic marker and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to separate released from liposome-entrapped dye. Calcein-containing liposomes with and without cholesterol were compared in terms of their in vitro stability upon exposure to bile salts by separating liposomes from co-existing colloidal species emerging after stress test using AF4/MALLS/dRI. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was utilized in parallel. Our AF4/MALLS/dRI results suggested that exposure of egg-phospholipid liposomes to bile salts at physiological concentrations led to the formation of two new species of colloidal associates, likely (mixed) micelles. Subjecting cholesterol-containing liposomes to the same bile media did not lead to any new colloidal structures, indicating increased stability of these liposomes. Our SEC-based release assay largely confirmed these findings, indicating that AF4/MALLS/dRI is a suitable technique for prediction of in vitro oral stability of liposomal formulations. Moreover, the powerful AF4/MALLS/dRI technique appears promising to improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms during bile salt-induced liposomal breakdown.

Antiepileptic Effect of Neuroaid® on Strychnine-Induced Convulsions in Mice.

NeuroAid II, a folk Chinese Medicine, is currently used in Asia for the treatment of stroke. An experimental study demonstrated that NeuroAid enables neuronal cells to be more resistant to glutamate toxicity. This research was constructed to evaluate the efficacy of NeuroAid in the prevention of epilepsy (EP). Forty healthy adult male mice were used and divided into four groups (10 mice/group): normal control group; positive control group; NeuroAid-treated group (10 mg/kg); topiramate-treated group (10 mg/kg). The treatment continued for 7 days, and on the last day, EP was induced using strychnine at a dose of 2 mg/kg via intraperitoneal (ip) administration. Seizure severity, latency to the seizure onset, the number of seizures, and the duration of each seizure episode were observed for one hour. The death and protection rates over the next twenty-four hours were recorded. Brain specimens from surviving animals were extracted and examined pathologically for quantification of glutamate receptor (GluR) gene expression in the isolated hippocampus employing real-time PCR analysis. Treatment with NeuroAid resulted in a significant reduction in seizure severity, prolonged the onset of seizures, decreased the number and duration of episodes, reduced brain insult, and decreased mortality rate. Reductions in the gene expression of GluRs in the hippocampus with minor histopathological changes were observed in the NeruoAid- and topiramate-treated groups. It is concluded that NeuroAid has a potential antiepileptic effect (EP) with the ability to prevent convulsion through its effect on the glutamate receptor.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as Diagnostic Tool for Cancer Cells.

ZnO nanoparticles have various characteristics that make them attractive to be used in many medical applications like a cancer diagnosis. It can be used as a nanoprobe for targeting different types of cancer cells in vitro as a cancer cell recognition system. The present study aims to investigate the permeability of ZnO NPs through both normal and cancerous cell lines in humans. In vitro experiments for ZnO NPs inside the environment of living cells have been described, which would contribute to the visualization of nanoparticles as cancer diagnostic and scanning techniques. MCF7, AMJ13, and RD cancer cells, and also the normal breast cell line HBL, were used in in vitro imaging experiments. The findings revealed that ZnO NPs specifically incorporated within tumor cells while accumulating less inside normal cells. Our findings show that ZnO NPs may be identified inside cancer cells after 1 h of exposure and can endure up to 3 h, providing them appropriate for tumor cell imaging. The findings showed that ZnO NPs might be employed as an alternate fluorophore for diagnostic imaging in the early identification of solid cancers. Therefore, here we studied in vitro applications of ZnO NPs and their beneficial use as a diagnostic tool for cancer cell lines rather than normal cells. Taken together, ZnO NPs can be used as good targeting NPs for the development of imaging agents for early diagnosis of cancers.

Smart Nanoformulation Based on Polymeric Magnetic Nanoparticles and Vincristine Drug: A Novel Therapy for Apoptotic Gene Expression in Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Advanced nanobiotechnology provides safe and efficient drug delivery systems to deliver chemotherapy that targets cancer cells efficiently. METHODS: A polymeric-magnetic nanocarrier was composed of a dextran (DEX) shell, a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPION) core and was conjugated with folate (FA) to carry the anticancer drug vincristine (VNC) in Tera-1 testicular tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms by which apoptosis was induced were analyzed using flow cytometry and qPCR, which exhibited anticancer activity of nanoparticles (NPs). RESULTS: This nanocarrier revealed a controlled release of VNC in citrate and phosphate buffer solutions that were maintained at pH 5.5 and pH 7.4, respectively. The Inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were greater than 5 mg/mL and displayed ten times higher cytotoxicity than the comparable free drug concentration. The Caspase-9 and P53 expressions were increased, whereas P21 and AKt1 decreased noticeably in the treated cells. The results point to the possible activation of apoptosis following treatment with NPs loaded with vincristine.

RADIATION DOSE ASSESSMENT TO FAMILY MEMBERS TAKING CARE OF NON-CANCEROUS THYROID PATIENTS TREATED WITH I-131 THERAPY IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE DEPARTMENT.

This study aimed to determine the effective doses of caregivers taking care of non-cancerous patients treated with iodine-131 (I-131). Patients (administered 185-1110 MBq of I-131) were given specific radiation safety instructions (RSI). Afterwards, caregivers were provided with thermoluminescent (TLD) dosimeter badges to be worn for 12-28 days when taking care of the patients. At the end of this period, TLD measurements were obtained. Results showed that caregivers' mean effective dose was 0.15 ± 0.15 mSv, which is far less than the international recommendations of 5 mSv. Furthermore, the effective doses had no significant correlation with administered I-131 activity to the patients, distance from the hospital, caregivers' age, educational level and mode of transport. Our study showed that radiation doses received by caregivers of non-cancerous patients are higher than that of cancerous patients, nevertheless their received doses were within the international limits, thereby indicating good compliance by the caregivers to RSI.

Gastric Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (G-POEM) for the Treatment of Gastric Stenosis Post-Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG).

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become the most common form of bariatric surgery performed worldwide. However, it is associated with potentially debilitating adverse events such as post-operative stenosis. Finding effective and minimally invasive treatments for such complications is of paramount importance. Gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) is a novel procedure developed over the past decade to treat conditions that delay gastric emptying. We present a case demonstrating the use of G-POEM in the successful endoscopic management of post-LSG gastric stenosis.

Lasing of surface-polished polycrystalline Ho: YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) fiber.

A polycrystalline 1.5% Ho: YAG fiber with a diameter of 31 µm was prepared. Surface roughness from grain boundary grooving was reduced by polishing, which decreased the fiber scattering coefficient from 76 m-1 to 35 m-1. Lasing tests were done on this fiber with a SF57 Schott glass cladding. Lasing was confirmed by spectrum narrowing with threshold pump power lower than 500 mW and a slope efficiency of 7%. To our knowledge, this is the first lasing demonstration from a small diameter polycrystalline ceramic fiber.

Stroke in Bahrain: rising incidence, multiple risk factors, and suboptimal care.

The incidence of stroke in Bahrain is rising in the Bahraini population and has nearly doubled over the last 16 years, while the incidence in the non-Bahraini population has not changed. Incidence of stroke in the Bahraini population (110/100,000) is now much greater than in the non-Bahraini population (27/100,000). The Bahraini stroke population is 10 years younger than Western comparators with a much higher prevalence of many of the risk factors for stroke, including diabetes (54%), hypertension (75%) and hyperlipidemia (34%). The combination of an ageing Bahraini population alongside a high prevalence of risk factors suggests a 'ticking time bomb' that is likely to see a continuing rise in the incidence of stroke. The quality of risk factor prevention and hospital-based stroke care is therefore crucial in Bahrain. While 88% of patients were scanned within 24 h and 86% with non-haemorrhagic strokes were commenced on aspirin within 48 h, none of the patients received thrombolysis or were admitted to a stroke unit. Improvement of stroke outcomes in Bahrain could be achieved through implementation of evidence-based measures, including improved risk factor management in primary care and stroke units and thrombolysis in secondary care.

Innovative method to investigate how the spatial correlation of the pump beam affects the purity of polarization entangled states.

We present an innovative method to address the relation between the purity of type-I polarization entangled states and the spatial properties of the pump laser beam. Our all-optical apparatus is based on a spatial light modulator, and it offers unprecedented control on the spatial phase function of the entangled states. In this way, we demonstrate quantitatively the relation between the purity of the generated state and the spatial field correlation function of the pump beam.