Validated LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of enalapril maleate, nitrendipine, hydrochlorothiazide, and their major metabolites in human plasma.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. Most hypertensive patients need a combination of antihypertensive agents to achieve therapeutic goals. A rapid, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of enalapril maleate (ENA) and its major metabolite enalaprilat (ENAT), nitrendipine (NIT) and its major metabolite dehydronitrendipine (DNIT), and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in human plasma using felodipine as an internal standard (IS). The drugs were extracted from plasma using one-step protein precipitation. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Symmetry C18 column, with water and acetonitrile (10:90, v/v) as mobile phase. The detection was carried out using multiple reaction monitoring mode and coupled with electrospray ionization source. Multiple reaction monitoring transitions were m/z 377.1 → 234.1 for ENA, m/z 349.2 → 206.1 for ENAT, m/z 361.2 → 315.1 for NIT, m/z 359 → 331 for DNIT, m/z 295.9 → 205.1 for HCT, and m/z 384.1 → 338 for felodipine (IS). The method was linear over concentration ranges of 1-200, 20-500, 5-200, 2-100, and 5-200 ng/mL for ENA, ENAT, NIT, DNIT, and HCT, respectively, with r2 ≥ 0.99. Method validation was performed according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The validated method showed good sensitivity and selectivity and could be applied for therapeutic drug monitoring and bioequivalence studies.

Development and optimization of nanoemulsion based gel for enhanced transdermal delivery of nitrendipine using box-behnken statistical design.

Objective: The purpose of present research was to develop and statistically optimize nitrendipine nanoemulsion gel for transdermal delivery using box-behnken statistical design.Method: The nanoemulsion formulations bearing nitrendipine were prepared by application of ternary phase diagram and spontaneous emulsification method. Box-behnken design was employed for the optimization of nitrendipine loaded nanoemulsion. The independent variables were oil, surfactant and co-surfactant while globule size, drug content and zeta potential were dependent variables. The optimized nanoemulsion formulation was incorporated into gel and evaluated for in-vitro release, ex-vivo permeation studies, confocal laser scanning microscopy, skin irritation and histopathological studies.Results: The optimized formulation through box-behnken statistical design showed globule size of 20.43 ± 1.50 nm, drug content of 97.05 ± 1.77% and zeta potential of -15.45 ± 0.35 mV. The ex-vivo study confirmed the enhanced delivery of nitrendipine from nanoemulsion gel than compare to drug solution by virtue of better permeation and solubility. Nanoemulsion gel was proved significantly superior by confocal laser scanning microscopy for satisfactory permeation and distribution of gel, deep into the rat skin. The optimized gel was found with no allergic dermal effects and was proved safe by histopathological studies for transdermal application.Conclusions: Results reveals that developed nitrendipine nanoemulsion gel overcomes the limitation of low penetration and accentuate permeation through albino Wistar rat skin. It was concluded that nanoemulsion gel could be utilized as a potential carrier for transdermal delivery of nitrendipine.

Preparation of a Mesoporous Structure of SnO2 for Increasing the Oral Bioavailability and Dissolution Rate of Nitrendipine.

In this study, mesoporous SnO2 (MSn) with a three-dimensional mesoporous structure was prepared using MCM-48 as the template in order to increase the oral bioavailability and dissolution rate of insoluble drugs. The model drug, nitrendipine (NDP), was loaded into the MSn by the adsorption method. The structural features of MSn were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2 adsorption (desorption) analysis. NDP was existed in the pore channels of MSn in an amorphous state, which was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). MSn showed a good biocompatibility in the cell toxicity assay for Caco-2 cells. In vitro dissolution results suggested that MSn could significantly enhance the dissolution rate of NDP compared with commercial NDP tablets. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that NDP-MSn tablets effectively enhanced the oral bioavailability of NDP. In conclusion, MSn was found to be a potential carrier for improving the solubility of insoluble drugs.

Solubility and Thermodynamic Analysis of Antihypertensive Agent Nitrendipine in Different Pure Solvents at the Temperature Range of 298.15 to 318.15°K.

The aim of the present study was to ascertain the solubility of nitrendipine (NP), an antihypertensive drug in six different pure solvents such as water, ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400), and Transcutol at temperature from 298.15 to 318.15 K under atmospheric pressure (p) of 0.1 MPa. Experimental solubility data of NP was fitted with Apelblat and ideal models. The mole fraction solubility of NP was found maximum in PEG-400 (6.85 × 10-2 at 318.15 K) followed by Transcutol (4.65 × 10-2 at 318.15 K), EA (1.68 × 10-2 at 318.15 K), ethanol (2.83 × 10-3 at 318.15 K), IPA (2.69 × 10-3 at 318.15 K), and water (1.29 × 10-7 at 318.15 K). The dissolution activity of NP was observed as an endothermic, spontaneous, and an entropy-driven in most of studied pure solvents. The solubility data of NP obtained in the present study could be useful in purification, recrystallization, and dosage forms design of NP.

In search of the mutual relationship between the structure, solid-state spectroscopy and molecular dynamics in selected calcium channel blockers.

Three isostructural 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs), namely, nifedipine, nitrendipine and nimodipine were selected to characterize their structure, intermolecular interactions and molecular dynamics. The studied samples were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), neutron (INS) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) as well as solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), where each technique was supported by the state-of-the-art theoretical calculations for solid-state. By combining multiple experimental techniques with advanced theoretical calculations we were able to shed light on the mutual relation between the structure, stabilizing intermolecular interactions and their spectral response. For the first time, unambiguous computationally-supported assignment of the most prominent spectral features in DHPs is presented to give a valuable support for polymorph screening and drug control. Molecular motions were interpreted in details, revealing that a dynamic reservoir of each compound is dominated by intra-molecular reorientations of methyl groups and large-amplitude oscillations in terminal chains. Our study successfully validates the realm of applicability of first-principles solid-state calculations in search of the mutual relation between the structure and spectroscopy in this important class of drugs. Such approach gives a first necessary step to gather combined structure-dynamics data on functionalized DHPs, which are of importance to better understand crystallization and binding tendency. The NMR relaxation experiments reveal that nitro groups significantly hinder the reorientation of methyl rotors and provide the first evidence of low-temperature methyl-group tunneling in DHPs, an intriguing quantum-effect which is to be further explored.

Preparation of starch macrocellular foam for increasing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Starch macrocellular foam (SMF), a novel natural bio-matrix material, was prepared by the hard template method in order to improve the dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Nitrendipine (NDP) was chosen as a model drug and was loaded into SMF by the solvent evaporation method. SMF and the loaded SMF samples (NDP-SMF) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro drug release studies showed that SMF significantly increased the dissolution rate of NDP. In vivo studies showed that the NDP-SMF tablets clearly increased the oral bioavailability of NDP in comparison with the reference commercial tablets. All the results obtained demonstrated that SMF was a promising carrier for the oral delivery of poor water-soluble drugs.

Nanovesicles of nitrendipine with lipid complex for transdermal delivery: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.

CONTEXT: Vesicular transdermal delivery can enhance the bioavailability of a drug especially affected by first-pass metabolism, e.g. nitrendipine. However effective transdermal delivery employs permeation enhancer, e.g oleic acid (OA) with ceramide 2, stearic acid, behenic acid, and cholesteryl sulfate lipid complex. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the preparation, characterization of physicochemical properties, ex vivo permeation using human skin, pharmacokinetic parameters and antihypertensive potential in rats, of nitrendipine-loaded nanovesicles of ceramide 2, stearic acid, behenic acid and cholesteryl sulfate containing oleic acid gel (NOVG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The nanovesicles were made using film hydration method and characterized for physicochemical properties, ex vivo permeation using human skin, pharmacokinetic parameters and antihypertensive potential. RESULTS: Nitrendipine-loaded nanovesicles of ceramide-2 containing oleic acid (NOV-5) have shown fluxes in the range of 4.88-24.72 µg/cm(2)/h nitrendipine oral suspension (NOS) at equal dose. NOVG-5 has shown almost 33% reduction in blood pressure in the first hour and a further decrease of 25% in the second hour to restore the normal pressure. DISCUSSION: The permeation increases with increase in OA content. OA gets integrated in vesicle wall and enhances its permeability, whereas ceramide content makes sure that skin does not become damaged even after permeation. CONCLUSION: NOVG-5 has shown the most favorable physicochemical properties and good permeation through skin providing good management of hypertension during crucial initial hours.

Anti-arrhythmic and hemodynamic effects of oxy nifedipine, oxy nimodipine, oxy nitrendipine and oxy nisoldipine.

Our previous studies have established cardio-protective effects of furnidipine and its active metabolites. We therefore decided to compare the influence of oral and intravenous administration of furnidipine, nifedipine, nitrendipine and nimodipine to examine their effects on hemodynamics and arrhythmias. Since dihydropyridines are oxidatively metabolized in the body and the oxidized metabolites are among the final products, we studied the influence of four oxidized dihydropyridines (oxy nifedipine, oxy nimodipine, oxy nitrendipine and oxy nisoldipine) on the same parameters. In vivo model of ischemia- and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias of rats was used. Dihydropyridines were administered 5 mg/kg orally (24 and 1 h before ischemia) or 5 µg/kg intravenously (10 min before ischemia). 20 mg/kg of the oxidized dihydropyridines was given orally (24 and 1 h before ischemia). The dihydropyridines exhibited significant anti-arrhythmic actions after both forms of administration but their influence on blood pressure was differential and contrasting and depended on route of administration. The oxidized dihydropyridines imparted strong protection against lethal arrhythmias while exerting differential influences on blood pressure with oxy nifedipine and oxy nisoldipine being hypertensive and oxy nitrendipine being most normotensive. The differential effects observed with the dihydropyridines after the two routes of administration lend strength to the hypothesis that their metabolites may have a significant role in mediating the actions of the parent drug. The strong anti-arrhythmic action of the oxidized dihydropyridines along with their differential effect on blood pressure could indicate their potential use as cardio-protective drugs in certain groups of patients.

A novel image analysis methodology for online monitoring of nucleation and crystal growth during solid state phase transformations.

This study focuses on the development of an automated image analysis method to extract information on nucleation and crystal growth from polarized light micrographs. Using the developed image analysis method, four parameters related to nucleation and crystal growth could be extracted from the images. These parameters were crystalline count (applied as a measure of nucleation), percentage area coverage, average equivalent diameter and average crystalline area (three last parameters applied as a measure for crystal growth). The developed image analysis method was used to investigate two pharmaceutically relevant case studies: first, nitrendipine antisolvent crystallization, and second, recrystallization of amorphous piroxicam solid dispersion in an aqueous environment. In both case studies, an amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation were observed, which were successfully monitored using real-time Raman spectroscopy. For the both case studies, the parameters related to crystallization kinetics estimated by image analysis were in close agreement with the parameters estimated by Raman spectroscopy. The developed image analysis method proved to be a valuable tool for quantitative monitoring of nucleation and crystal growth with an obvious potential for high throughput screening.

Solvent-mediated amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of nitrendipine in amorphous particle suspensions containing polymers.

The amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of nitrendipine was investigated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). The nucleation and growth rate of crystalline nitrendipine in a medium containing poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG 200) were quantitatively determined using image analysis based on polarized light microscopy. The findings from the image analysis revealed that the transformation process occurred through the dissolution of amorphous drug precipitate followed by the nucleation and growth of the crystalline phase with the amorphous precipitate acting as a reservoir for maintaining the supersaturation. The rates of nucleation and crystal growth of nitrendipine decreased with an increase in PEG 200 concentration in organic phase from 0% to 75% (v/v). Increasing the PVA concentration in water phase from 0.1% to 1.0% (w/w) also decreased the rates of nucleation and crystal growth, however, an increase in PVA concentration from 1.0% to 2.0% (w/w) did not result in a further decrease in the rates of nucleation and crystal growth. An increase in drug concentrations in the organic phase from 10 mg/ml to 30 mg/ml led to faster nucleation rates. However, a further increase in drug concentration to 100mg/ml decelerated the growth of nitrendipine crystals. Combining image analysis of polarized light micrographs together with Raman spectroscopy and XRPD provided an in-depth insight into solid state transformations in amorphous nitrendipine suspensions.

Confirmation of no impact from different anticoagulant counter ions on bioanalytical method.

BACKGROUND: In the past several years, the impact of changing counter ions while keeping the same anticoagulant in bioanalytical LC-MS/MS methods has become a highly discussed topic. In order to confirm that there is no impact from counter ions, matrix effect and stability evaluations were performed on bicalutamide LC-MS/MS bioanalytical methods. RESULTS: Independently from the anticoagulant counter ion used, the matrix effect evaluation met acceptance criteria, even when using conditions expected to increase matrix effect, such as protein precipitation with an analog internal standard. Freeze-thaw along with storage stabilities, namely short- and long-term, demonstrated less than 8% deviation regardless of the counter ion used. CONCLUSION: Differences in the anticoagulant counter ion used has no impact on the bicalutamide bioanalytical LC-MS/MS method.

A novel surface modified nitrendipine nanocrystals with enhancement of bioavailability and stability.

In this study, chitosan, a cationic polymer with positive charge, was introduced to modify the nanocrystals of nitrendipine with negative charge. The nanocrystals were prepared via precipitation-high pressure homogenization method. Then the nanocrystals were dispersed into chitosan solution, and the free chitosan was removed by centrifugation to obtain the chitosan modified nanocrystals, which remained the same particle size. However, the zeta-potential changed to positive after modification. The physical stability of the chitosan modified nanocrystals was remarkably improved under ambient conditions. During the in vitro dissolution test, the modified nanocrystals showed a certain degree of slow-release property. In the in vivo study, the C(max) of nitrendipine remained the same, however, the T(max) delayed from 0.75 h to 1.5 h with the chitosan modified nanocrystals. The surface modification by chitosan improved the bioavailability compared with the initial nanocrystals, which had demonstrated significant improvement of bioavailability compared to the traditional coarse powder form. Based on the experimental results, modification of the nanocrystals with certain polymer was supposed to be a good method to control the in vitro and in vivo behaviors of the nanocrystals, which could further increase the bioavailability of the water insoluble drug.

Polymer-mediated anti-solvent crystallization of nitrendipine: monodispersed spherical crystals and growth mechanism.

PURPOSE: To investigate anti-solvent crystallization and growth mechanism of nitrendipine spherical crystals in an aqueous solution containing polymeric additives. METHODS: Size and shape of crystals were investigated using laser diffractometry, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Crystalline form was determined by X-ray powder diffractometer (XRPD). During crystal growth, morphological changes at different time points were observed using SEM. RESULTS: Morphology of nitrendipine crystals was affected by polymers and temperature. Monodispersed micro-spherical crystals were obtained when polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PEG 200 were present in crystallization medium at 2°C. During crystallization, large number of amorphous nanoparticles was first observed, followed by aggregation into a core for spherical crystals. Once crystalline state was achieved, rapid growth on core surface was observed with amorphous particles acting as a reservoir allowing formation of star-like particles with needle-like subunits. Spherical crystals were formed by filling the gap between needle-like distinct crystalline units of star-like templates with molecules from dissolved amorphous particles. CONCLUSIONS: Monodispersed nitrendipine spherical crystals were obtained using carefully controlled conditions. A mechanism for the nitrendipine spherical crystal growth is suggested. These findings provide a new insight into spherulitic crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Nitrendipine nanocrystals: its preparation, characterization, and in vitro-in vivo evaluation.

The present investigation was undertaken with the objective of developing a solid formulation containing nitrendipine nanocrystals for oral delivery. Nitrendipine nanocrystals were prepared using a tandem precipitation-homogenization process. Then, spray drying, a cost-effective method very popular in industrial situations, was employed to convert the nanocrystals into a solid form. The parameters of the preparation process were investigated and optimized. The optimal process was as follows: firstly, nitrendipine/acetone solution (100 mg/ml) was added to a polyvinyl alcohol solution (1 mg/ml) at 10°C, then the pre-suspension was homogenized for 20 cycles at 1,000 bar. Both differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that nitrendipine was present in crystalline form. The in vitro dissolution rate of the nanocrystals was significantly increased compared with the physical mixture and commercial tablet. The in vivo testing demonstrated that the C(max) of the nanocrystals was approximately 15-fold and 10-fold greater than that of physical mixture and commercial tablet, respectively. In addition, the AUC(0→24) of the nanocrystals was approximately 41-fold and 10-fold greater than that of physical mixture and commercial tablet, respectively.

A potential calcium antagonist and its antihypertensive effects.

Imperatorin (Imp) as a hypotensive active ingredient, its hypotensive effect was evaluated in the SHRs, its calcium antagonism and affinity to L-type calcium channel was also confirmed. The results showed that the blood pressure was decreased in the SHRs treated with Imp, the aortic ring was relaxed with Imp, L-type calcium channel currents and intracellular calcium free ion rise was nearly disappeared when adding Imp. In addition, Imp displayed a chromatographic peak similar to nitrendipine and verapamil by the cell membrane chromatography, same results from protein-drug docking approaches. Hence, Imp target the L-type calcium channel, and may be used as a novel antihypertensive drug.

Preparation and characterization of nitrendipine solid lipid nanoparticles.

Nitrendipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, has very poor oral bioavailability (10-20%) due to first pass effect. Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) delivery systems of nitrendipine have been developed using various triglycerides (trimyristin, tripalmitin and tristearin), soy phosphatidylcholine 95%, poloxamer 188 and charge modifiers stearylamine and dicetyl phosphate. SLNs were prepared by hot homogenization of melted lipids and aqueous phase followed by ultrasonication at temperatures above the melting point of lipids. Optimization studies of process and formulation variables were carried out. Particle size and zeta potential were measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) using Malvern zetasizer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies were performed to characterize state of drug and lipid modification. In vitro release studies were performed in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 using modified Franz diffusion cell. Stable nitrendipine SLNs of mean size range 79 to 213 nm and zeta potential -38.2 to +34.6 mV were developed. About 99% nitrendipine was entrapped in SLNs and were stable on storage at 4 and 25 degrees C. DSC and PXRD analyses revealed that nitrendipine is dispersed in SLNs in an amorphous state. The release pattern of drug is analyzed and found to follow Weibull distribution rather than first order and Higuchi equation.

Differences in crystallization rate of nitrendipine enantiomers in amorphous solid dispersions with HPMC and HPMCP.

To clarify the contribution of drug-polymer interaction to the physical stability of amorphous solid dispersions, we studied the crystallization rates of nitrendipine (NTR) enantiomers with identical physicochemical properties in the presence of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate (HPMCP) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The overall crystallization rate at 60°C and the nucleation rate at 50-70°C of (+)-NTR were lower than those of (-)-NTR in the presence of 10-20% HPMC or HPMCP. In contrast, similar crystallization profiles were observed for the NTR enantiomers in solid dispersions containing PVP. The similar glass transition temperatures for solid dispersions of (-)-NTR and (+)-NTR suggested that the molecular mobility of the amorphous matrix did not differ between the enantiomers. These results indicate that the interaction between the NTR enantiomers and HPMC or HPMCP is stereoselective, and that differences in the stereoselective interaction create differences in physical stability between (-)-NTR and (+)-NTR at 50-70°C. However, no difference in physical stability between the enantiomers was obvious at 40°C. Loss of the difference in physical stability between the NTR enantiomers suggests that the stereoselective interaction between NTR and the polymers may not contribute significantly to the physical stabilization of amorphous NTR at 40°C.

Effect of crystal size on the in vitro dissolution and oral absorption of nitrendipine in rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of crystal size on the dissolution and oral absorption of nitrendipine, a poorly soluble drug, in rats. METHODS: Five types of nitrendipine crystal suspensions with different particle sizes (200 nm, 620 nm, 2.7 microm, 4.1 microm, 20.2 microm) were prepared either by the precipitation-ultrasonication or the anti-solvent precipitation method. The simulated intestinal fluid in the fasted state (FaSSIF) was selected as the dissolution medium, and the dissolution behaviors of different nitrendipine crystals were simulated based on a Noyes-Whitney type equation. The in vivo absorption and the absolute bioavailability of the different nitrendipine crystals were evaluated in Wistar rats. RESULTS: The dissolution rate of nitrendipine was significantly increased by a reduction in particle size. The dissolution test in FaSSIF could discriminate between the differences in the dissolution rates of the different particle sizes, and the simulated results were in agreement with the observed dissolution curves. From the simulated T(50%) values (50% dissolution time), the dissolution rates of crystals with particle sizes of 200 nm, 620 nm, 2.7 microm, 4.1 microm and 20.2 microm were calculated to be 5.1 x 10(4), 1.0 x 10(4), 237, 64 and 11-fold greater than that of the raw crystals and resulted in absolute bioavailability of 61.4% 51.5%, 29.4%, 26.7%, 24.7%, respectively. The reduction in the drug particle size correlated well with incremental improvements in oral absorption. A good linear relationship was observed between the Log (T(50%)) and the absolute bioavailability of nitrendipine. CONCLUSIONS: The dissolution rate and the oral bioavailability of nitrendipine were significantly affected by the crystal size, and the oral bioavailability could be improved significantly by preparing it as nanocrystals. FaSSIF can be used to predict differences in oral absorption of crystals with different particle sizes.

Preparation of stable nitrendipine nanosuspensions using the precipitation-ultrasonication method for enhancement of dissolution and oral bioavailability.

The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize nitrendipine nanosuspensions to enhance the dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of this drug. Nanosuspensions were prepared by the precipitation-ultrasonication method. The effects of five important process parameters, i.e. the concentration of PVA in the anti-solvent, the concentration of nitrendipine in the organic phase, the precipitation temperature, the power input and the time length of ultrasonication on the particle size of nanosuspensions were investigated systematically, and the optimal values were 0.15%, 30 mg/ml, below 3 degrees C, 400 W and 15 min, respectively. The particle size and zeta potential of nanocrystals were 209 nm (+/- 9 nm) and -13.9 mV (+/-1.9 mV), respectively. The morphology of nanocrystals was found to be flaky in shape by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that there was no substantial crystalline change in the nanocrystals compared with raw crystals. The in vitro dissolution rate of nitrendipine was significantly increased by reducing the particle size. The in vivo test demonstrated that the C(max) and AUC(0-->12) values of nanosuspension in rats were approximately 6.1-fold and 5.0-fold greater than that of commercial tablets, respectively.

The effect of penetration enhancers on permeation kinetics of nitrendipine in two different skin models.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of penetration enhancers on permeation kinetics of nitrendipine (NTP) through two different skin models. The permeation profile and related kinetics parameters such as activity parameter, diffusion parameter, lag time, relative activity parameter and relative diffusion parameter of NTP was determined in presence of some novel and widely accepted permeation enhancers. Among all the more pronounced enhancing effect was obtained with oleic acid (OA) as it presented the highest permeability coefficient. The enhancement was found to be increased in the following order: Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)