Several Drugs (several + drug)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy of drugs: quantitative analysis of 1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazolone-4-methylaminomethane sodium sulfonate: (dipyrone)

JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 10 2003
Antônio O. Izolani
Abstract Several drugs provided by the pharmaceutical industry and containing dipyrone as the active principle have different mass percentages of the letter. We describe a procedure for the quantitative analysis of several tablets containing dipyrone (or other solid active principles). The results of Fourier transform Raman band analysis (band area and band height) agree well with the stated contents of dipyrone in the tablets. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Sterol Composition of Pneumocystis jirovecii with Blocked 14,-Demethylase Activity

THE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004
JOSÉ-LUIS GINER
ABSTRACT Several drugs that interact with membrane sterols or inhibit their syntheses are effective in clearing a number of fungal infections. The AIDS-associated lung infection caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii is not cleared by many of these therapies. Pneumocystis normally synthesizes distinct C28 and C29 24-alkylsterols, but ergosterol, the major fungal sterol, is not among them. Two distinct sterol compositional phenotypes were previously observed in P. jirovecii. One was characterized by ,7 C28 and C29 24-alkylsterols with only low proportions of higher molecular mass components. In contrast, the other type was dominated by high C31 and C32 24-alkylsterols, especially pneumocysterol. In the present study, 28 molecular species were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of a human lung specimen containing P. jirovecii representing the latter sterol profile phenotype. Fifteen of the 28 had the methyl group at C-14 of the sterol nucleus and these represented 96% of the total sterol mass in the specimen (excluding cholesterol). These results strongly suggest that sterol 14,-demethylase was blocked in these organisms. Twenty-four of the 28 were 24-alkylsterols, indicating that methylation of the C-24 position of the sterol side chain by S-adenosyl-L-methionine:sterol C-24 methyl transferase was fully functional. [source]


Hepatotoxicity assay using human hepatocytes trapped in microholes of a microfluidic device

ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 18 2010
Ju Hun Yeon
Abstract Hepatocytes have been used for in vitro hepatotoxicity assays because of their ability to sustain intact liver-specific functions. Here, we demonstrate a hepatotoxicity assay system using primary human hepatocytes trapped in microholes of a microfluidic device, providing a microscale in vivo liver-like environment. We performed microfluidic hepatotoxicity assays of several drugs, including acetaminophen, verapamil, diclofenac, and benzopyrene, all of which are known to specifically affect hepatic function. The drug sensitivities in hepatocytes and HepG2 cells were measured by calculating the live cell fraction at various drug concentrations. The results indicated that hepatocytes were more sensitive to these drugs than HepG2 cells. The lethal concentration 50 values for all drugs tested were similar to those from the in vitro toxicity data with human hepatocytes obtained from the literature. Furthermore, we developed a mathematical hepatotoxicity model based on the time-dependent cell death profiles measured by our device. This novel assay system enabled us to analyze in vivo -like hepatotoxicity in a microfluidic device by exploiting microstructures to mimic the microenvironment of the liver. [source]


Glucuronidation of olanzapine by cDNA-expressed human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and human liver microsomes

HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 5 2002
Kristian Linnet
Abstract Olanzapine is a widely used, newer antipsychotic agent, which is metabolized by various pathways: hydroxylation and N -demethylation by cytochrome P450, N -oxidation by flavin monooxygenase and direct glucuronidation. In vivo studies have pointed towards the latter pathway as being of major importance. Accordingly, the glucuronidation reaction was studied in vitro using cDNA-expressed human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes and a pooled human liver microsomal preparation (HLM). Glucuronidated olanzapine was determined by HPLC after acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. The following UGT-isoenzymes were screened for their ability to glucuronidate olanzapine: 1A1, 1A3, 1A4, 1A6, 1A9, 2B7 and 2B15. Only UGT1A4 was able to glucuronidate olanzapine obeying saturation kinetics. The Km value was 227,,mol/l (SE 43), i.e. of the same order of magnitude as for other psychotropic drugs, and the Vmax value was 2370,pmol/(min,mg) (SE 170). Glucuronidation was also mediated by the HLM preparation, but a saturation level was not reached. The olanzapine glucuronidation reaction was inhibited by several drugs known as substrates for UGT1A4, e.g. amitriptyline, trifluoperazine and lamotrigine. Thus, competition for glucuronidation by UGT1A4 represents a possibility for drug,drug interactions in subjects receiving several of these psychotropic drugs at the same time. Whether such possible interactions are of any clinical importance may await further studies in patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Highly Efficient Synthesis of New ,-Arylamino-,,-chloropropan-2-ones via Oxidative Hydrolysis of Vinyl Chlorides Promoted by Calcium Hypochlorite

ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 18 2009
Vittorio Pace
Abstract The oxidative hydrolysis of different trifluoroacetyl-protected N -(2-chloroallyl)anilines, promoted by calcium hypochlorite, is able to yield several not previously described ,-arylamino-,,-chloropropan-2-ones, very valuable building blocks that are useful as precursors of several drugs, in excellent yields and short reaction times. The main requirement of the reaction for avoiding the undesired aromatic chlorination (N -protection) is effectively solved by the use of the easily formed and removed N -trifluoroacetyl group. Thus, it is possible to perform the oxidative hydrolysis-deprotection step using a one-pot strategy, obtaining quantitative yields in very short reaction times. [source]


Ion channels in toxicology

JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
Iván Restrepo-Angulo
Abstract Ion channels play essential roles in human physiology and toxicology. Cardiac contraction, neural transmission, temperature sensing, insulin release, regulation of apoptosis, cellular pH and oxidative stress, as well as detection of active compounds from chilli, are some of the processes in which ion channels have an important role. Regulation of ion channels by several chemicals including those found in air, water and soil represents an interesting potential link between environmental pollution and human diseases; for instance, de novo expression of ion channels in response to exposure to carcinogens is being considered as a potential tool for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Non-specific binding of several drugs to ion channels is responsible for a huge number of undesirable side-effects, and testing guidelines for several drugs now require ion channel screening for pharmaceutical safety. Animal toxins targeting human ion channels have serious effects on the population and have also provided a remarkable tool to study the molecular structure and function of ion channels. In this review, we will summarize the participation of ion channels in biological processes extensively used in toxicological studies, including cardiac function, apoptosis and cell proliferation. Major findings on the adverse effects of drugs on ion channels as well as the regulation of these proteins by different chemicals, including some pesticides, are also reviewed. Association of ion channels and toxicology in several biological processes strongly suggests these proteins to be excellent candidates to follow the toxic effects of xenobiotics, and as potential early indicators of life-threatening situations including chronic degenerative diseases. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


On the possibility of self-induction of drug protein binding

JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 10 2010
Leonid M. Berezhkovskiy
Abstract The equilibrium unbound drug fraction (fu) is an important pharmacokinetic parameter, which influences drug elimination and distribution in the body. Commonly the drug plasma concentration is substantially less then that of drug binding proteins, so that fu can be assumed constant independent of drug concentration. A general consideration of protein binding based on the mass-action law provides that the unbound drug fraction increases with the increase of drug concentration, which is also a usual experimental observation. For several drugs, though, a seemingly unusual sharp decrease of the unbound drug fraction with the increase of total drug concentration (Ro) in the interval 0,<,Ro,,,5,µM was experimentally observed. A possible explanation of this apparently strange phenomenon is presented. The explanation is based on the consideration of a two-step mechanism of drug protein binding. The first step occurs as a drug binding to the site with relatively low affinity. Consequently this binding leads to the activation of a high affinity site, which otherwise is not available for binding. The suggested binding scheme yields the curves for fu dependence on the total drug concentration that are in good agreement with experimental measurements. The interpretation of pharmacokinetic data for the drugs with such unusual concentration dependence of fu appears to be a formidable problem. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 99:4400,4405, 2010 [source]


Upregulation of Serotonin Transporter by Alcohol in Human Dendritic Cells: Possible Implication in Neuroimmune Deregulation

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2009
Dakshayani Kadiyala Babu
Background:, Alcohol is the most widely abused substance and its chronic consumption causes neurobehavioral disorders. It has been shown that alcohol affects the function of immune cells. Dendritic cells (DC) serve as the first line of defense against infections and are known to accumulate neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). The enzyme monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) degrades 5-HT that is associated with clinical depression and other neurological disorders. 5-HT is selectively transported into neurons through the serotonin transporter (SERT), which is a member of the sodium- and chloride-dependent neurotransmitter transporter (SLC6) family. SERT also serves as a receptor for psychostimulant recreational drugs. It has been demonstrated that several drugs of abuse such as amphetamine and cocaine inhibit the SERT expression; however, the role of alcohol is yet to be elucidated. We hypothesize that alcohol can modulate SERT and MAO-A expression in DC, leading to reciprocal downregulation of 5-HT in extracellular medium. Methods:, Dendritic cells were treated with different concentrations (0.05% to 0.2%v/v) of alcohol for 24,72 hours and processed for SERT and MAO-A expression using Q-PCR and Western blots analysis. In addition, SERT function in DC treated with alcohol both in the presence and absence of imipramine, a SERT inhibitor was measured using 4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-methylpyridinium iodide uptake assay. 5-HT levels in culture supernatant and intracellular 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and cyclic AMP were also quantitated using ELISA. Results:, Dendritic cells treated with 0.1% alcohol for 24 hours showed significant upregulation of SERT and MAO-A expression compared with untreated DC. We also observed that 0.1% alcohol enhanced the function of SERT and decreased extracellular 5-HT levels compared with untreated DC cultures, and this was associated with the elevation of intracellular 5-HIAA and cyclic AMP levels. Conclusions:, Our study suggests that alcohol upregulates SERT and MAO-A by elevating cyclic AMP, which may lead to decreased concentration of 5-HT in the extracellular medium. As 5-HT is a major neurotransmitter and an inflammatory mediator, its alcohol-mediated depletion may cause both neurological and immunological deregulation. [source]


Therapeutic implications of the MDR-1 gene

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2004
K. L. Mealey
Drug transporters significantly influence drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the product of the MDR1 (ABCB1) gene, is among the most well-characterized drug transporters, particularly in veterinary medicine. A number of clinically relevant, structurally and functionally unrelated drugs are substrates for P-gp. P-gp is expressed by a variety of normal tissues including the intestines, renal tubular cells, brain capillary endothelial cells, biliary canalicular cells, and others, where it functions to actively extrude substrate drugs. In this capacity, P-gp limits oral absorption and central nervous system entry of many substrate drugs. A number of MDR1 polymorphisms have been described in human patients, some of which result in altered drug pharmacokinetics and susceptibility to diseases such as Parkinson's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, refractory seizures, and others. An MDR1 polymorphism in herding breed dogs, including collies and Australian shepherds, has been demonstrated to be the cause of ivermectin sensitivity in these breeds. Recent evidence suggests that this polymorphism, a 4-bp deletion mutation, results in increased susceptibility to the toxicity of several drugs in addition to ivermectin. Furthermore, data in rodent models suggest that P-gp may play an important role in regulating the hypothalamic,pituitary,adrenal axis. [source]


Toward an "omic" physiopathology of reactive chemicals: Thirty years of mass spectrometric study of the protein adducts with endogenous and xenobiotic compounds

MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 5 2009
Federico Maria Rubino
Abstract Cancer and degenerative diseases are major causes of morbidity and death, derived from the permanent modification of key biopolymers such as DNA and regulatory proteins by usually smaller, reactive molecules, present in the environment or generated from endogenous and xenobiotic components by the body's own biochemical mechanisms (molecular adducts). In particular, protein adducts with organic electrophiles have been studied for more than 30 [see, e.g., Calleman et al., 1978] years essentially for three purposes: (a) as passive monitors of the mean level of individual exposure to specific chemicals, either endogenously present in the human body or to which the subject is exposed through food or environmental contamination; (b) as quantitative indicators of the mean extent of the individual metabolic processing which converts a non-reactive chemical substance into its toxic products able to damage DNA (en route to cancer induction through genotoxic mechanisms) or key proteins (as in the case of several drugs, pesticides or otherwise biologically active substances); (c) to relate the extent of protein modification to that of biological function impairment (such as enzyme inhibition) finally causing the specific health damage. This review describes the role that contemporary mass spectrometry-based approaches employed in the qualitative and quantitative study of protein,electrophile adducts play in the discovery of the (bio)chemical mechanisms of toxic substances and highlights the future directions of research in this field. A particular emphasis is given to the measurement of often high levels of the protein adducts of several industrial and environmental pollutants in unexposed human populations, a phenomenon which highlights the possibility that a number of small organic molecules are generated in the human organism through minor metabolic processes, the imbalance of which may be the cause of "spontaneous" cases of cancer and of other degenerative diseases of still uncharacterized etiology. With all this in mind, it is foreseen that a holistic description of cellular functions will take advantage of new analytical methods based on time-integrated metabolomic measurements of a new biological compartment, the "adductome," aimed at better understanding integrated organism response to environmental and endogenous stressors. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 28:725,784, 2009 [source]


Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE 5) inhibitors for the treatment of male erectile disorder: Attaining selectivity versus PDE6

MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 3 2006
Dmitri Pissarnitski
Abstract The role of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) in the mechanism of male erection has been well understood, and several drugs inhibiting this enzyme are being used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Discovery of inhibitors with improved selectivity versus other PDE isozymes could lead to drugs with improved safety profile. Achievement of selectivity versus PDE6, co-inhibition of which results in disturbances of color perception, remains the most challenging aspect of current drug discovery programs. The present review describes several case studies, where significant (>100 fold) selectivity versus PDE6 has been attained via investigation of structure,activity relationships (SAR). Special attention is given to the chemical routes leading to novel chemotypes and allowing efficient exploration of their SAR's. Strategies for attaining inhibitor selectivity discussed below may be applicable for other drug discovery programs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev [source]


Cytoreductive therapy in 108 adults with systemic mastocytosis: Outcome analysis and response prediction during treatment with interferon-alpha, hydroxyurea, imatinib mesylate or 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2009
Ken H. Lim
Cytoreductive therapy in systemic mastocytosis (SM) includes several drugs whose individual merit has not been well characterized. We retrospectively studied 108 Mayo Clinic patients who met the 2008 WHO diagnostic criteria for SM and received at least one cytoreductive drug. The numbers of patients who were evaluable for response to treatment with interferon-alpha with or without prednisone (IFN-,), hydroxyurea (HU), imatinib mesylate (IM) or 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA) were 40, 26, 22, and 22, respectively. The corresponding overall (major) response rates, according to recently published consensus criteria, were 53% (18%), 19% (0%), 18% (9%), and 55% (37%). The respective overall response rates in indolent SM, aggressive SM and SM associated with another clonal hematological nonmast cell lineage disease (SM-AHNMD) were 60%, 60%, 45% for IFN-,, 0, 0, 21% for HU, 14%, 50%, 9% for IM and 56%, 50%, 55% for 2-CdA. The absence of mast cell mediator release symptoms in IFN-,-treated patients and presence of circulating immature myeloid cells in 2-CdA-treated patients predicted inferior response. TET2 mutational status did not influence treatment response. Although the major response rates with these four cytoreductive agents were still suboptimal and HU was mainly used in patients with SM-AHNMD, the current study favors 2-CdA or IFN-, as first-line current therapy in SM and identifies patients who are likely to respond to such therapy. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


A systematic review of NSAIDs withdrawn from the market due to hepatotoxicity: lessons learned from the bromfenac experience,

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 4 2006
Lawrence Goldkind MD
Abstract Drug-induced hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the US and the most common adverse event causing drug non-approval and drug withdrawal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Three different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been withdrawn in the UK and/or the US due to hepatotoxicity (bromfenac, ibufenac, and benoxaprofen). A systematic review of clinical trials data for these drugs was performed in an effort to identify possible early signals that could have predicted post-marketing serious hepatoxicity. There were very limited published data on benoxaprofen and none on ibufenac or bromfenac. The publicly accessible archives of the FDA provided information on bromfenac. Flu-like symptoms associated with hepatic enzyme elevation and a case of possible drug-related hepatocellular jaundice may in retrospect have been signals for serious hepatotoxicity in the database of 1195 subjects reviewed by the FDA. Following approval, rates of acute liver failure for bromfenac were estimated to be in the range of 1:10,000. In addition, the safety databases of several drugs also accessed through FDA archives have been reviewed (simvastatin, tacrine, troglitazone, and ximelagatran). These data suggest that while ALT elevations alone do not reliably signal serious hepatotoxicity, elevated transaminases in association with symptomatic hepatitis or jaundice may be predictors of an increased risk of ALF. At present, however, pre-approval databases are generally not large enough to rule out low rates of serious hepatotoxicity. Therefore, it remains critical that clinicians report such cases to the FDA through the MEDWATCH system and that active post-marketing monitoring studies be used to identify potential rare cases of hepatotoxicity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Off-Target Decoding of a Multitarget Kinase Inhibitor by Chemical Proteomics

CHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 7 2009
Enrico Missner
Abstract Unbiased: Chemical proteomics was used to profile compound interactions in an unbiased fashion. We present here the application of different compound-immobilization routes for decoding nonprotein kinase off-targets of the multitarget kinase inhibitor C1, which interacts with distinct compound moieties. Since the approval of the first selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib, various drugs have been developed to target protein kinases. However, due to a high degree of structural conservation of the ATP binding site, off-target effects have been reported for several drugs. Here, we report on off-target decoding for a multitarget protein kinase inhibitor by chemical proteomics, by focusing on interactions with nonprotein kinases. We tested two different routes for the immobilization of the inhibitor on a carrier matrix, and thus identified off-targets that interact with distinct compound moieties. Besides several of the kinases known to bind to the compound, the pyridoxal kinase (PDXK), which has been described to interact with the CDK inhibitor (R)-roscovitine, was captured. The PDXK,inhibitor interaction was shown to occur at the substrate binding site rather than at the ATP binding site. In addition, carbonic anhydrase 2 (CA2) binding was demonstrated, and the determination of the IC50 revealed an enzyme inhibition in the submicromolar range. The data demonstrate that different compound immobilization routes for chemical proteomics approaches are a valuable method to improve the knowledge about the off-target profile of a compound. [source]