• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.459-465
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• 2018

Most commercially available detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) require further processing to qualify for use in biomedical applications, as they often contain many impurities and exhibit poor dispersibility in aqueous media. In this work, DNDs are modified to improve purity and impart a high colloidal stability to the particles. The dispersive and adsorption properties of modified DNDs are evaluated in terms of the suitability of DNDs as carriers for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in transdermal delivery. The study of adsorption on strongly positively and strongly negatively charged DNDs showed their high loading capacity for NSAIDs, and a pronounced relationship between the drugs and the particles' charges. Experiments on long-term desorption carried out with DND/NSAID complexes indicate that the nanoparticles exert a sustained effect on the drug release process.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2011

The objective of the study was to prepare self-microeulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) incorporating atorvastatin calcium and evaluate its properties and oral bioavailability. Solubility of atorvastatin in various vehicles was determined. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the good self-emulsification region. The droplet size distributions of the resultant emulsions were determined by dynamic light scattering measurement. The mean droplet size of chosen formulation (20% ethyl oleate, 40% tween-80, 40% Carbitol$^{(R)}$) was $23.4{\pm}1.3$ nm. The SMEDDS incorporating atorvastatin calcium appeared to be associated with better performance in dissolution and pharmacokinetic studies, compared with raw atorvastatin calcium. In dissolution test, the release percentage of atorvastatin from SMEDDS mixture could rapidly reach more than 95% within 3 min. Oral $AUC_{0{\rightarrow}8hr}$ values in SD rats was $1994{\pm}335\;ng{\cdot}hr/mL$, which significantly increased (P<0.05) compared with raw atorvastatin calcium. The SMEDDS formulation was relatively stable when stored at $4^{\circ}C$ during 3 months. Our studies illustrated the potential use of SMEDDS for the delivery of hydrophobic compounds, such as atorvastatin, by the oral route.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.371-383
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• 2014

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers a unique opportunity for biological and basic medical researches due to its genetic tractability and well-defined developmental lineage. It also provides an exceptional model for genetic, molecular, and cellular analysis of human disease-related genes. Recently, C. elegans has been used as an ideal model for the identification and functional analysis of drugs (or small-molecules) in vivo. In this review, we describe conserved oncogenic signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, and Ras) and their potential roles in the development of cancer stem cells. During C. elegans germline development, these signaling pathways regulate multiple cellular processes such as germline stem cell niche specification, germline stem cell maintenance, and germ cell fate specification. Therefore, the aberrant regulations of these signaling pathways can cause either loss of germline stem cells or overproliferation of a specific cell type, resulting in sterility. This sterility phenotype allows us to identify drugs that can modulate the oncogenic signaling pathways directly or indirectly through a high-throughput screening. Current in vivo or in vitro screening methods are largely focused on the specific core signaling components. However, this phenotype-based screening will identify drugs that possibly target upstream or downstream of core signaling pathways as well as exclude toxic effects. Although phenotype-based drug screening is ideal, the identification of drug targets is a major challenge. We here introduce a new technique, called Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability (DARTS). This innovative method is able to identify the target of the identified drug. Importantly, signaling pathways and their regulators in C. elegans are highly conserved in most vertebrates, including humans. Therefore, C. elegans will provide a great opportunity to identify therapeutic drugs and their targets, as well as to understand mechanisms underlying the formation of cancer.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2007

It has been reported that hydrophobic additives generally decrease the release rate of protein drugs from drug delivery systems (DDS) and hydrophilic additives increase the release rate. In many cases, however, the addition of hydrophilic molecule is necessary for improving the stability of protein drugs. In the present work, the effects of hydrophilic additives on the release profiles, and micelle formation of protein drug formulations were investigated to develop a novel method for protein drug delivery. For model protein drug, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was employed and several hydrophilic additives were used in the release experiments. Hydrophilic additive D-sorbitol showed the lower release rates of BSA than other hydrophobic additives due to the gel strengthening ability of the additive and the optimum concentration of D-sorbitol was 3 w/v % for the retarded release rate. In addition, it was found that the addition of D-sorbitol was very effective for obtaining homogeneous and stable DDS. The results were discussed in terms of the micelle formation and the micelle structure, i.e., the differences in gel structure and the distribution of drugs in micelles.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2018

DC23, a triazolothione resorcinol analogue, is known to inhibit heat shock protein 90 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase which are up-regulated in cancer and diabetes, respectively. This study was performed to elucidate the metabolism of DC23 in human liver microsomes (HLMs). HLMs incubated with DC23 in the presence of uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA) and/or ${\beta}$-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) resulted in the formation of four metabolites, M1-M4. M1 was identified as DC23-N-Oxide, on the basis of LC-MS/MS analysis. DC23 was further metabolized to its glucuronide conjugates (M2, M3, and M4). In vitro metabolic stability studies conducted with DC23 in HLMs revealed significant glucuronide conjugation with a $t_{1/2}$ value of 1.3 min. The inhibitory potency of DC23 on five human cytochrome P450s was also investigated in HLMs. In these experiments, DC23 inhibited CYP2C9-mediated tolbutamide hydroxylase activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of $8.7{\mu}M$, which could have implications for drug interactions.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2005

This study was carried out to observe the stability of riboflavin in dietary supplements. Dietary supplements were in the type of tablet, powder, capsule and liquid. Various factors on the stability of riboflavin such as effect of light, storage temperature and time were examined using HPLC method. Samples were exposed to various temperatures (-9, 4, $30^{\circ}C$) and light at room temperature far 9 months. As well as storage period became longer, reduction rate constant of riboflavin increased. Riboflavin reduction rate constants were higher during storage with light than without light. And there was a significant difference of reduction rate constants in types of dietary supplement. In other words, riboflavin in tablet types was significantly more stable than the others, and liquid type was the most unstable. Therefore, type, light, and packing container of dietary supplements containing riboflavin would be considered in order to establish their appropriate shelf lives. In consideration with riboflavin decrease in dietary supplements, riboflavin would be appropriate for the nutritional labelling guide when predicting them at the end of shelf lives.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.626-635
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• 2005

Liposome as a carrier of topotecan (TPT), a promising anticancer drug, has been reported in attempt to improve the stability and antitumor activity of TPT. However, the biodistr ibution pattern of TPT liposome in vivo and PEG-modified liposome containing TPT have not been studied systemically. In this paper, the in vitro stability and in vivo biodistribution behavior of several liposomes containing TPT with different lipid compositions and PEG-modification were studied. Compared with the 'fluid' liposome (S-Lip) composed of soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC), the 'solid' liposome (H-Lip) composed of hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine HSPC decreased the leaking efficiency of TPT from liposome and enhanced the stability of liposome in fetal bovine serum (FBS) or human blood plasma (HBP). The results of biodistribution studies in S$_{180}$ tumor-bearing mice showed that liposomal encapsulation increased the concentrations of total TPT and the ratio of lactone form in plasma. Compared with free TPT, S-Lip and H-Lip resulted in 5- and 19- fold increase in the area under the curve (AUC$_{0\rightarrow\propto}$), respectively. PEG- modified H-Lip (H-PEG) showed 3.7-fold increase in AUC$_{0\rightarrow\propto}$ compared with H-Lip, but there was no significant increase in t$_{1/2}$ and AUC$_{0\rightarrow\propto}$ for PEG-modified S-Lip (S-PEG) compared with S-Lip. Moreover, the liposomal encapsulation changed the biodistribution behavior, and H-Lip and H-PEG dramatically increased the accumulation of TPT in tumor, and the relative tumor uptake ratios were 3.4 and 4.3 compared with free drug, respectively. There was also a marked increase in the distribution of TPT in lung when the drug was encapsulated into H-Lip and H-PEG. Moreover, H-PEG decreased the accumulation of TPT in bore marrow compared with unmodified H-Lip. All these results indicated that the membrane fluidity of liposome has an important effect on in vitro stability and in vivo biodistribution pattern of liposomes containing TPT, and PEG-modified 'solid' liposome may be an efficient carrier of TPT.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.443-452
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• 2004

Habit is the description of the outer appearance of a crystal. If the environment of a growing crystal affects its external shape without changing its internal structure, a different habit results. Crystal habit and the internal structure of a drug can affect bulk and physicochemical properties, which range from flowability to chemical stability. A polymorph is a solid crystalline phase of a given compound resulting from the possibility of at least two different arrangements of the molecules of that compound in the solid state. Chemical stability and solubility changes due to polymorphism can have an impact on a drug's bioavailability and its development program. During crystallization from a solution, crystals separating may consist of a pure component or be a molecular compound. Solvates are molecular complexes that have incorporated the crystallizing solvent molecule in their lattice. When the solvent incorporated in the solvate is water, it is called a hydrate. To distinguish solvates from polymorphs, which are not molecular compounds, the term pseudopolymorph is used. Identification of possible hydrate compounds is important since their aqueous solubilities can be significantly less than their anhydrous forms. Conversion of an anhydrous compound to a hydrate within the dosage form may reduce the dissolution rate and extent of drug absorption. An amorphous solid may be treated as a supercooled liquid in which the arrangement of molecules is random. Amorphous solids lack the three-dimensional long-range order found in crystalline solids. Since amorphous forms are usually of higher thermodynamic energy than corresponding crystalline forms, solubilities as well as dissolution rates are generally greater. A study on crystal form includes characterization of (l)crystal habit, (2)polymorphism, (3)pseudopolymorphism, (4)amorphous solid.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 1988

The stability and solubility of piroxicam in propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol (PEC), and PG-water cosolvents have been studied by using high performance liquid chromatography. The degradation rate followed an apparent first-order kinetic and the reaction rate constants at 70, 80, and $90^{circ}C$ were determined. From these rate constants, the activation energy and the rate constant of piroxicam at $25^{circ}C$ in pure PG calculated by Arrhenius equation were 23.34 kcal/mole and $7.0\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;day^{-1}$, respectively. Both of PG and PEG increased the solubility of the drug, but PEG was more effective.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.75-78
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• 1995

The analysis method nad stability test of antineoplaston A10, a new anticancer drug candidate, were established. A10 and phenylacetyl- L-glutamine, one of the degradation products, can be detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The degradation kinetics of antineoplaston A10 in aqueous solutions from pH 1 to 10 buffers were carried out at 40, 50 and 60.deg.C. Pseudo-first order kinetics were obtained throughout the entire pH ranges studied. The pH-rate profiles showed that antineoplaston A10 was very unstable in alkaline conditions and most stable at pH 4.