Psychiatric Manifestations in Patients with Biopterin Defects.

Psychiatric manifestations in patients with tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) defects are common, and may occur even with treatment of the underlying disorder. The neurobiological background of these conditions has been linked to abnormalities of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Here, we review the psychiatric profile of all patients with BH4 defects followed in the pediatric and adult metabolic clinics at our center.

The functional roles of poly(ethylene glycol)-lipid and lysolipid in the drug retention and release from lysolipid-containing thermosensitive liposomes in vitro and in vivo.

Triggered release of liposomal contents following tumor accumulation and mild local heating is pursued as a means of improving the therapeutic index of chemotherapeutic drugs. Lysolipid-containing thermosensitive liposomes (LTSLs) are composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the lysolipid monostearoylphosphatidylcholine (MSPC), and poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE-PEG(2000)). We investigated the roles of DSPE-PEG(2000) and lysolipid in the functional performance of the LTSL-doxorubicin formulation.

Development and characterization of oral lipid-based amphotericin B formulations with enhanced drug solubility, stability and antifungal activity in rats infected with Aspergillus fumigatus or Candida albicans.

Objective: To develop an oral formulation of Amphotericin B (AmpB) with: (A) medium chain triglycerides, fatty acids and nonionic surfactants as a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS); or (B) glyceryl mono-oleate (Peceol) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-phospholipids.

Methods: SEDDS formulations were prepared by simple mixing at 40 degrees C. Peceol/DSPE-PEG-lipid formulations were prepared by solvent evaporation.

Tracking monolignols during wood development in lodgepole pine.

Secondary xylem (wood) formation in gymnosperms requires that the tracheid protoplasts first build an elaborate secondary cell wall from an array of polysaccharides and then reinforce it with lignin, an amorphous, three-dimensional product of the random radical coupling of monolignols. The objective of this study was to track the spatial distribution of monolignols during development as they move from symplasm to apoplasm. This was done by feeding [(3)H]phenylalanine ([(3)H]Phe) to dissected cambium/developing wood from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var latifolia) seedlings, allowing uptake and metabolism, then rapidly freezing the cells and performing autoradiography to detect the locations of the monolignols responsible for lignification.