Comparative nasal airflow with loratadine-pseudoephedrine and fluticasone nasal spray for allergic rhinitis.

Background: Although it is known that oral antihistamine-pseudoephedrine combination tablets have a faster onset than intranasal corticosteroid sprays in the treatment of allergic rhinitis after the first dose, the magnitude of change has not been measured in a comparative manner. Furthermore, the sensation of sprayed liquid in the nose may lead patients to mistakenly believe that intranasal steroid sprays work instantly.

Objective: To evaluate, numerically, nasal airflow changes provided by a single dose of loratadine-pseudoephedrine tablet (LP) and fluticasone propionate nasal spray (FP) in participants experiencing allergic rhinitis symptoms, including nasal congestion.

Onset of action for loratadine tablets for the symptomatic control of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults challenged with ragweed pollen in the Environmental Exposure Unit: a post hoc analysis of total symptom score.

Background: Loratadine is a second-generation, non-sedating antihistamine used for the relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms. Previous studies reported that when loratadine was encapsulated, the onset of action for symptom relief was 180 min. However, unmodified loratadine tablets were not evaluated at that time.

Activities of Venom Proteins and Peptides with Possible Therapeutic Applications from Bees and WASPS.

The variety of proteins and peptides isolated from honey bee venom and wasp venom includes melittin, adiapin, apamine, bradykinin, cardiopep, mast cell degranulating peptide, mastoparan, phospholipase A2 and secapin. Some of the activities they demonstrate may find therapeutic applications.

Ribosome-inactivating Proteins from Root Tubers and Seeds of Trichosan-thes kirilowii and Other Trichosanthes Species.

Ribosome-inactivating proteins have been isolated from Trichosanthes kirilowii root tubers and seeds, including trichosanthin, karasurin and T 33 from root tubers and trichosanthrip, trichokirin, alpha-kirilowin, beta-kirilowin and trichoanguin from seeds. The aforementioned proteins show structural and functional similarities. Among them trichosanthin is the best known and most intensely studied.

Biological activities of ribosome-inactivating proteins and their possible applications as antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-pest agents and in neuroscience research.

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are enzymes which depurinate ribosomal RNA (rRNA), thus impeding the process of translation resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis. They are produced by various organisms including plants, fungi and bacteria. RIPs from plants are linked to plant defense due to their antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities in which they can be applied in agriculture to combat microbial pathogens and pests.

Purification and Characterization of a Lectin from Green Split Peas (Pisum sativum).

Lectins have captured the attention of a large number of researchers on account of their various exploitable activities, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, antifungal, as well as HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities. A mannose/glucose-specific lectin was isolated from green split peas (a variety of Pisum sativum) and characterized. The purification step involved anion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose column, cation-exchange chromatography on an SP-Sepharose column, and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Superdex 200.

Lectins with potential for anti-cancer therapy.

This article reviews lectins of animal and plant origin that induce apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells and hence possess the potential of being developed into anticancer drugs. Apoptosis-inducing lectins encompass galectins, C-type lectins, annexins, Haliotis discus discus lectin, Polygonatum odoratum lectin, mistletoe lectin, and concanavalin A, fucose-binding Dicentrarchus labrax lectin, and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus lectin, Polygonatum odoratum lectin, and mistletoe lectin, Polygonatum odoratum lectin, autophagy inducing lectins include annexins and Polygonatum odoratum lectin.

Properties of a self-assembled phospholipid membrane supported on lipobeads.

The overall objective of our work was to make a hydrogel-supported phospholipid bilayer that models a cytoskeleton-supported cell membrane and provides a platform for studying membrane biology. Previously, we demonstrated that a pre-Lipobead, consisting of phospholipids covalently attached to the surface of a hydrogel, could give rise to a Lipobead when incubated with liposomes because the attached phospholipids promote self-assembly of a phospholipid membrane on the pre-Lipobead. We now report the properties of that Lipobead membrane.

Characterization of radioligand binding to a transmembrane receptor reconstituted into Lipobeads.

Lipobeads are hydrogel beads surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane and have been developed to act as a cell analogue. The FLAG-tagged M(2) muscarinic receptor was incorporated onto the surface of the Lipobead by incubating pre-Lipobeads with proteoliposomes containing the receptor. Receptors reconstituted onto the surface of the Lipobeads were functional in that they bound the antagonists quinuclidinylbenzilate and scopolamine with characteristic muscarinic affinities.