Quality of life and sexual health in men with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between quality of life, erectile function and group psychotherapy in patients with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy. Sixty patients were evaluated for erectile function (IIEF-5), quality of life (SF-36SF), urinary incontinence (ICQI-SF and ICQI-OAB). Thirty of them had group psychotherapy two weeks before and 12 weeks after surgery.

Chitosan-kaolin coprecipitate as disintegrant in microcrystalline cellulose-based pellets elaborated by extrusion-spheronization.

The usefulness of a coprecipitate of chitosan and kaolin as disintegrant in the pellets of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) (as a model of poorly water-soluble drug) produced by extrusion-spheronization was evaluated in this study. The effectiveness of chitosan-kaolin coprecipitate to increase the dissolution rate was compared with that of kaolin and chitosan. A possible synergy effect was also evaluated between the coprecipitate, kaolin or chitosan and sorbitol, added to the pellets as a very water-soluble diluent.

Co-processed MCC-Eudragit® E excipients for extrusion-spheronization.

This study investigates the extrusion-spheronization performance of some mixtures of co-processed microcrystalline cellulose and Eudragit® E (as excipients) and sorbitol (as soluble filler-disintegrant). Attention is focused on the dissolution rate of low water solubility drugs (hydrochlorothiazide is used as a model drug) from pellets prepared with these mixtures. All pellet formulations studied presented adequate morphological, flow and mechanical properties.

A comparison of chitosan-silica and sodium starch glycolate as disintegrants for spheronized extruded microcrystalline cellulose pellets.

Chitosan-silica coprecipitate (C-S) has recently been proposed as a tablet disintegrant. In this study we compared it with a 1:1 physical mixture of chitosan and silica (C/S) at the same composition as the coprecipitate, and with the widely used commercial disintegrant sodium starch glycolate (SSG), as regards to its behavior in spheronized extruded pellets of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) containing hydrochlorothiazide as a typical poorly water-soluble drug. In all three cases, possible synergism between the disintegrant (0-5%) and sorbitol (0-50%) was also evaluated.

Control of drug release by incorporation of sorbitol or mannitol in microcrystalline-cellulose-based pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization.

Mixtures of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with sorbitol (up to 50%) or mannitol (up to 80%) were investigated as major excipients for controlled accelerated release of the model poorly water-soluble drug hydrochlorothiazide from pellets prepared by extrusion/spheronization. Optimal wetting volume decreased with increasing polyol content and was always less than the volume required for maximum wet mass consistency. All pellet formulations had satisfactory morphological, mechanical and flow properties, although sorbitol/MCC pellets were rougher than mannitol/MCC pellets.

Incidence of drying on microstructure and drug release profiles from tablets of MCC-lactose-Carbopol and MCC-dicalcium phosphate-Carbopol pellets.

The influence of intragranular excipients (lactose or dicalcium phosphate) and the drying procedure and conditions (oven-drying and freeze-drying after freezing at -30 or -196 degrees C) on the properties of tablets of MCC-Carbopol pellets was evaluated. The drying procedure caused remarkable differences in pellet size and porosity (freeze-dried pellets were 3-fold more porous than those oven dried). Theophylline release from pellets was completed in less than 30 min and followed first-order kinetics, with a rate closely related to the intragranular porosity.

Microstructural and drug release properties of oven-dried and of slowly or fast frozen freeze-dried MCC-Carbopol pellets.

The influence of the procedure and conditions of drying (oven-drying and freeze-drying after slow or fast freezing) and of the CaCl(2) concentration in the wetting liquid on the physical characteristics and drug release behaviour of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)-carbopol 40:60 pellets containing theophylline or ketoprofen has been evaluated. The microstructural, morphological and mechanical properties can be modulated, to a large extent, through the control of the drying step and the CaCl(2) proportion. The drying step determines the volumetric contraction of the pellets and, consequently, the porosity parameters.

A comparative study of the utility of two superdisintegrants in microcrystalline cellulose pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization.

This study evaluated the utility of including superdisintegrants (croscarmellose sodium or sodium starch glycolate) in microcrystalline cellulose extrusion-spheronization pellets as a means of increasing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. The model drug was hydrochlorothiazide, with water or water/ethanol as wetting agent for pellet preparation. Neither disintegrant had significant effects on pellet morphology, flow properties or mechanical resistance.

A comparison of drug loading capacity of cellactose with two ad hoc processed lactose-cellulose direct compression excipients.

This study compares the drug loading capacity of Cellactose and two excipients of similar composition and similar particle size, prepared by dry granulation and extrusion-spheronization respectively. The drugs evaluated were acetaminophen and furosemide. Acetaminophen did not significantly affect the flow properties of any of the excipients, whereas furosemide markedly worsened flow properties, eliminating the differences initially existing among the three excipients.

Powdered cellulose as excipient for extrusion-spheronization pellets of a cohesive hydrophobic drug.

This study compared a powdered cellulose (PC) and a microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as sole excipients in the preparation of furosemide pellets by extrusion-spheronization. Pellets prepared with PC and 25 or 50% furosemide showed smaller mean size, a broader particle size distribution, similar sphericity, greater surface roughness and higher friability than equivalent pellets prepared with MCC. Furosemide release rate was markedly higher from PC pellets, which may be attributable to their higher micropore volume.

Soft contact lenses capable of sustained delivery of timolol.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the composition and the application of an imprinting technique on the loading capability of weakly crosslinked hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) hydrogels, with a view to their use as reloadable soft contact lenses for administration of timolol. Hydrogels were prepared by dissolution of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA, 10 mM) in HEMA with or without methacrylic acid (MAA) or methyl methacrylate (MMA; 100-400 mM) and with or without timolol maleate (10 mg/mL), initiation of polymerization by addition of 2,2'-azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN, 10 mM), injection in molds, and curing in an oven at 50-70 degrees C. Unreacted reagents were removed by boiling.