Fluorocopolymer-coated nitinol self-expanding paclitaxel-eluting stent: pharmacokinetics and vascular biology responses in a porcine iliofemoral model.

Aims: Our aim was to evaluate arterial responses to paclitaxel and a novel fluorocopolymer-coated nitinol low-dose paclitaxel-eluting stent (FP-PES).

Methods And Results: Human smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration was assessed after exposure to paclitaxel in vitro. For pharmacokinetics and vascular response, FP-PES or bare metal stents (BMS) were implanted in porcine iliofemoral arteries.

Vascular response to a third generation everolimus-eluting stent.

Aims: In a non-injured porcine coronary artery model, the aim was to evaluate vascular compatibility of the novel platinum chromium everolimus-eluting PROMUS Element stent as compared to the following control stents: everolimus-eluting PROMUS (XIENCE V), bare metal Element, and polymer-only Element.

Methods And Results: Stent pairs (n=228) evenly distributed among the four stent types were implanted in overlap configuration in 79 pigs at a targeted stent-to-artery ratio of 1.1:1.

Drug release from cast films of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer: Stability of drugs by 1H NMR and solid state 13C CP/MAS NMR.

The study utilizes an oral biocompatible material based on ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) designed to release drugs in vitro at therapeutic levels over several days. We examined the drug stability during film casting process using proton and solid state NMR techniques. The drug-loaded EVA films were prepared from the dry sheet obtained by solvent (dichloromethane) evaporation of polymer casting solutions.

Analysis of a dimethacrylate copolymer (bis-GMA and TEGDMA) network by DSC and 13C solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

In this work the effect of dilution with TEGDMA on the kinetics of Bis-GMA polymerization and on the extent of polymerization or degree of conversion was studied using (a) DSC and (b) NMR. The systems with lower viscosity and lower Tg exhibited higher extent of polymerization. For Bis-GMA/TEGDMA mixtures the calculated Tg values were found to be higher than the experimental values suggesting that a dilution effect is predominant rather than intermolecular hydrogen bonding.

Spectrophotometric measurement of plasma 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the presence of hemoglobin and bilirubin interference.

The 2-thiobarbituric acid reaction with malondialdehyde has been used to assess lipid peroxidation in a variety of biologic systems. However, in an attempt to measure plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a form of sustained cardiopulmonary bypass, it became apparent that the absorbance signal at the 532-nm wavelength was composed not only of the peak absorbance of TBARS, but also of interfering substances from heme pigments and bilirubin. A method of subtracting interfering substances was developed and applied to normal human plasma.