Saliva and serum lithium monitoring in hospitalized patients and possibility to replace serum to saliva.

The lithium ions concentration in human serum and saliva was determined using dry-slide technology Vitros 250 Analyser (Ortho Clinical Diagnostic) and atomic absorption spectrometry Perkin Elmer 403 (AAS). We analyzed lithium ions in 100 serum and saliva specimens of patients after oral administration of lithium carbonate (3 x 300 mg) Jadran, Galen Laboratory Rijeka. Saliva and blood were taken 2 and 12 hours after the last dose.

Comparison of vitros dry slide technology for determination of lithium ions with other methods.

The lithium ions concentration in human serum was determined using Dry-slide technology Vitros 250 Analyser (Ortho Clinical Diagnostic), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) method Perkin Elmer 403 and ion-selective electrode (ISE) potentiometry AVL 9181. We compared lithium ions results in sample sera between these methods. Our reference method was AAS.

The relevance of nitrendipine erythrocyte partitioning for the variability of its bioavailability parameters.

The pharmacokinetic parameters of nitrendipine were determined in 40 healthy male volunteers and a very high degree of intersubject variability was observed (CV = 39-71%). Since the distribution of nitrendipine to erythrocytes could influence the overall pharmacokinetic variability the correlation between hematocrit and various pharmacokinetic parameters was analyzed, using linear regression. In vitro partitioning of nitrendipine to erythrocytes suspended in physiologic saline was studied over a range of hematocrit and drug concentration values.

Effects of ondansetron on portal hemodynamics in liver cirrhosis.

Objective: The double-blind randomized pilot study was undertaken to compare the effects of a 10-day course of ondansetron 8 mg/day and propranolol 80 mg/day perorally in treating portal hypertension. SUBIECTS AND METHODS: 16 patients with liver disease were enrolled in the study. Measurements of portal vein diameter, portal blood flow velocity and portal blood flow volume were done at days 1, 5 and 10 of treatment using duplex Doppler sonography.

Kinetics of 4-fluoroquinolones permeation into saliva.

Following a single oral administration of ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin and ofloxacin preparations to healthy volunteers simultaneously collected, saliva and plasma 4-fluoroquinolone concentrations were assayed by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic properties were determined by ordinary least squares fitting of the two compartment pharmacokinetic model to the experimental data. A good correlation between plasma and saliva data has been demonstrated.