Space-maintaining management in maxillary sinus lifting: a novel technique using a resorbable polymeric thermo-reversible gel.

Several techniques have been proposed to achieve sinus floor elevation and the formation of new bone through the grafting of autologous, heterologous, or alloplastic materials. The grafted materials act as a scaffold for bone formation inside the maxillary sinus. This study investigated a non-graft sinus lifting procedure using a resorbable polymeric thermo-reversible gel.

Design of olanzapine/lutrol solid dispersions of improved stability and performances.

Eleven solid dispersions containing olanzapine, with carriers of different composition (Lutrol® F68, Lutrol® F127, Gelucire® 44/14), were prepared and examined by thermal (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); thermomicroscopy (HSM)) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, both as fresh or aged (one year) samples. Drug and carriers were preliminarily selected in order to avoid problems related to the aging of the formulation, according to the solubility parameters of carriers and drug. These parameters make it possible to predict the low solubility of olanzapine in the carriers (alone or in mixtures).

Mucoadhesive gels designed for the controlled release of chlorhexidine in the oral cavity.

This study describes the in vitro/ex vivo buccal release of chlorhexidine (CHX) from nine mucoadhesive aqueous gels, as well as their physicochemical and mucoadhesive properties: CHX was present at a constant 1% w/v concentration in the chemical form of digluconate salt. The mucoadhesive/gel forming materials were carboxymethyl- (CMC), hydroxypropylmethyl- (HPMC) and hydroxypropyl- (HPC) cellulose, alone (3% w/w) or in binary mixtures (5% w/w); gels were tested for their mucoadhesion using the mucin method at 1, 2 and 3% w/w concentrations. CHX release from different formulations was assessed using a USP method and newly developed apparatus, combining release/permeation process in which porcine mucosa was placed in a Franz cell.

Bimodal release of olanzapine from lipid microspheres.

Olanzapine was formulated as 10% (w/w) mixture with cutina to which stearic acid was added, ranging from 10% to 90% (w/w) of the total mass to control the drug release. The molten mixtures were processed by ultrasound-assisted spray-congealing technique, obtaining solid microspheres. The drug is stable under these conditions and only a partial miscibility in the solid state was observed by DSC between the two fatty materials with two separated melting endotherms in the thermograms: this can be due to the presence of two phases inside the solid dispersion.

Control of transdermal permeation of hydrocortisone acetate from hydrophilic and lipophilic formulations.

The purpose of this research was the preparation of four formulations containing hydrocortisone acetate (HCA) for topical application, including two aqueous systems (hydrophilic microemulsion and aqueous gel) and two systems with dominant hydrophobicity (hydrophobic microemulsion and ointment). The formulations were tested for the release and permeation of HCA across an animal membrane. The release of HCA was found comparable for the four systems.