PXR as a mediator of herb-drug interaction.

Medicinal herbs have been a part of human medicine for thousands of years. The herb-drug interaction is an extension of drug-drug interaction, in which the consumptions of herbs cause alterations in the metabolism of drugs the patients happen to take at the same time. The pregnane X receptor (PXR) has been established as one of the most important transcriptional factors that regulate the expression of phase I enzymes, phase II enzymes, and drug transporters in the xenobiotic responses.

Core competencies for research training in the clinical pharmaceutical sciences.

Objective: To identify and apply core competencies for training students enrolled in the clinical pharmaceutical scientist PhD training program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

Design: Faculty members reached consensus on the required core competencies for the program and mapped them to curricular and experiential requirements.

Assessment: A rubric was created based on core competencies spanning 8 major categories of proficiency, and competencies of clinical versus traditional PhD training were delineated.

Influence of DHEA administration on 24-hour cortisol concentrations.

DHEA is marketed and readily available as a daily nutritional supplement to counteract the effects of aging. The effect of DHEA administration on 24-hour plasma cortisol profiles has not been investigated. In this single-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, the effect of DHEA administration on cortisol concentrations was evaluated in healthy older women and men.