Efficacy and augmentation during 6 months of double-blind pramipexole for restless legs syndrome.

Background: Pramipexole is an effective treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS), but no controlled studies have lasted >12 weeks.

Methods: RLS patients (N=331) with pretreatment serum ferritin >30 ng/mL were randomly assigned to take double-blind optimized pramipexole (0.125-0.

Improved estimation of glomerular filtration rate by serum cystatin C in preventing contrast induced nephropathy by N-acetylcysteine or zinc--preliminary results.

Background: Prevention of contrast media (CM) induced nephropathy (CIN) by prophylaxis (e.g. N-acetylcysteine; NAC) is controversially discussed.

Increased absorption of digoxin from the human jejunum due to inhibition of intestinal transporter-mediated efflux.

Background And Objectives: The contribution of transport in the small intestine by the apically located efflux pump P-glycoprotein to variable drug absorption in humans is still poorly understood. We therefore investigated whether inhibition of intestinal P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux by quinidine leads to increased absorption of the P-glycoprotein substrate digoxin.

Methods: Using a multilumen perfusion catheter, we investigated the impact of P-glycoprotein inhibition on absorption of two compounds: the P-glycoprotein substrate digoxin and the marker for passive transcellular absorption antipyrine.

Unchanged serum levels of advanced glycation endproducts in patients with liver disease.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), e.g., carboxymethyllysine (CML) or imidazolone are involved in several age-related disorders.

Osteoarthritis of the knee--clinical assessments and inflammatory markers.

Objective: The present cross sectional study was performed to test the hypothesis that in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee severity of this disease is related to local levels of inflammatory metabolites and their corresponding enzymes.

Methods: From 41 patients with OA of the knee (age range 45-79 years) undergoing arthroscopy blood, synovial fluid (SF) and synovial membrane (SM) were collected. Clinical conditions were primarily assessed by the WOMAC-index and radiographic grading (K&L-grade).

P-glycoprotein function in the elderly.

Objective: The MDR1-encoded P-glycoprotein (Pgp) represents the best-studied membraneous efflux pump defending the body against xenobiotics. Various polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphisms; SNPs) in the MDR1 gene have been identified, and a silent mutation in exon 26 (C3435T) has been correlated with duodenal expression of Pgp, which might affect the disposition of certain drugs. The C3435T SNP has been shown to be linked to another SNP (G2677T/A) in exon 21 which leads to an amino acid exchange.

Influence of age and cytochrome P450 2C9 genotype on the steady-state disposition of diclofenac and celecoxib.

Objective: To analyse the influence of age and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 genotype on the steady-state disposition of the standard NSAID diclofenac and the new COX-2 selective inhibitor celecoxib, both of which are metabolised by the polymorphically expressed CYP2C9.

Design: Double-blind randomised crossover study under steady-state conditions.

Subjects: 12 young (age 32 +/- 5 years, bodyweight 71 +/- 12kg; mean +/- SD) and 12 elderly (68 +/- 2 years, 82 +/- 15kg) healthy, drug-free, nonsmoking Caucasians of both sexes.

Simple and sensitive method for the determination of celecoxib in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A simple method is described for the determination of the cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitor celecoxib in human serum by HPLC using the demethylated analogue as internal standard. After protein precipitation with acetonitrile, samples were extracted with chloroform. Separation was achieved on a Prontosil C18 AQ column (150x3 mm I.