Phosphaplatin Anti-tumor Effect Enhanced by Liposomes Partly an Up-regulation of PEDF in Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: Phosphaplatin platinum (IV) (RRD4) complex has exceptional antitumor properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and the mechanism of action of free and liposome-encapsulated RRD4 in breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Liposome-encapsulated RRD4 prepared by thin-film dehydration: hydration and free RRD4 were tested in vivo and in vitro against 4T1 breast cancer cells.

Investigating inpatient medication administration using the theory of planned behavior.

Purpose: Results of a study to determine behavioral factors that help explain why nurses often do not obtain and administer medications from automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) "one patient at a time" are reported.

Methods: To investigate nurses' frequent failure to adhere to best-practice standards for ADC use, a 12-item questionnaire developed using information obtained from an elicitation study and a focus group session was e-mailed to 755 nurses at an academic medical center. A model based on constructs of the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) was used to evaluate nurses' intent to follow ADC best practices through univariate and multivariate analyses.

Discharge medication complexity and 30-day heart failure readmissions.

Background: Limited research exists regarding Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and its utility in identifying patients at risk for hospital readmission.

Objective: This study evaluates the association between discharge MRCI and 30-day rehospitalization in patients with heart failure (HF) after discharge.

Methods: The study involved a retrospective, cohort study at a large tertiary teaching facility from the University HealthSystem Consortium.

Physicians' intention to prescribe hydrocodone combination products after rescheduling: A theory of reasoned action approach.

Background: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) rescheduled hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) in an attempt to mitigate the prescription opioid epidemic.

Gold-silver alloy nanoshells: a new candidate for nanotherapeutics and diagnostics.

We have developed novel gold-silver alloy nanoshells as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dual T1 (positive) and T2 (negative) contrast agents as an alternative to typical gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents. Specifically, we have doped iron oxide nanoparticles with Gd ions and sequestered the ions within the core by coating the nanoparticles with an alloy of gold and silver. Thus, these nanoparticles are very innovative and have the potential to overcome toxicities related to renal clearance of contrast agents such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.

Novel reducible linear L-lysine-modified copolymers as efficient nonviral vectors.

The development of biodegradable gene delivery systems with high transfection efficiencies is paramount to the clinical translation of nonviral gene carriers. Therefore, to produce a biocompatible, reducible, effective and non-toxic gene delivery system, we have designed and synthesized novel reducible linear L-lysine modified copolymers (LLCs) as an alternative to high molecular weight poly(L-lysine) (PLL). The molecular weight (MW) of the copolymers was found to be approximately 3.

Comparative pharmacodynamics of amphotericin B lipid complex and liposomal amphotericin B in a murine model of pulmonary mucormycosis.

We compared the kinetics of amphotericin B (AMB) lung accumulation and fungal clearance by liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) and amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) in a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary mucormycosis (IPM). Immunosuppressed BALB/c mice were inoculated with 1 x 10(6) Rhizopus oryzae spores and administered L-AMB or ABLC at daily intravenous doses of 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg of body weight for 5 days starting 12 h after infection. At a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, both L-AMB and ABLC were effective at reducing the R.

Novel nanomedicine-based MRI contrast agents for gynecological malignancies.

Gynecological cancers result in significant morbidity and mortality in women despite advances in treatment and diagnosis. This is due to detection of the disease in the late stages following metastatic spread in which treatment options become limited and may not result in positive outcomes. In addition, traditional contrast agents are not very effective in detecting primary metastatic tumors and cells due to a lack of specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic tools, which limits their effectiveness.

Efficacy of single-dose liposomal amphotericin B or micafungin prophylaxis in a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

In a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, prophylaxis with single doses of liposomal amphotericin B or micafungin at >or=5 mg/kg of body weight improved animal survival and suppressed the lung fungal burden for up to 7 days after infection, demonstrating the potential utility of infrequent dosing with these antifungals.

Comparison of the dose-dependent activity and paradoxical effect of caspofungin and micafungin in a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Objectives: The safety and concentration-dependent pharmacodynamic characteristics of the echinocandins make them ideal candidates for dosage escalation in the treatment of aspergillosis. However, paradoxical attenuation of antifungal activity with increasing doses has been reported for some echinocandins in experimental models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA).

Methods: We compared the activity of micafungin and caspofungin administered over a wide dosing range that encompasses clinical exposures (0.

Comparative analysis of amphotericin B lipid complex and liposomal amphotericin B kinetics of lung accumulation and fungal clearance in a murine model of acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

The reformulation of amphotericin B (AMB) into a lipid complex (AMB lipid complex [ABLC]) or liposomal carrier (liposomal AMB [L-AMB]) changes the rate and extent of drug distribution to the lung. The importance of pharmacokinetic differences among the various lipid AMB formulations in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains unknown. We compared the kinetics of AMB lung accumulation and fungal clearance of ABLC- and L-AMB-treated mice with acute IPA.

Pretreatment with empty liposomes attenuates the immunopathology of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in corticosteroid-immunosuppressed mice.

In a nonneutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, pretreatment with empty liposomes (E-lipo) was nearly as effective as 10 mg/kg of body weight liposomal amphotericin B and superior to 1 mg/kg amphotericin B deoxycholate. The beneficial immunomodulatory properties of E-lipo appear to compensate for their lack of direct antifungal activity.

Frequency and species distribution of gliotoxin-producing Aspergillus isolates recovered from patients at a tertiary-care cancer center.

Aspergillus isolates (n = 103) collected from cancer patients were screened to determine the taxonomic distribution and quantity of gliotoxin production. Gliotoxin was detected in 93% of Aspergillus fumigatus, 75% of A. niger, 25% of A.