Finding and using readily available sources of assessment data.

This paper provides the rationale for, examples of, and the collection and general uses of currently available, potentially underutilized academic program assessment data. Academic program assessment is essential for program improvement and accreditation, but commonly used assessment methods may not fully meet these needs. General assessment references, pharmacy education literature, and prior experiences were used to identify and discuss sources of potentially underutilized assessment data.

In silico prediction of drug permeability across buccal mucosa.

Purpose: To develop and validate a computational model capable of predicting buccal permeability based on various structural and physicochemical descriptors.

Methods: Apparent permeability coefficients (K(p)) of 15 different drugs across porcine buccal mucosa were determined. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and maximum likelihood estimations (MLE) were used to develop the model based on a training set of 15 drugs with permeability as the response variable and the various descriptors as the predictor variables.

Sublingual drug delivery.

The sublingual route is one of the early modes of administration for systemic drug delivery. This route avoids first-pass metabolism and affords quick drug entry into the systemic circulation. Attempts have been made to deliver various pharmacologically active agents, such as cardiovascular drugs, analgesics, and peptides, across the sublingual mucosa.

Cyclophilin-40 has a cellular role in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling.

Cyclophilin-40 (CyP40) promotes the formation of the gel shift complex that contains the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt) and dioxin response element (DRE) using baculovirus expressed proteins. Here we reported that CyP40 plays a role in the AhR signaling. When the CyP40 content in MCF-7 cells is reduced, up-regulation of cyp1a1 and cyp1b1 by 3-methylchloranthrene (3MC) is also reduced, suggesting that CyP40 is essential for maximal AhR function.

Porcine buccal mucosa as an in vitro model: relative contribution of epithelium and connective tissue as permeability barriers.

Porcine buccal mucosa has been extensively used as an in vitro model to study the permeability of various diffusants and to assess their potential to be delivered through the buccal route. The relative contribution of each component of the buccal mucosa on drug permeability was assessed in this study. The permeability of model diffusants decreased significantly with an increase in the mucosal thickness.

Sexual dimorphism in rabbit aortic endothelial function under acute hyperglycemic conditions and gender-specific responses to acute 17beta-estradiol.

Epidemiological data suggest that hyperglycemia abrogates the gender-based cardiovascular protection possibly associated with estrogens. This study was designed to investigate 1) whether rabbit aortic rings show gender differences in the development of abnormal endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) under acute hyperglycemic conditions, 2) the potential role of PKC isoforms and superoxide (O2-) in acute hyperglycemia-induced vascular dysfunction, and 3) the effect of acute estrogen administration on hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in male and female rabbits. EDV to ACh was determined before and after 3 h of treatment with high glucose (HG) in phenylephrine-precontracted aortic rings from male and female New Zealand White rabbits.

HPLC detection of marker compounds during buccal permeation enhancement studies.

A simple, isocratic and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous analysis of marker compounds for the aqueous (atenolol) and lipoidal (lidocaine) pathways during permeation enhancement studies across the buccal mucosa. A reversed-phase C18 column with UV detection at 224 nm was used for chromatographic separation and analysis, respectively. The mobile phase contained a mixture of acetonitrile-methanol-monobasic potassium phosphate (pH 3.

Effect of thermodynamic activities of the unionized and ionized species on drug flux across buccal mucosa.

The objective of this work was to delineate the contribution of thermodynamic activities of ionized and unionized species on buccal drug permeation. The flux and permeability of a model acidic (nimesulide) and basic (bupivacaine) drug were determined across porcine buccal mucosa at different pH conditions. Thermodynamic activities of ionized and unionized drug species were expressed as degree of saturation (DS) and also calculated using a modified Debye-Hückel equation.

Gender difference in rat aorta vasodilation after acute exposure to high glucose: involvement of protein kinase C beta and superoxide but not of Rho kinase.

Objectives: Several reports suggest that acute hyperglycemia affects male and female vascular beds differently. However, little is known about the interactions between hyperglycemia and gender in the vasculature. The objectives of our study were to investigate if there is a gender-based difference in the relaxation response of rat aorta after acute exposure to high glucose concentration, and the potential role of protein kinase C-beta (PKCbeta), superoxide, and Rho kinase in the gender-specific effect of acute high glucose on the relaxation response.

Synthesis and characterization of RGD-fatty acid amphiphilic micelles as targeted delivery carriers for anticancer agents.

Novel amphiphilic conjugates consisting of an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide binding motif and aliphatic fatty acids of varying chain length (C10-C18) were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to form micelles and bind specifically to alphaVbeta3 integrin over-expressing tumor cells. The aphilphiles were characterized by IR, proton NMR and mass spectrometry. The size and zeta potential of the resultant micelles were ranged from 178 to 450 nm and - 13.

Ezetimibe and fenofibrate combination therapy for mixed hyperlipidemia.

The ezetimibe and fenofibrate combination regimen was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of mixed hyperlipidemia.

Gatifloxacin-induced hyperglycemia: a case report and summary of the current literature.

Background: Gatifloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has been associated with severe hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events.

Objective: The purpose of this report was to describe a new case of gatifloxacin-associated hyperglycemia in an elderly patient and to provide a summary of case reports.

Case Summary: A male patient, aged 86 years, was hospitalized with small bowel obstruction due to adhesions from a previous appendectomy.

Transport of a novel anti-cancer agent, fenretinide across Caco-2 monolayers.

Fenretinide is a synthetic retinoid with chemotherapeutic activity against various malignancies. Upon oral administration to animals, fenretinide was found to be incompletely absorbed and excreted primarily in feces. The purpose of this study was to determine the possible reasons for poor oral absorption of fenretinide using Caco-2 cell monolayers.

A truncated Ah receptor blocks the hypoxia and estrogen receptor signaling pathways: a viable approach for breast cancer treatment.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor which requires heterodimerization with the Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) for function. Arnt is also a dimerization partner of the hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) for the hypoxia signaling. Additionally, Arnt is found to be a potent coactivator of the estrogen receptor (ER) signaling.

Thiazolidinedione anti-cancer activity: Is inhibition of microtubule assembly implicated?

An hypothesis is presented which seeks to explain the anti-cancer activity of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a class of drugs currently used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Empirical data from the scientific literature is used to support the hypothesis that TZDs are inhibitors of microtubule assembly. The similarities between the affects of TZDs on cellular processes and known inhibitors of tubulin polymerization are identified.

Physiotherapists' perceptions and use of medical imaging information in practice.

Background And Purpose: Physiotherapists must take responsibility for all aspects of patient care. Information from medical imaging studies can influence clinical decisions. The purpose of the present study was to gather information about physiotherapists' perceptions and use of medical imaging information in clinical practice.

1,6-Diaminohexane contributes to the hexamethylene bisacetamide-induced erythroid differentiation pathway by stimulating Ca2+ release from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores and promoting Ca2+ influx.

Hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) stimulates Ca(2+) signals in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells serving as an important component of the HMBA-induced pathway that promotes differentiation to the erythroid phenotype. We observed that 1,6-diaminohexane (DAH) triggered a more rapid and robust increase in MEL cell Ca(2+) levels compared to HMBA and the monodeacetylated N-acetyl-1,6-diaminohexane (NADAH), and that polyamine deacetylase inhibition completely abolished the ability of HMBA and NADAH to induce Ca(2+) signals in MEL cells. Our work indicates that DAH mediates Ca(2+) signal propagation via its ability to activate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptors, as we observed similar Ca(2+) release characteristics and heparin sensitivity of DAH and IP(3) in permeabilized MEL cells.

2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) stimulates a conformationally coupled calcium release pathway in the NG115-401L neuronal cell line.

We report in this study a 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) activated Ca2+ pathway in NG115-401L (401L) neuronal cells bearing resemblance to hormonal and ryanodine receptor activated pathways. We observed that 2-APB, in contrast to much earlier work, did not inhibit store operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) function, but rather induced potent Ca2+ discharge responses that robustly activated SOC-mediated Ca2+ influx. Further, these studies intriguingly revealed that the 2-APB-induced Ca2+ release pathway likely couples conformationally to targets in the plasma membrane, as membrane permeabilization or actin perturbation abolished the ability of the compound to stimulate Ca2+ signals.

Clinical utility of extended-release niacin: update and summary.

In the treatment of dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease, niacin extended-release (ER) (Niaspan) uniquely targets the atherogenic lipid abnormalities of the metabolic syndrome. Niacin ER raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol more effectively than other agents, while reducing triglyceride and lipoprotein(a) levels and increasing low-density lipoprotein particle size. It is formulated to minimize the toxicities and adverse effects associated with other niacin formulations, making niacin ER more tolerable for patients.

Alginate microparticles prepared by spray-coagulation method: preparation, drug loading and release characterization.

A spray-coagulation method was developed for the preparation of large scale of porous alginate microparticles. The effect of three variables on porosity was evaluated: (1) alginate solution concentration (2) the concentration of CaCl2 in the coagulation medium and (3) the ratio of guluronic acid to manuronic acid of the alginate. Methylene blue (MB), a highly water-soluble compound and a practically water-insoluble compound, 4-phenylazoaniline (PAA) were used as the model drugs to study drug loading and release characteristics from alginate microparticles.

A novel Arnt-interacting protein Ainp2 enhances the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling.

In an effort to better understand the Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt)-dependent signaling mechanisms, we employed a phage display system to identify Arnt-interacting peptides. Human liver cDNA library was utilized to screen for Arnt-interacting peptides using an Arnt construct fused to thioredoxin (TH-ArntCDelta418). Two clones, namely Ainp1 and Ainp2 (Arnt-interacting peptide), were identified and subsequently Ainp2 was further characterized.