ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the linear pharmacokinetics characteristics of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in rats at different doses. METHODS: Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups. HSYA was administered intragastrically at doses of 30, 60 and 120 mg•kg-1 respectively. The blood samples were collected from rat fundus venous plexus at preset time points. The blood concentration of HSYA was determined by HPLC. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of HSYA in rats were analyzed by descriptive method and confidence interval method. RESULTS: There were no dose dependence of non-atrioventricular and atrioventricular pharmacokinetic parameters clearance (CL), which were about 6 L•h-1•kg-1. The area under concentration-time curve (AUC) and peak concentration (ρmax) were correlated with the dosage of HSYA. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC of HSYA in the dose range of 30-120 mg•kg-1 have linear kinetic characteristics.
ABSTRACT
<b>Objective </b>: To determine how much label information on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines is contained on packaging, we investigated the items, description methods, and area of label information on packages.<br><b>Methods </b>: We selected 75 common cold remedy products for investigation and classified the items into 3 categories (“items for use”, “items with a regulation requirement”, “items related to product image”) and measured the space given to each item in the total package area.<br><b>Results </b>: All 75 products had “items with a regulation requirement (total 13 items),” but 8 products (only 2 manufacturers) had “consult a physician or pharmacist before use,” which was not a regulation requirement. There were differences in description methods, especially in “caution” and “product name.” Sixty percent of the OTC products used non-red characters with no box-frame, and 11% used red characters and box-frames. The description order was not standardized, but “caution” was located in the lowest space on 80% of products. Many item descriptions appeared in one place, but “product name” generally appeared in more than 4 places. While 4.5 to 8.0 points were commonly given for “items for use,” 16 to 100 points were given for “product name,” and the difference in number of points was greater than 6-fold among products. The percentage of average area for “items related to product image” (6.1%) was 2-fold greater than for “items for use” (3.1%) and “items with a regulation requirement” (2.9%). Almost half of the total package area was blank space.<br><b>Conclusion </b>: Current descriptions in label information vary among items, products, and pharmaceutical companies. Rules on describing information on OTC medicine packaging are thus necessary.