Clinical study on the bioequivalence of two tablet formulations of flurbiprofen.

Flurbiprofen (CAS 5104-49-4) is a member of phenylalkanoic acid derivative group of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities. Two different tablets containing flurbiprofen (FLU) were investigated in 24 healthy volunteers to prove the bioequivalence between both treatments after single oral dose administrations. Fluroben 100 mg tablet and 100 mg tablet of the originator product were used as test and reference preparation respectively. The study was performed open label, randomized, two period cross-over design with 15 days wash out period. Blood samples were taken up to 24 hours for pharmacokinetic profiling. The plasma concentrations of flurbiprofen were determined with validated HPLC-UV method. Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of FLU 19,143.65 ng/ml and 19,164.22 ng/ml were found for test and reference formulation respectively. Areas under the plasma concentration time curve AUC(0-infinity), of 118 501.4 ng.h/ml and 111,339.8 ng.h/ml were calculated test and reference formulation respectively. Primary target parameters AUC (0-infinity) and Cmax, both of them were tested parametrically by analysis of variance (ANOVA); 90% confidence intervals were between 100.5%-111.18% for AUC(0-infinity), and 87.6%-115.0% for Cmax. All these values were within the acceptance range (80%-125%) for bioequivalence studies.

The mechanism of the late preconditioning effect of 3-nitropropionic acid.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of effect of 3-nitropropionic acid-(3-NP) induced late preconditioning in rat heart. For this purpose 20-30 min before 3-NP (20 mg/kg, i.p.) injection, the rats were treated intraperitoneally with 5-hydroxydecanoate (40 mg/kg, 5-HD, mitochondrial K(ATP)-channel blocker), L-NAME (100 mg/kg, NOS inhibitor), N-2-mercaptopropionylglycine (100 mg/kg, MPG, free radical scavenger), or superoxide dismutase+catalase (10000+10000 IU/kg, SOD+CAT). Control rats received saline only without 3-NP pretreatment. After two days, hearts were isolated and perfused at a constant pressure in a Langendorff apparatus. 15-min global ischemia followed by 30-min reperfusion was applied to all hearts. Pretreatment of 3-NP significantly reduced infarct size, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) compared with the control group receiving saline only. 5-HD, L-NAME, MPG, or SOD+CAT treatment statistically reversed 3-NP-induced reduction in infarct size. Although CK-MB, LDH levels, and incidence of VT were also reduced by L-NAME, MPG, or SOD+CAT treatment, only 5-HD significantly inhibited beneficial effects of 3-NP on all of the parameters above. These results showed that mito-K(ATP) channels play a pivotal role in late preconditioning effect of 3-NP in the isolated rat heart. However, other mediators such as reactive oxygen species and NO may be, at least in part, involved in mechanisms of this effect.

Chemical preconditioning effect of 3-nitropropionic acid in anesthetized rat heart.

Short ischemic episodes increase tolerance against subsequent severe ischemia in the heart. Nitropropionate (3-NP), an irreversible inhibitor of succinic dehydrogenase of the mitochondrial complex II, was shown to induce protective effect against ischemic brain injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effect of 3-NP on regional ischemia in preconditioned rat heart in vivo. Hearts were assigned into three groups: first, in order to induce ischemic preconditioning (IP) 5 min ischemia separated by 10 min reperfusion protocol was used; second, non-preconditioned group was used as control; and third, 3-NP (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected 3 h before the surgical procedure in order to induce chemical preconditioning. In all these groups, 30 min regional ischemia was followed by 60 min reperfusion. Infarct size, bax expression, number of ventricular ectopic beats (VEB), duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were significantly decreased in ischemic preconditioning and 3-NP pretreatment groups, whereas bcl-2 values were not markedly changed in these groups during occlusion period. These results showed that in the anesthetized rat heart 3-NP induced chemical preconditioning by decreasing infarct size, number of VEB, duration of VT and VF. Protective effect is associated with via decreased production of bax protein expression.

Biological time-dependent difference in effect of peroxynitrite demonstrated by the mouse hot plate pain model.

We previously demonstrated the rhythmic pattern of L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) cascade in nociceptive processes. The coupled production of excess NO and superoxide leads to the formation of an unstable intermediate peroxynitrite, which is primarily responsible for NO-mediated toxicity. In the present study, we evaluated the biological time-dependent effects of exogenously administered peroxynitrite on nociceptive processes and peroxynitrite-induced changes in the analgesic effect of morphine using the mouse hot-plate pain model. Experiments were performed at four different times of day (1, 7, 13, and 19 hours after lights on, i.e., HALO) in mice of both sexes synchronized to a 12 h:12 h light-dark cycle. Animals were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with saline or 10 mg/kg morphine 30 min before and 0.001 mg/kg peroxynitrite 30 sec before hot-plate testing, respectively. The analgesic effect of morphine exhibited significant biological time-dependent differences in the thermally-induced algesia; whereas, administration of peroxynitrite alone exhibited either significant algesic or analgesic effect, depending on the circadian time of its injection. Concomitant administration of peroxynitrite and morphine reduced morphine-induced analgesia at three of the four different study time points. In conclusion, peroxynitrite displayed nociceptive and antinociceptive when administered alone according to the circadian time of treatment, while it diminished analgesic activity when administered in combination with morphine at certain biological times.

Antioxidant activities of some Lamiaceae plant extracts.

The antioxidant activities of four Lamiaceae plants, Salvia viridis L., Salvia multicaulis Vahl, Stachys byzantina C. Koch and Eremostachys laciniata (L.) Bunge have been determined by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) as well as by flow injection analysis-luminol chemiluminescence (FIA-CL). All extracts were shown to possess a significant scavenger activity against DPPH free radical and an inhibitory effect on H2O2- or HOCl-luminol chemiluminescence. The extracts scavenged 50% of DPPH radical ranging in the following descending order: Salvia viridis > Stachys byzantina > Salvia multicaulis > Eremostachys laciniata. The most potent extract on H2O2-induced peak chemiluminescence was that of Salvia viridis and on HOCl-induced peak chemiluminescence was that of Stachys byzantina. The results concluded that the extracts have a potential source of antioxidants of natural origin.

The role of peroxynitrite in chemical preconditioning with 3-nitropropionic acid in rat hearts.

OBJECTIVES: 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP), an irreversible inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase, has been shown to protect against ischemic injury in the brain and in the heart via a preconditioning-like effect; however, the cellular mechanism is not known. The aim of the present study was to investigate if 3-NP pretreatment reduces infarct size and if altered metabolism of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species are involved. METHODS: Hearts were assigned into 3 groups: 3 intermittent cycles of 5 min no-flow ischemia separated by 5 min aerobic perfusion protocol were used to induce ischemic preconditioning as a positive control; a time-matched non-preconditioning group served as control; and 3-NP (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected 3 h before the perfusion protocol to induce pharmacological preconditioning. Hearts from all groups were then subjected to 30 min global ischemia followed by 120 min reperfusion. RESULTS: Infarct size and lactate dehydrogenase release were significantly reduced after ischemia/reperfusion. While cardiac nitric oxide (NO) was increased, superoxide formation, nitrotyrosine level, and cardiac NADH oxidase and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities were markedly reduced by 3-NP administration. Cardiac activities of NO synthase and superoxide dismutase were not changed by 3-NP. CONCLUSION: This is the first demonstration in the rat myocardium that 3-NP induces pharmacological preconditioning, thereby limiting infarct size, and that this effect is associated with increased NO bioavailability and reduced peroxynitrite formation due to inhibition of superoxide formation by XO and NADH oxidase.

The mechanisms of peroxynitrite-induced relaxations in isolated rat anococcygeus muscle.

We have previously reported that peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) caused relaxations on isolated rat anococcygeus muscle and in the present study the possible mechanisms of the relaxant effect were investigated. ONOO(-) (0.03- 1.0 mmol/l)-induced relaxations were reduced significantly by the presence of an ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K(+)(ATP) channel) blocker, glibenclamide (0.3 micromol/l), or 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo(4,3-alpha)quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) (30.0 micromol/l), a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor. However, 3-aminobenzamide (3.0 mmol/l), an inhibitor of poly(ADP- ribose)synthase, did not influence the relaxant effect of ONOO(-) (1.0 mmol/l). Results of the present study implicate that activation of K(+)(ATP) channels and/or cGMP/K(+)(ATP) channel interaction might play a role in the relaxant responses to ONOO(-) in isolated rat anococcygeus muscle.