Practicality of non-invasive glucagon-loaded dissolving microneedle for life-saving treatment of severe hypoglycemia in a diabetic rat model.

The development of dissolving microneedles (DMNs) has brought light to the transdermal delivery of biomolecules that are released into the skin through the rapid dissolution of the matrix material to enter the systemic circulation and exert therapeutic effects. Herein, we aimed to prepare, characterize, and analyze the effectiveness of a glucagon-loaded DMN system that rapidly increases blood sugar levels in rats with diabetic hypoglycemia. The stability and content of biological drugs following DMNs preparation was assessed using circular dichroism and bicinchoninic acid kit for protein determination kits(BCA kits). The maximum drug loading capacity of DMNs was approximately 140 µg in each patch, and the microneedles could be stored for up to 14 days under dry storage conditions. In vitro skin permeation studies were conducted using a Franz diffusion cell apparatus for glucagon-loaded DMNs. To investigate the efficacy of transdermal drug delivery, drug-laden DMNs were administered to rats with hypoglycemic diabetes. Compared to subcutaneous injections, microneedle drug release demonstrated comparable efficacy in raising blood glucose levels in vivo. Therefore, this study demonstrated that glucagon-loaded DMNs may be a promising approach for efficient transdermal drug delivery as an alternative to subcutaneous injection for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes.

Effects of voriconazole and fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of almonertinib in rats by UPLC-MS/MS.

Almonertinib was included in the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR T790M mutations by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. Considering that immunocompromised lung cancer patients are prone to opportunistic fungal infections, and most triazole antifungal drugs are moderate or strong inhibitors of CYP3A4, this study was conducted to develop and validate an accurate and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying almonertinib in plasma and for investigating the pharmacokinetic changes of almonertinib caused by voriconazole and fluconazole in rats. After liquid-liquid extraction with tert-butyl methyl ether, an XSelect HSS T3 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 2.5 µm, Waters) was used for the chromatographic separation of almonertinib and sorafenib-D3 (internal standard). The analytes were detected using an AB Sciex Triple Quad 5,500 mass spectrometer in the positive ionization mode. The method exhibited great linearity (0.5-200 ng/ml, r > 0.997) and stability under the established experimental conditions. All validation experiments were in accordance with the guidelines, and the results were all within the acceptable limits. This method was successfully applied to the researches of pharmacokinetics and drug interactions for almonertinib in rats. Voriconazole and fluconazole significantly altered the pharmacokinetic profiles of almonertinib and increased the systemic exposure of almonertinib in rats to different degrees, but further human trials should be conducted to validate the results.

Analysis of Galangin and Its In Vitro/In Vivo Metabolites via Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Galangin, a naturally available flavonoid, induces a variety of pharmacological activities and biological effects via several mechanisms. However, in vivo metabolism of galangin has not been fully explored, which means knowledge of its pharmacodynamics and application potential is limited. The objective of this study was to establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for the rapid profiling and identification of galangin metabolites in vitro and in vivo using unique online information-dependent acquisition with multiple mass defect filtering combined with dynamic background subtraction in positive ion mode. A total of 27 metabolites were detected and characterized, among which eight metabolites in liver microsomes and four metabolites in intestinal microflora were characterized, and 27 metabolites from rat plasma, bile, urine, feces, and a number of different tissue samples were characterized. Thirteen major metabolic pathways including hydrogenation, hydroxylation, glycosylation, methylation, acetylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation were observed to be attributable to the biotransformation of the metabolites. This study provides evidence for the presence of in vitro and in vivo metabolites and the pharmacokinetic mechanism of galangin. Moreover, the study promotes the further development and utilization of galangin and the plant from which it is derived, Alpinia officinarum Hance.

Development of UPLC-MS/MS Method to Study the Pharmacokinetic Interaction between Sorafenib and Dapagliflozin in Rats.

Sorafenib (SOR), an inhibitor of multiple kinases, is a classic targeted drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which often coexists with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Dapagliflozin (DAPA), a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), is widely used in patients with T2DM. Notably, co-administration of SOR with DAPA is common in clinical settings. Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A9 (UGT1A9) is involved in the metabolism of SOR and dapagliflozin (DAPA), and SOR is the inhibitor of UGT1A1 and UGT1A9 (in vitro). Therefore, changes in UGT1A9 activity caused by SOR may lead to pharmacokinetic interactions between the two drugs. The objective of the current study was to develop an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of SOR and DAPA in plasma and to evaluate the effect of the co-administration of SOR and DAPA on their individual pharmacokinetic properties and the mechanism involved. The rats were divided into four groups: SOR (100 mg/kg) alone and co-administered with DAPA (1 mg/kg) for seven days, and DAPA (1 mg/kg) alone and co-administered with SOR (100 mg/kg) for seven days. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was performed for plasma sample preparation, and the chromatographic separation was conducted on Waters XSelect HSS T3 column with a gradient elution of 0.1% formic acid and 5 mM ammonium acetate (Phase A) and acetonitrile (Phase B). The levels of Ugt1a7 messenger RNA (mRNA) were determined in rat liver and intestine using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The method was successfully applied to the study of pharmacokinetic interactions. DAPA caused a significant decrease in the maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC0-t) of SOR by 41.6% and 50.5%, respectively, while the apparent volume of distribution (Vz/F) and apparent clearance (CLz/F) significantly increased 2.85- and 1.98-fold, respectively. When co-administering DAPA with SOR, the AUC0-t and the elimination half-life (t1/2Z) of DAPA significantly increased 1.66- and 1.80-fold, respectively, whereas the CLz/F significantly decreased by 40%. Results from qRT-PCR showed that, compared with control, seven days of SOR pretreatment decreased Ugt1a7 expression in both liver and intestine tissue. In contrast, seven days of DAPA pretreatment decreased Ugt1a7 expression only in liver tissue. Therefore, pharmacokinetic interactions exist between long-term use of SOR with DAPA, and UGT1A9 may be the targets mediating the interaction. Active surveillance for the treatment outcomes and adverse reactions are required.

Pharmacokinetic Interactions between Canagliflozin and Sorafenib or Lenvatinib in Rats.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are common clinical conditions, and T2DM is an independent risk factor for HCC. Sorafenib and lenvatinib, two multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are first-line therapies for advanced HCC, while canagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, is widely used in the treatment of T2DM. Here, we developed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of canagliflozin, sorafenib, and lenvatinib, and investigated the pharmacokinetic drug interactions between canagliflozin and sorafenib or lenvatinib in rats. The animals were randomly divided into five groups. Groups I-III were gavage administrated with sorafenib, lenvatinib, and canagliflozin, respectively. Group IV received sorafenib and canagliflozin; while Group V received lenvatinib and canagliflozin. The area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) and maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of canagliflozin increased by 37.6% and 32.8%, respectively, while the apparent volume of distribution (Vz/F) and apparent clearance (CLz/F) of canagliflozin significantly decreased (30.6% and 28.6%, respectively) in the presence of sorafenib. Canagliflozin caused a significant increase in AUC and Cmax of lenvatinib by 28.9% and 36.2%, respectively, and a significant decrease in Vz/F and CLz/F of lenvatinib by 52.9% and 22.7%, respectively. In conclusion, drug interactions exist between canagliflozin and sorafenib or lenvatinib, and these findings provide a reference for the use of these drugs in patients with HCC and T2DM.

Determination of Osimertinib, Aumolertinib, and Furmonertinib in Human Plasma for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by UPLC-MS/MS.

The third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), osimertinib, aumolertinib, and furmonertinib represent a new treatment option for patients with EGFR p.Thr790 Met (T790 M)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Currently, there are no studies reporting the simultaneous quantification of these three drugs. A simple ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitative determination of osimertinib, aumolertinib, and furmonertinib concentrations in human plasma, and it was applied for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Plasma samples were processed using the protein precipitation method (acetonitrile). A positive ion monitoring mode was used for detecting analytes. D3-Sorafenib was utilized as the internal standard (IS), and the mobile phases were acetonitrile (containing 0.1% formic acid) and water with gradient elution on an XSelect HSS XP column (2.1 mm × 100.0 mm, 2.5 µm, Waters, Milford, MA, USA) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL·min-1. The method's selectivity, precision (coefficient of variation of intra-day and inter-day ≤ 6.1%), accuracy (95.8-105.2%), matrix effect (92.3-106.0%), extraction recovery, and stability results were acceptable according to the guidelines. The linear ranges were 5-500 ng·mL-1, 2-500 ng·mL-1, and 0.5-200 ng·mL-1 for osimertinib, aumolertinib, and furmonertinib, respectively. The results show that the method was sensitive, reliable, and simple and that it could be successfully applied to simultaneously determine the osimertinib, aumolertinib, and furmonertinib blood concentrations in patients. These findings support using the method for TDM, potentially reducing the incidence of dosing blindness and adverse effects due to empirical dosing and inter-patient differences.

Influence of schisantherin A on the pharmacokinetics of lenvatinib in rats and its potential mechanism.

Background: Lenvatinib (LEN) is approved as first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Schisantherin A (STA) can exert hepatoprotective and anti-tumor effects. The clinical combination of LEN and STA is very common, especially for patients with advanced HCC, but the effect of STA on the pharmacokinetics of LEN is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of STA on the pharmacokinetics of LEN in rats and explore its potential mechanism. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were orally administered different doses of STA or vehicle control for 7 consecutive days, and 1.2 mg/kg of LEN was given on day 7. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression levels in the intestines and liver were investigated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot. Results: It was revealed that STA increased the oral bioavailability of LEN. The area under the curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of LEN after co-administration with STA (20 mg/kg) increased by 54.3% (3,396.73±989.35 vs. 5,240.03±815.49 µg/L/h) and 54.8% (490.64±124.20 vs. 759.66±152.75 µg/L), respectively. The clearance decreased from 0.38±0.12 to 0.23±0.04 L/h/kg, and the apparent volume of distribution (Vz) decreased from 10.83±3.19 to 6.35±1.38 L/kg in the presence of 20 mg/kg STA. In addition, the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mRNA and protein in the intestines was markedly decreased. Conclusions: This study showed that STA increased the bioavailability of LEN, probably due to inhibition of P-gp in the intestine, thereby increasing systemic absorption of LEN. Thus, there is an interaction between the two drugs, and careful monitoring must be conducted when they are used in combination.

DNA methyltransferase 1 inhibits microRNA-497 and elevates GPRC5A expression to promote chemotherapy resistance and metastasis in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal DNA methylation of tumor suppressor gene promoter has been found in breast cancer. Therefore, the current study set out to explore how DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) affects breast cancer through mediating miR-497/GPRC5A axis. METHODS: After loss and gain-of-function approaches were conducted in MCF-7/ADR and MCF-7 cells, cell viability, IC50 value, invasion, migration and apoptosis were measured, respectively. In addition, drug resistance, metastasis and apoptosis-related protein expression were examined using immunoblotting. ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were carried out to validate relationship among DNMT1, miR-497, and GPRC5RA. Subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice was established to detect effects of DNMT1 on growth and metastasis of breast cancer in vivo. RESULTS: It was found that DNMT1 was notably increased, while miR-497 was poorly-expressed in breast cancer. Highly-expressed DNMT1 could promote chemotherapy resistance and metastasis of breast cancer. Meanwhile, DNMT1 modified methylation of CpG island in miR-497 promoter region, thereby repressing miR-497 level. In addition, miR-497 targeted GPRC5A expression to curb chemotherapy resistance and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Lastly, in vivo experiments showed that knockdown of DNMT1 could suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings indicated that DNMT1 may inhibit miR-497 and boost the expression of GPRC5A through methylation, thus augmenting breast cancer chemotherapy resistance and metastasis, which provides novel mechanistic insight into the unrecognized roles of DNMT1 in breast cancer.

QiShenYiQi pills, a Chinese patent medicine, increase bioavailability of atorvastatin by inhibiting Mrp2 expression in rats.

CONTEXT: Atorvastatin (ATV) and QiShenYiQi pills (QSYQ), a Chinese patent medicine, are often co-prescribed to Chinese cardiovascular patients. The effects of QSYQ on the pharmacokinetics of ATV have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the influence of QSYQ on the pharmacokinetics of ATV and its metabolites upon oral or intravenous administration of ATV to rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 5/group) were pre-treated with oral QSYQ (675 mg/kg) or vehicle control for 7 days and then orally administrated ATV (10 mg/kg) or intravenously administrated ATV (2 mg/kg). Serum concentrations of ATV and metabolites were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Expression of metabolic enzymes and transporters in jejunum and ileum were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: QSYQ resulted in an increase of AUC0-12 h of ATV from 226.67 ± 42.11 to 408.70 ± 161.75 ng/mL/h and of Cmax of ATV from 101.46 ± 26.18 to 198.00 ± 51.69 ng/mL and in an increased of para-hydroxy atorvastatin from 9.07 ± 6.20 to 23.10 ± 8.70 ng/mL in rats administered ATV orally. No change was observed in rats treated intravenously. The expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 mRNA and protein decreased in ileum, and the mRNA of P-glycoprotein decreased in jejunum, though no change in protein expression was found. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: QSYQ increased bioavailability of ATV administered orally through inhibiting the expression of Mrp2 in ileum. Clinicians should pay close attention to potential drug-drug interactions between ATV and QSYQ.

The effects of sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT) 2 inhibitors on hematocrit levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested benefits of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors including improving glycemic control, lower body weight, uric acid-lowering effect and decreasing blood pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on hematocrit (Hct) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Embase, CENTRAL, PubMed and other databases were searched from the establishment of the database through to July 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated with SGLT2 inhibitors were analyzed using the random effects model. Stata 12.0 statistical software was used to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 40 RCTs were included, comprising 21,050 patients. SGLT2 inhibitors resulted in a significant increase in Hct levels compared to patients treated with a placebo (WMD 2.67%, 95% CI, 2.53 to 2.82; P<0.001). Treatment with 2.5, 5, and 10 mg of dapagliflozin significantly increased Hct levels (WMD 1.96%, 2.27%, and 2.47%, respectively; P<0.001). Administration of 100 and 300 mg of canagliflozin also resulted in a significant increase in Hct (WMD 2.91% and 2.94%, respectively; P<0.001). Similarly, empagliflozin, at concentrations of 10 and 25 mg, caused a significant increase in Hct (WMD 3.39% and 3.44%, respectively; P<0.001). However, treatment with ipragliflozin (12.5 and 50 mg) and ertugliflozin (5 and 15 mg) only resulted in a slight increase in patient Hct levels (WMD 1.26% and 1.98%, respectively for ipragliflozin, P>0.05; WMD 2.24% and 2.64%, respectively for ertugliflozin; P>0.05). DISCUSSION: SGLT2 inhibitors, as a class of drugs, increased Hct levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, and this increase was slightly more pronounced at higher doses compared to lower doses. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol of this study has been submitted to the PROSPERO platform (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/), and the registration number is CRD42020200699.

A comprehensive study of the metabolism of flavonoid oroxin B in vivo and in vitro by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

Oroxin B, a flavonoid, is a major bioactive component form Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent. with enormous anti-hepatoma effects. To data, the oroxin B metabolism studies remain underexplored. This study was designed to characterize oroxin B metabolism in vivo and in vitro by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). Consequently, 30 metabolites in rats, 8 metabolites in liver microsomes and 18 metabolites in intestinal bacteria were identified, and 9 metabolites were recognized by comparison with standards. The biotransformation processes involved ketone, acetylation, loss of C12H20O10, and loss of C6H10O5. And baicalein and oroxin A were generated after loss of C12H20O10, and loss of C6H10O5, respectively, and further went through some other reactions, such as oxidation, methylation, internal hydrolysis, hydrogenation, loss of O, ketone, glycine conjugation, glucuronide conjugation and their composite reactions. The results provide valuable evidence for elucidation the potential mechanism of oroxin B pharmacological action, and offer reasonable guidelines for further investigations of oroxin B safety and efficacy.

Quantitative determination of characteristic components from compound of Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim. by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Tuberculosis of cervical lymph nodes is called scrofula in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Clinical manifestation is that unilateral or bilateral neck can have multiple enlarged lymph nodes of different sizes. Current therapeutic drugs include Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim. tablets and compound of Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim., which have a significant effect on tuberculosis of cervical lymph nodes. This compound is composed of three herbs, Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim., Prunella vulgaris L. and Artemisia argyi Levl.et Vant. A selective and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was established and validated in rat plasma for the first time. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Wonda Cract ODS-2 C18 Column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase contained 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile with a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The detection was performed in negative electrospray ionization mode and the precursor/product ion transitions of six components and internal standard (IS) sulfamethoxazole were quantified in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using QTRAP-3200 MS/MS. The method fulfilled US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, precision, matrix effect, extraction recovery, dilution integrity, and stability. This proposed method was then successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of 10 mL/kg compound extracts in rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters and plasma concentration-time profiles would prove valuable in pre-clinical and clinical investigations on the disposition of compound medicine.

Comprehensive Study of the in Vivo and in Vitro Metabolism of Dietary Isoflavone Biochanin A Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

Biochanin A is a dietary isoflavone with multiple biological functions. Owing to a lack of comprehensive studies of biochanin A metabolism, this study was designed to further clarify the processes involved in biochanin A metabolism. In this study, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was utilized to characterize the metabolism of biochanin A in vivo and in vitro. As a result, 43 metabolites in rats, 22 metabolites in liver microsomes, and 18 metabolites in intestinal flora were elucidated, and 5 metabolites were identified by comparison with standards. Oxidation, demethylation, hydrogenation, internal hydrolysis, conjugation (e.g., glucuronidation, sulfonation, glucose conjugation, methylation, and acetylation), and their composite reactions were determined to be major processes involved in biochanin A biotransformation. The results contribute to a better understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of biochanin A and provide a basis for comprehension of the safety and toxicity of biochanin A.

A Complete Study of Farrerol Metabolites Produced in Vivo and in Vitro.

Although farrerol, a characteristically bioactive constituent of Rhododendron dauricum L., exhibits extensive biological and pharmacological activities (e.g., anti-oxidant, anti-immunogenic, and anti-angiogenic) as well as a high drug development potential, its metabolism remains underexplored. Herein, we employed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with multiple data post-processing techniques to rapidly identify farrerol metabolites produced in vivo (in rat blood, bile, urine and feces) and in vitro (in rat liver microsomes). As a result, 42 in vivo metabolites and 15 in vitro metabolites were detected, and farrerol shown to mainly undergo oxidation, reduction, (de)methylation, glucose conjugation, glucuronide conjugation, sulfate conjugation, N-acetylation and N-acetylcysteine conjugation. Thus, this work elaborates the metabolic pathways of farrerol and reveals the potential pharmacodynamics forms of farrerol.

Two Approaches for Evaluating the Effects of Galangin on the Activities and mRNA Expression of Seven CYP450.

Galangin is a marker compound of honey and Alpinia officinarum Hance that exhibits great potential for anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory applications. Galangin is frequently consumed in combination with common clinical drugs. Here, we evaluated the effects of galangin on cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolism, using two different approaches, to predict drug⁻drug interactions. Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered galangin daily for 8 weeks. A "cocktail-probes" approach was employed to evaluate the activities of different CYP450 enzymes. Blood samples of seven probe drugs were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in positive and negative electrospray-ionisation modes. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated to identify statistical differences. CYP mRNA-expression levels were investigated in real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments. The galangin-treated group showed significantly decreased AUC0⁻∞ and Cmax values for CYP1A2, and CYP2B3. The galangin-treated group showed significantly increased AUC0⁻∞ and Cmax values for CYP2C13 and CYP3A1. No significant influences were observed in the pharmacokinetic profiles of CYP2C11, CYP2D4 and CYP2E1. The mRNA-expression results were consistent with the pharmacokinetic results. Thus, CYP450 enzyme activities may be altered by long-term galangin administration, suggesting galangin to be a promising candidate molecule for enhancing oral drug bioavailability and chemoprevention and reversing multidrug resistance.

A Systematic Study of the Metabolites of Dietary Acacetin in Vivo and in Vitro Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS Analysis.

Acacetin, a dietary component, is abundant in acacia honey and has superior anticancer activities. To date, no research on the metabolism of acacetin has been reported. In the current research, an online detection strategy of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography connected to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was utilized for metabolite identification in vivo (rat plasma, bile, urine, and feces) and in vitro (rat liver microsomes). A total of 31 metabolites were structurally characterized in rats, and 25 metabolites were detected in rat liver microsomes, among which, 4 metabolites were compared with standards. Oxidation, the loss of CH2, reduction, hydrolysis, glucuronide conjugation, sulfate conjugation, methylation, and N-acetylation were the main metabolic pathways of acacetin. This study is the first to characterize acacetin metabolites in vivo and in vitro, and the results of this study offer novel and valuable evidence for a comprehensive understanding of the safety and efficacy of acacetin.

Proton pump inhibitor-induced exfoliative dermatitis: A case report.

A 74-year-old female patient was admitted to hospital following a road accident with pains in the chest, abdomen, waist, back, nose, left wrist and lower limbs. After 1 week, the patient presented with gastrointestinal bleeding, and thus was treated with protein pump inhibitors (PPIs), including lansoprazole, esomeprazole and omeprazole enteric-coated tablets, in order to inhibit acid secretion and attenuate bleeding. However, the patient developed skin rashes on the chest and right lower limb and foot 28 days following treatment initiation. The skin rashes spread and ulcerated after 3 days, and were associated with tracheal mucosal injury and hemoptysis. Subsequently, treatment of the patient with PPIs was terminated, after which the tracheal hemoptysis and skin rashes markedly improved. In addition, no new skin rashes appeared following termination of the PPI treatment. In the present case, long-term treatment of an elderly patient with PPIs may have induced exfoliative dermatitis, due to hepatic ischemia, hypoxia and acute renal failure, which may have decreased the metabolism of PPIs, resulting in the accumulation of PPI metabolites.

[Optimization of a floating osmotic pump system of ambroxol hydrochloride using central composite design-response surface methodology and its pharmacokinetics in Beagle dogs].

This paper reported that a new type of floating osmotic pump of ambroxol hydrochloride was designed. Third method apparatus (Chinese Pharmacopeia 2010, appendix XD) was employed to simultaneously evaluate the release and floating behavior in vitro. The system was optimized using central composite design-response surface methodology. Similar factor (f2) between the release profile of self-made formulation and the target release profile was chosen as dependent factor. The amount of glucose (A, mg), pore former (B, %) and weight of coating (C, %) were employed as independent factors. Optimized formulation was: A (100.99 mg), B (1.70%), C (4.21%). The value of f2 (89.14) was higher than that of market capsules (69.02) and self-made tablets (72.15). It was showed that self-made capsules possessed character of zero-order release (r = 0.994 4) and drug release completely (>90%). It was showed in result of in vivo study that tmax and Cmax of self-made capsules were significantly lower than that of market capsules and self-made tablets. The correlation coefficient between the fraction of absorption in vivo and the release rate in vitro was 0.985 1, and relative bioequivalence of self-made capsules was 110.77%. Accordingly, self-made capsules displayed obviously characteristics of controlled release both in vivo and in vitro.