The relationship between home-based physical activity and general well-being among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediation effect of self-esteem.

This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between home-based physical activity and the general well-being of university students. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted on 311 Chinese university students using the Physical Activity Rating Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and General Well-Being Scale. The influence of home-based physical activity on self-esteem and general well-being in Chinese university students was explored using a one-way ANOVA analysis of variance. The mediating model was tested with regression analysis to determine the mediating effects of self-esteem between home-based physical activity and general well-being among Chinese university students during COVID-19. The amount of home-based physical activity had a significant effect on the general well-being (F = 3.46, P < 0.05) and self-esteem (F = 6.99, P < 0.01) of university students. The study found that self-esteem had a full mediation (T = 4.445, P < 0.001) between medium and large amounts of home-based physical activity and general well-being among university students, accounting for 32.5% of the total effect. The study concluded that self-esteem mediated the relationship between home-based physical activity and general well-being in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings in this study highlight the importance of home-based physical activity in increasing the general well-being of university students during the pandemic.

Design and evaluation of an economic taste-masked dispersible tablet of pyridostigmine bromide, a highly soluble drug with an extremely bitter taste.

Pyridostigmine bromide (PTB) is a highly soluble and extremely bitter drug. Here, an economic complexation technology combined with direct tablet compression method has been developed to meet the requirements of a patient friendly dosage known as taste-masked dispersible tablets loaded PTB (TPDPTs): (1) TPDPTs should have optimal disintegration and good physical resistance (hardness); (2) a low-cost, simple but practical preparation method suitable for industrial production is preferred from a cost perspective. Physicochemical properties of the inclusion complex of PTB with beta-cyclodextrin were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and UV spectroscopy. An orthogonal design was chosen to properly formulate TPDPTs. All volunteers regarded acceptable bitterness of TPDPTs. The properties including disintegration time, weight variation, friability, hardness, dispersible uniformity and drug content of TPDPTs were evaluated. The dissolution profile of TPDPTs in distilled water exhibited a fast rate. Pharmacokinetic results demonstrated that TPDPTs and the commercial tablets were bioequivalent.

Uricase from Bacillus fastidious loaded in alkaline enzymosomes: enhanced biochemical and pharmacological characteristics in hypouricemic rats.

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of a novel alkaline enzymosome to deliver uricase from Bacillus fastidious (UBF) and enhance its biochemical and pharmacological characteristics. The in vitro catalytic activity of the UBF loaded in the novel alkaline enzymosomes (ESUBFs) was almost 3.8 times that of free UBF at the optimum pH or 1.5 times that of free UBF at the physiological pH. Following intravenous (i.v.) administration (2000 mU/kg) in rats, ESUBFs provided significantly higher (22.5-fold) area under the plasma concentration (AUC) and longer (8.2-fold) circulation half-life (t(1/2)) compared with free UBF, respectively. Further, it took only 4.5h (or 1.1h) for ESUBFs to lower the plasma uric acid concentration from a high level to the normal level of rat (or human beings), compared with 7.6h (or 5.4h) for free UBF. Our results showed that ESUBFs could efficiently deliver UBF and favorably modify its biochemical and pharmacological characteristics by increasing the AUC, t(1/2), and catalytic activity. Therefore, ESUBFs might be a preferred alternative to cure hyperuricemia and gout.

Preparation of konjac glucomannan-based pulsatile capsule for colonic drug delivery system and its evaluation in vitro and in vivo.

The current study aims to develop and evaluate a colon-specific, pulsatile drug delivery system based on an impermeable capsule. A pulsatile capsule was prepared by sealing a 5-aminosalicylic acid rapid-disintegrating tablet inside an impermeable capsule body with a konjac glucomannan (KGM)-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-lactose plug. The drug delivery system showed a typical pulsatile release profile with a lag time followed by a rapid release phase. The lag time was determined by the KGM/HPMC/lactose ratio, the type of HPMC, and the plug weight. The addition of ß-glucanase and rat cecal contents into the release medium shortened the lag time significantly, which predicted the probable enzyme sensitivity of the KGM plug. The in vivo studies show that the plasma drug concentration can only be detected 5h after oral administration of the capsule, which indirectly proves the colon-specific characteristics. These results indicate that the pulsatile capsule may have therapeutic potential for colon-specific drug delivery.

The effect of tetramethylpyrazine on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Tetramethylpyrazine has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. The underlying mechanism of cardioprotective effects, however, remains to be elucidated. Here, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we have assessed the protective effect of tetramethylpyrazine on H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage. After pre-incubation with tetramethylpyrazine (50, 100 and 150 microg/ml) for 24 hr., viability loss in H(2)O(2)-induced HUVECs (76.5% of the control level, p < 0.05, at 400 microM of H(2)O(2) for 12 hr.) was restored in a concentration-dependent manner, and the maximal recovery (88.7% of the control level, p < 0.05) was achieved with tetramethylpyrazine at 150 microg/ml. The production of reactive oxygen species was suppressed by measuring fluorescent intensity of 2',7'-dichorofluorescein (83.1% of the H(2)O(2)-treated group, p < 0.05, at 150 microg/ml of tetramethylpyrazine). Tetramethylpyrazine also increased activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (144.1% and 118.3% of the H(2)O(2)-treated group, respectively, p < 0.05, at 150 microg/ml of tetramethylpyrazine). In addition, tetramethylpyrazine reduced levels of malonaldehyde, intracellular nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase (83.8%, 91.2% and 78.7% of the H(2)O(2)-treated group, respectively, p < 0.05, at 150 microg/ml of tetramethylpyrazine). Furthermore, pre-incubation of tetramethylpyrazine with HUVECs for 24 hr. resulted in reduction of apoptosis and removal of cell cycle arrest in the S phase (56.6% and 59.7% of the H(2)O(2)-treated group, respectively, p < 0.01, at 150 microg/ml of tetramethylpyrazine). Altogether, these results suggest that tetramethylpyrazine has a protective effect on H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage in HUVECs due to its antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties.

[Study on allergenicity of fresh HAM for type I hypersensitivity].

To investigate whether human amniotic membrane (HAM) preparations have the possibility to type I hypersensitivity and its allergenicity. In systemic active allergic test model, 30 guinea pigs were equally divided into three groups. Each 10 guinea pigs were immunized with fresh HAM homogenate, albumen solution (positive control) and PBS (negative control). After the animals were stimulated with corresponding allergen, observe their reaction till dying or 3 h, then obtain blood samples, to determine blood histamine concentrations using chemical fluorometry and four hemorheologic markers by hemorheology analysis system. The guinea pigs responded to fresh HAM homogenate in almost the same manner as to PBS, and no obvious allergic reaction was observed in the animals except those in positive control group. The blood histamine concentration and four hemorheologic markers showed no significant differences between HAM and PBS (P > 0.05), both were much lower than positive control group (P < 0.01). Fresh HAM won't lead to type I hypersensitivity for lack of allergen performance.