Clinical evaluation of immunoglobulin-E radioimmunoassay kit

An IgE RIA kit (Sandwich method; Dainabott), is used to obtain the following results. (1) Standard curve: Since the range of reproduction rate show 3.16-7.07% (C.V.), the curve become steep. (2) Incubations under controlled situation: Both of the incubations are controlled at 15-30 degrees C for 2 h. (3) Reproducibility test: Coefficients of variation (C.V.) of intra-assay and inter-assay variation are 2.32-3.94% and 2.92-3.92% respectively. (4) Recovery test: A result of the recovery test range between 100.1-101.7%. (5) Dilution test: Multiple dilution effects are observed. (6) Average counts of the serum IgE for the controlled and diseased groups: The average counts of the serum IgE for the controlled group, atopic diseased group, allergic rhinitis group and allergic bronchial asthma are 144.9 +/- 183.2 IU/ml, 1,099.0 +/- 2,782.4 IU/ml, 1,150.9 +/- 2,063.3 IU/ml and 600.7 +/- 686.4 IU/ml respectively. The value of the diseased groups have tendency to show higher averages than the controlled group. Since the controlled and diseased groups show wide distributions of the serum IgE level, there is no significant difference of two variations. However the diseased groups have tendency to show higher ratio of the serum IgE level in blood than the controlled groups. These basic researches are quite meaningful, because they are able to apply for a supplemental diagnosis of the atopic and parasitic disease.     

Enteric solid dispersion of ciclosporin A (CiA) having potential to deliver CiA into lymphatics

Solid dispersions composed of three components, ciclosporin A (CiA), surfactant (HCO-60) and a pharmaceutical additive, were prepared. As an additive, cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), methacrylic acid and methacrylic acid methylester copolymer (Eudragit L-100) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate (HP-55), which are generally used as enteric coating materials, were employed. The dissolution behavior of CiA from these enteric solid-dispersion system was studied according to the paddle method of JP XI in comparison with that of Sandimmun, an olive oily CiA solution as a reference. Solid dispersion of CiA preparation did not dissolve in the 1st test fluid (pH 1.2) in 2 h. In the 2nd fluid (pH 6.8), about 80% of CiA was dissolved within 12 min, though the dissolution rate was dependent on both the quality and quantity of the additives. An in vivo systemic and lymphatic availability study was performed with rats whose carotid artery and thoracic lymph duct were cannulated. After intrastomach administration of each CiA preparation to rats at a dose of 7 mg/kg, blood and lymph samples were collected for 6 h. One of the HP-55 preparations gave the highest plasma CiA level, Cmax = 0.99 +/- 0.20 (S.E., n = 4) micrograms/ml, and also showed the highest lymphatic availability, the percentage of dose delivered to the lymphatics in 6 h was 1.98 +/- 0.10% and the maximum lymph CiA level was 76.8 +/- 12.86 micrograms/ml. Lymphatic availability of CiA from Sandimmun was 0.78 +/- 0.11% and the peak plasma CiA level was 0.46 +/- 0.10 microgram/ml.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Photo-switchable ion and enzyme sensors. Photoinduced potentiometric response of glassy carbon electrode coated with polymer or polymer/enzyme dual membrane

Photo-switchable ion and enzyme sensors were fabricated by the use of glassy carbon electrode coated with nonactindoped or enzyme modified poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membranes. The ion sensor with nonactin-doped PVC membrane, which contained spirobenzopyran as the photosensitive dye, exhibited a potentiometric photoresponse to NH4+ ion in the solution. The dynamic range of the NH4+ ion sensor was 10(-7)--10(-3) M. Urea, adenosine, and asparagine sensors were prepared by coating the surface of the NH4+-ion sensor with urease, adenosine deaminase, and asparaginase membranes, respectively. These enzyme sensors could be used for determining the substrates at the micro mole level. The performance characteristics of these sensors were compared with those previously prepared membrane electrode sensors.     

Ethynylated N-phenylbenzimidazoles: Synthesis and thermal properties

Three diethynylated bisbenzimidazole prepolymers were synthesized and their polymerization characteristics examined. N-phenyl-substituted diethynylated bisbenzimidazoles melted between 250 and 265°C and had gel times of several seconds to several minutes. In contrast, an N-phenoxyphenyl diethynylated bisbenzimidazole melted at a temperature sufficiently low (ca. 150°C) to provide a 5-min gel time at 170°C and a 4-min gel time at 210°C. This material showed promise as a potential laminating resin and a brief screening of the prepolymer for this application was carried out. The polymers of both N-phenyl- and N-phenoxyphenyl-substituted diethynylated bisbenzimidazoles showed apparent degradation temperatures of 500°C or greater when examined by thermogravimetric analysis.     

Stable and lipophilic technetium-99m dithiosemicarbazone complexes with 5-6-5 membered chelate ring structure

Modification of the chelate ring structure of technetium-99m (99mTc) dithiosemicarbazone (DTS) chelate was carried out in pursuit of a more stable and lipophilic compound. A new DTS chelating molecule, pentane-2,4-dione bis(N-methylthiosemicarbazone) (PETS), with a 5-6-5 membered chelate ring structure, was synthesized and labeled with 99mTc, PETS generated two 99mTc compounds as major products. Both had much higher stability and lipophilicity than a 5-5-5 membered 99mTc DTS compound, as well as great stability in plasma. Both 99mTc-PETS compounds were rapidly extracted by the brain and heart when injected into mice. Thus, the modified chelate ring structure afforded a preferable characteristics to DTS chelate as for the chelating site for technetium radiopharmaceuticals.     

Solution-phase synthesis of alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP)

Alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP) was synthesized by assembling six peptide fragments in solution followed by deprotection with HF and subsequent air-oxidation. The trimethylbenzyl group was employed as an S-protecting group of cysteine. The HF-dimethylselenide-m-cresol system was employed as a final deprotecting reagent and, at the same time, as a reducing reagent of Met(O). Synthetic alpha-hANP elicited potent diuretic and natriuretic activity in rats.     

Nitration and amination of polyphenylene oxide: Synthesis, gas sorption and permeation analysis

A high degree of nitration of polyphenylene oxide (PPO) was successfully achieved by carefully optimizing synthetic protocol. The reduction of nitro group to amino could be done quantitatively. The physical properties of formed polymers were investigated and correlated with gas sorption and permeation properties. The formed polymers were amorphous in nature as revealed by wide angle X-ray diffraction spectra. An increase in the packing density in comparison to unsubstituted PPO as a result of induced polarity was indicated by lowering of fractional free volume and d-spacing. The substitution by either nitro or amino group increased the chain stiffness as revealed by the dynamic mechanical analysis. Though both, nitro and amino group substitution on PPO led to a decrease in pure gas permeability, the selectivity of various gas pairs was increased by these substitutions. The gas sorption analysis revealed that both, solubility selectivity and diffusivity selectivity were increased by these polar group substitutions. The nitro group substitution was more effective in improving solubility selectivity, while amino group substitution was more effective in improving diffusivity selectivity.     

A new reforming process based on CH4 decomposition using a hydrogen-permeating membrane reactor

A new reforming process was studied using Ni/SiO₂ with a hydrogen-permeating membrane reactor. Nickel catalyst supported on SiO₂ is highly active for CH₄?H₂O?O₂ reaction in membrane reactor and the reaction close to CH₄+0.35O₂+1.3H₂O→CO₂+3.3H₂ proceeds at 873 K. Since the selectivity to carbon and CO₂ increased and decreased with decreasing contact time respectively, it is considered that the reaction was started by decomposition of CH₄ followed by oxidation of C and water shift reaction. Therefore, the reaction mechanism was different from so-called autothermal reforming (ATR) reaction.     

Effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces

The in vitro adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces is affected by both the composition of the surfactant preparations and the conditions under which the assessment is conducted. Relevant experimental conditions are surfactant concentration, temperature, subphase pH, electrolyte concentration, humidity, and gas composition of the atmosphere exposed to the interface. The effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of a therapeutic lung surfactant preparation, bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), was studied by measuring the dynamic surface tension (DST). Axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) was used in conjunction with three different experimental methodologies, i.e., captive bubble (CB), pendant drop (PD), and constrained sessile drop (CSD), to measure the DST. The experimental results obtained from these three methodologies show that for 100% relative humidity (RH) at 37 degrees C the rate of adsorption of BLES at an air-water interface is substantially slower than for low humidity. It is also found that there is a difference in the rate of surface tension decrease measured from the PD and CB/CSD methods. These experimental results agree well with an adsorption model that considers the combined effects of entropic force, electrostatic interaction, and gravity. These findings have implications for the development and evaluation of new formulations for surfactant replacement therapy.     

Determination of phenols in soil by supercritical fluid extraction-capillary electrochromatography

A new analytical procedure is developed to couple supercritical fluid extraction with capillary electrochromatography (SFE-CEC) to extract and determine phenols in soil. Ten phenols consisting of phenol, methylphenols (p-cresol and o-cresol), dimethylphenols (3,5-xylenol, 3,4-xylenol and 2,6-xylenol), trimethylphenol, ethylphenols (p-ethylphenol and o-ethylphenol), and o-isopropylphenol are investigated. The use of supercritical CO2 with 10% methanol as the organic modifier was found to give satisfactory extraction of alkylphenols from soil at 1200 p.s.i. and 50 degrees C for 45 min under a total extractant flow-rate of 0.2 ml/min (1 p.s.i.=6894.76 Pa). Baseline resolution was achieved for the 10 selected phenols under optimised CEC conditions at 20 kV in a mobile phase of acetonitrile-4 mM Tris, pH 7.0 (35:65) in a 45 cm (25 cm packed with 3 microm ODS) x 75 microm I.D. fused-silica capillary column. Using SFE with a 10-fold preconcentration factor, all alkyl-substituted phenols in soil can be determined with detection limits ranging from 0.0032 to 0.014 mg/kg and working range from 0.019 to 2.72 mg/kg. The SFE-CEC procedure developed has been applied successfully to determine phenols extracted from real soil sample contaminated with medical disinfectant. It will provide a rapid method for the direct determination of phenol and alkyl-substituted phenol in soils, with capability for confirmation of unknown peaks.