Search

Takayasu arteritis, also called pulseless disease, is the chronic inflammation of the vessels, mainly the aorta and large vessels. It mainly affects females more than males with the ratio of 2.15:1 and in the second and third decade of life. Mechanism may be transmural fibrous thickening of the arterial walls. Takayasu’s is characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the vessel wall, leading to occlusion of the vessel wall. It is represented with claudication, fever, arthralgia. Clinical features are chest pain, vascular bruits, Hypertension. Investigation is based on angiography and CT scan. Medical treatment prednisolone is the first line agent 1mg/kg/day maximum dose is 60mg/day with gradual tapering as per European league against rheumatism guidelines, methotrexate and azathioprine are for inducing remission of arterial lesions, tumour necrosis factor-a antagonists, anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody like tocilizumab. Surgical treatment is angioplasty and stenting renal artery stenosis but less invasive and safest method is percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Takayasu arteritis might be associated with Tuberculosis, yet, the relationship and mechanism are not clearly understood. Here we report a case of Takayasu arteritis associated with tuberculosis.

The objective of the study was to develop silver nanoparticles loaded with Ketoprofen (Ag-KP) for increasing the drug solubility and thereby its bioavailability. Ag-KP were prepared by the solvent evaporation method using β-Cyclodextrin as a biodegradable polymer. Different formulations of Ag-KP were characterized for the drug entrapment efficiency, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in-vitro dissolution studies. The optimized formulation (F6) has shown an average particle size of 167.8 ± 3.46 nm,zeta potential of -23.7 ± 1.46 mV. FTIR revealed that the drug showed good excipient compatibility. XRD studies showed that the drug has changed from crystalline to amorphous state. In all formulations, F6 formulation (optimized) exhibited high drug entrapment efficiency (∼93%). SEM studies indicated the shape of Ag-KP was roughly spherical with smooth surface. In vitro dissolution studies showed that Ag-KP from F6 formulation was 94.3 ± 4.9% but for the marketed formulation, it is only 84.6 ± 3.7% in 12 hours and F6 was found to be found stable for three months at both refrigerated and room temperature (RT).

Background: Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) was designed to sustain the release and improve the bioavailability of drug and patient compliance. Among the various types of transdermal patches, matrix dispersion type systems disperse the drug in the solvent along with the polymers and solvent is allowed to evaporate forming a homogeneous drug-polymer matrix. The objective of the present study was to design and formulate TDDS of topiramate (TPM) and to evaluate their extended release in vitro and ex vivo. Materials and Methods: In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop a matrix-type transdermal therapeutic system comprising TPM with different ratios of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymeric combinations using solvent casting technique. Results: The physicochemical compatibility of the drug and the polymers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results obtained showed no physical-chemical incompatibility between the drug and the polymers. The patches were further subjected to various physical evaluations along with the ex vivo permeation studies using pig ear skin. Conclusions: On the basis of results obtained from the physical evaluation and ex vivo studies the patches containing the polymers, that is, Eudragit L 100 and polyvinylpyrrolidone, with oleic acid as the penetration enhancer were considered as the best formulations for the transdermal delivery of TPM.

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is a widely distributed housekeeping enzyme in mammals that catalyzes the last two steps in human purine catabolism to produce uric acid. The enzyme exists as a homodimer with independent electron transfer in each monomer. This has been studied extensively as a major constituent of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) which surrounds fat globules in cow's milk even though purine catabolism is the most accepted function of XOR. A huge number of literature highlights on the different catalytic forms of XOR and their importance in the generation of reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and synthesis of uric acid which are involved in many physiological and pathological processes. However, a slight ambiguity resides in their biochemical functions. The aim of this article was to review the literature published on the structural, catalytical, physiological and pathological role of XOR and to resolve the ambiguity in biochemical processes and to firm up various natural inhibitors of XOR collectively. Uric acid, the product of purine catabolism shows antioxidant activity, and XOR-derived ROS and RNS play a role in innate immunity, milk secretion and also be involved in signaling and metabolism of xenobiotics. Furthermore, XOR is likely to be engaged in pathology because of excessive production of uric acid and ROS/RNS. This review also reports natural XOR inhibitors in plants which inhibit the enzyme to treat XOR associated pathology.