Sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of cyclizine and its demethylated metabolite, norcyclizine, in biological fluids using coulometric detection
- Authors: Walker, Roderick B , Kanfer, Isadore
- Date: 1995
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:6452 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006640 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-4347(95)00202-T
- Description: An accurate, sensitive, selective and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic method with coulometric detection for the determination of cyclizine and its inactive demethylated metabolite, norcyclizine, in biological fluids has been developed. The drugs were separated using a custom packed reversed-phase C18 analytical column and phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 3)-acetonitrile (7:3) as mobile phase. The dual electrode coulometric detector was operated in the "oxidative-screen" mode with the upstream electrode (detector 1) set at 0.55 V and the downstream electrode (detector 2) set at 0.90 V. Serum and urine samples were prepared for analysis by solid-phase extraction, followed by a simple phase-separation step. The limit of quantitation was 1 ng/ml for both cyclizine and norcyclizine in serum and urine.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1995
African herbal medicines in the treatment of HIV: Hypoxis and Sutherlandia: an overview of evidence and pharmacology
- Authors: Mills, Edward , Cooper, Curtis , Seely, Dugald , Kanfer, Isadore
- Date: 2005
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6401 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006337
- Description: In Africa, herbal medicines are often used as primary treatment for HIV/AIDS and for HIV-related problems. In general, traditional medicines are not well researched, and are poorly regulated. We review the evidence and safety concerns related to the use of two specific African herbals, which are currently recommended by the Ministry of Health in South Africa and member states for use in HIV: African Potato and Sutherlandia. We review the pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacokinetics of these herbal medicines. Despite the popularity of their use and the support of Ministries of Health and NGOs in some African countries, no clinical trials of efficacy exist, and low-level evidence of harm identifies the potential for drug interactions with antiretroviral drugs. Efforts should be made by mainstream health professionals to provide validated information to traditional healers and patients on the judicious use of herbal remedies. This may reduce harm through failed expectations, pharmacologic adverse events including possible drug/herb interactions and unnecessary added therapeutic costs. Efforts should also be directed at evaluating the possible benefits of natural products in HIV/AIDS treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Evaluation of the proposed FDA pilot-dose response methodology for topical corticosteroid bioequivalence testing
- Authors: Demana, Patrick H , Smith, Eric W , Walker, Roderick B , Haigh, John M , Kanfer, Isadore
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6356 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006047
- Description: The American FDA has recently released a Guidance document for topical corticosteroid bioequivalence testing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the recommendations of this document for appropriateness. The new specifications require a dose-vasoconstriction response estimation by the use of a Minolta chromameter in a preliminary pilot study to determine the parameters for use in a pivotal bioequivalence study. Methods. The visually-assessed human skin blanching assay methodology routinely practiced in our laboratories was modified to comply with the requirements of the pilot study so that visual and chromameter data could be compared. Two different cream formulations, each containing 0.12% betamethasone 17-valerate, were used for this comparison. Results. Visual data showed the expected rank order of AUC values for most dose durations whereas the chromameter data did not show similar results. The expected rank order of AUC values for both chromameter and visual data was not observed at very short dose durations. In fitting the data to pharmacodynamic models, equivalent goodness of fit criteria were obtained when several different parameter estimates were used in the model definition, however the visual data were best described by the sigmoid E[subscript max] model while the chromameter data were best described by the simple E[subscript max] model. Conclusions. The E[subscript max] values predicted by the models were close to the observed values for both data sets and, in addition, excellent correlation between the AUC values and the maximum blanching response (R[subscript max]) (r > 0.95) was noted for both methods of assessment. The chromameter ED[subscript 50] values determined in this study were approximately 2 hours for both preparations. At this dose duration the instrument would not be sensitive enough to distinguish between weak blanching responses and normal skin for bioequivalence assessment purposes.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1997