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Biomedical subjects

S Saraf

Publications and source records attributed to S Saraf.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Prolonged responses after autologous stem cell transplantation in African-American patients with multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) has a double incidence in African-American (AA) than in non-AA patients and previous studies have shown a higher mortality in the former patient population. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the results of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in 38 AA and 32 non-AA consecutive patients. The two groups were comparable at diagnosis for age, stage of the disease, cytogenetic abnormalities, beta(2) microglobulin and albumin blood levels, and plasma cell marrow infiltration. The rates of complete and partial response observed in AA and non-AA patients after induction chemotherapy (9 and 42 vs 13 and 33%) and at 2 months (31 and 25 vs 30 and 20%) following ASCT were similar. At 6 months after ASCT, a greater relapse rate was observed in non-AA patients (P=0.009). At a median follow-up of 26 months, AA patients had a greater event-free survival (P=0.02) than non-AA patients, whereas overall survival was comparable in the two groups. The initial finding that AA patients with MM, compared to non-AA patients, had more prolonged responses and comparable survival after ASCT suggests that intensified chemotherapy is equally effective in patients of various ethnicities.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Nanocarriers: promising vehicle for bioactive drugs.

Development of new delivery systems that deliver the potential drug specifically to the target site in order to meet the therapeutic needs of the patients at the required time and level remains the key challenge in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology. Developments in this context to achieve desired goal has led to the evolution of the multidisciplinary field nanobiotechnology which involves the combination of two most promising technologies of 21st century--biotechnology and nanotechnology. Nanobiotechnology encompasses a wide array of different techniques to improve the delivery of biotech drugs, and nanoparticles offer the most suitable form whose properties can be tailored by chemical methods. This review highlights the different types of nanoparticulate delivery systems employed for biotech drugs in the field of molecular medicine with a short overlook at its applications and the probable associated drawbacks.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Effect of processing variables on micro particulate system of aceclofenac.

Microparticulate systems of aceclofenac were prepared by modified solvent evaporation method using different variables such as polymer (cellulose acetate): drug ratios (1:9, 1:6, 1:3, and 1:1), agitation speeds (500-1,500 rpm) and stirring time (5-15 min). The effects of processing variables were evaluated by microparticle size and entrapment efficiency. The average microparticle size increases from 80.2+/-1.45 to 97.3+/-2.06 microm with increase in the polymer concentration while reduces with increase in agitation speed and stirring time; and at the higher speed gives irregular shape of particles. The highest entrapment efficiency, size uniformity, angle of repose (23.6+/-0.3 degree) and compressibility index (13.8+/-0.7%) of microparticles were found with 1:6 (polymer: drug ratio), at 1,000 rpm and 10 min stirring time among all microparticles. The in-vitro drug release study was carried out with prepared microcapsules (AC-1 to AC-4) of various polymer concentrations and optimized processing variables and compared with conventional and SR tablets. The conventional tablet and SR tablet releases maximum drug within 3 and 6h respectively while microparticulate system releases more than 12h. All formulations followed first order release kinetic and diffusion controlled drug release.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed2006

In-vitro studies of tizanidine controlled-release microcapsular matrices.

Oral microencapsulated controlled release preparations of tizanidine (TIZ) were tried. The designed system is able to maintain plasma concentration without the need of frequent dosing and reduce side effects unlike in case of conventional dosage form. Microcapsules were prepared by modified solvent evaporation technique using different proportions of cellulose acetate. The microcapsules (TIZ1, TIZ2 and TIZ3) were compressed in to tablets (T-TIZ1, T-TIZ2 and T-TIZ3) for oral delivery. The prepared microcapsules were white, free flowing and spherical in shape with the particle size varying from 175.92 +/- 9.82 to 194.94 +/- 14.28 mu. The t60% of TIZ release from microcapsules was found to be 2.39+/-0.6, 3.39+/-0.6 and 4.55+/-0.8 h respectively for formulation TIZ1, TIZ2 and TIZ3 while their tablets i.e., T-TIZ1, T-TIZ2, T-TIZ3 and marketed SR were in 5.28+/-1.5, 6.86+/-0.6, 8.25 +/-0.6 and 3.75+/-1.20 h respectively indicating more extension of time in tablet than microcapsules. The mechanism of drug release from tizanidine microcapsules and their tablets were studied by using Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models. The r-value for TIZ1, TIZ2 and TIZ3 indicates diffusion controlled with first order kinetic. The value of exponent coefficient (n) for T-TIZ1, T-TIZ2 and T-TIZ3 were found to be 0.844, 0.901 and 0.914 indicating anamolous, case-II and case-II transport release mechanism respectively.

Capsules↗
PubMed2004

Hypolipidemic activity of seeds of Cassia tora Linn.

Ethanolic extract of seeds of Cassia tora L. and its fractions were investigated for hypolipidemic activity on triton induced hyperlipidemic profile. Ethanolic extract and its ether soluble and water soluble fraction decreased serum level of total cholesterol by 42.07, 40.77 and 71.25%, respectively. On the other hand ethanolic extract, ether soluble fraction and water soluble fraction increased the serum HDL-cholesterol level by 6.72, 17.20 and 19.18%, respectively. Ethanolic extract, ether fraction and water fraction decreased triglyceride level by 26.84, 35.74 and 38.46%, respectively. The reduction in LDL-cholesterol level by ethanolic extract, ether soluble fraction and water soluble fraction were 69.25, 72.06 and 76.12%, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis affecting medium and small sized arteries. The diagnosis is based entirely on recognition of a typical sequence of clinical features. Detection of any one clinical feature does not have any diagnostic significance. We report an uncommon case of Kawasaki disease in 10 months old male child with the analysis of its natural history, etiopathology, treatment and prognosis of the disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed2001

GB syndrome with herpes simplex infection.

G.B. Syndrome is an acute flaccid lower motor neuron (LMN) paralysis. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, course of illness with supportive investigations. This article reports an uncommon case of GB Syndrome caused by HSV infection in a 2 yr-9 mth-old child and have analysed the natural history, etiopathology, treatment and prognosis of the disease.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1992

Microdosimetry for boron neutron capture therapy.

Preclinical studies for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using epithermal neutrons are ongoing at several laboratories. The absorbed dose in tumor cells is a function of the thermal neutron flux at depth, the microscopic boron concentration, and the size of the cell. Dosimetry is therefore complicated by the admixture of thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons, plus gamma rays, and the array of secondary high-linear-energy-transfer particles produced within the patient from neutron interactions. Microdosimetry can be a viable technique for determining absorbed dose and radiation quality. A 2.5-cm-diameter tissue-equivalent gas proportional counter has been built with 50 parts per million (ppm) 10B incorporated into the walls and counting gas to simulate the boron uptake anticipated in tumors. Measurements of lineal energy (y) spectra for BNCT in simulated volumes of 1-10 microns diameter show a dose enhancement factor of 4.3 for 30 ppm boron, and a "y" of 250 keV/microns for the boron capture process. Chamber design plus details of experimental and calculated linear energy spectra will be presented.

Boron↗
PubMed1992

Boron neutron capture therapy of anterior chamber melanoma with p-boronophenylalanine.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a form of radiation therapy that requires selective uptake of boron by the tumor and irradiation with thermal neutrons. Phenylalanine is an amino acid precursor of melanin and when boronated (p-boronophenylalanine [BPA]) was found to be selectively taken up by Greene melanoma cells in the anterior chamber of rabbits. This tumor model was irradiated 24 hr after oral administration of BPA and was used for biodistribution studies that compared BPA and sodium pentaborate. Three groups were irradiated: group 1 (11 rabbits) received BPA followed by thermal neutron irradiation, group 2 (9 rabbits) received thermal neutron irradiation only, and group 3 (9 rabbits) served as unirradiated, undrugged control animals. Eight of the 11 tumors in group 1 were treated successfully; all tumors in groups 2 and 3 grew. Histopathologic examination did not reveal vascular or retina damage in group 1. These preliminary experiments confirm that newer boronated compounds, such as BPA, used in BNCT and improved neutron beams can provide selective irradiation of ocular melanomas.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1973

Maintenance of normal corneal thickness in the cold in vivo (hibernation) as opposed to in vitro.

1. Corneal thickness was measured in vivo in normothermic and hibernating (body temperature = 7-10 degrees C) woodchucks and the [Na(+)], [K(+)], [Mg(2+)] and water content of woodchuck and rabbit corneas were determined on freshly isolated tissues.2. Woodchuck eyes from both normothermic and hibernating animals were incubated in moist chambers at 5 or 11 degrees C and the corneal thickness was measured periodically.3. Woodchuck corneas undergo continuous swelling when kept in vitro in a moist chamber at either 5 or 11 degrees C. The rate of this swelling was the same for eyes from active and hibernating animals; it was almost completely reversible upon rewarming at 35 degrees C.4. In the hibernating woodchuck the corneal thickness did not increase measurably, even after several days of hibernation, although the mean corneal temperature was 9.4 degrees C.5. At 7 degrees C, the lactate production of corneas from both hibernating and normothermic woodchucks was reduced to about one fifth its levels measured at 37 degrees C. Oxygen consumption was also greatly reduced in the cold although the endothelial O(2) consumption of corneas from hibernating woodchucks appears to be relatively insensitive to cold.6. It is concluded that removal of the eye and/or the in vitro conditions per se render the cornea more vulnerable to the effects of cold, possibly as a result of the elimination of the influences of orbital tissues and/or secretions or as a result of changes in some intrinsic properties of the cornea due to the elimination of neurohumoural factors or the release of autocoids.7. The finding that normal corneal thickness can be maintained under conditions where the environment is maintained essentially constant for days strongly argues against the validity of the recently proposed nonsteady-state theory of corneal thickness control.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Myoepithelioma. A case report.

A rare case of oral myoepithelioma is reported. The tumour was composed of plasmacytoid type of myoepithelial cells. These plasmacytoid cells or hyaline cells exhibited a diffuse positivity for pancytokeratin, S-100 and vimentin in their cytoplasm. Studies have to be performed in order to find out whether the myoepithelial cells M.E. of plasmacytoid type are true M.E. cells of not.

Adult↗