Purpose. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the utility of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for the in vitro quantification of econazole nitrate (EN) and 4-cyanophenol (4-CP) in hairless guinea pig skin. Methods. NIR spectra were collected from each of the following: EN and 4-CP powders, EN and 4-CP in solution, and skin samples following topical exposure to either 4-CP in water or EN...

BACKGROUND Oleic acid is the principal fatty acid of olive oil composition and is reported to play a crucial role in its healthy aspects. However, the detailed mechanism of action is poorly understood. AIMS This study aims to elucidate the role of oleic acid in calcium signaling in rat thymocytes, in comparison to linoleic and linolenic acid. METHODS Fatty acids were applied to thymocytes i...

NPC15199 is a synthesized compound that inhibits inflammation in some models. However, whether NPC15199 affects Ca²⁺ homeostasis in human gastric cancer is unclear. This study examined the effect of NPC15199 on cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentrations ([Ca²⁺]i) and viability in SCM1 human gastric cancer cells. The Ca²⁺-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 was used to measure [Ca²⁺]i. NPC15199 evoked [Ca²...

Aerosol drugs dominate a significant share of pharmaceutical preparations on the market. A novel sensitive method utilizing nano extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nanoEESI-MS) has been developed for the rapid analysis of aerosol drug samples with quantitative information. Without any sample pretreatment, aerosol drugs were manually sprayed into the primary ion plume created ...

Treatment of various cells with combinations of agents that increase either cAMP or cytosolic calcium can lead to synergistic responses. This study examined interactions, or cross-talk, between these two intracellular messengers and its implication for signaling in two secretory cell types, T84 human colonic epithelial cells and rat pancreatic acinar cells. T84 cell chloride secretion was measu...

The genome sequence of Mycobacterium leprae revealed a single open reading frame, ML2088 (CYP164A1), encoding a putative full-length cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and 12 pseudogenes. We have identified a homolog of ML2088 in Mycobacterium smegmatis and report here the cloning, expression, purification, and azole-binding characteristics of this cytochrome P450 (CYP164A2). CYP164A2 is 1,245 bp lo...

Mr Massae (not his real name) is a forty-eight year old farmer who recently presented at a tertiary ophthalmology unit in Tanzania with a three-week long history of pain, purulent discharge, and loss of vision in the left eye. Several days after the onset, he had received treatment from his local health centre (chloroamphenicol drops), but his eye continued to get worse. At presentation, he had...

Thymol is a natural essential oil present in many plants and has many different effects in various cell types. However, the effect of thymol on the physiology of MDCK renal tubular cells is unknown. The action of the phytochemical thymol on cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentrations ([Ca²⁺]i) and apoptosis in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) renal tubular cells was explored. Fura-2, a Ca²⁺-sensitive fluores...

Thymol is a phenolic compound that affects physiology in different cell models. However, whether thymol affects Ca²⁺ homeostasis in prostate cancer cells is unknown. The action of this compound on cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentrations ([Ca²⁺]i) and viability in PC3 human prostate cancer cells was explored. The results show that thymol at concentrations of 100-1500 μM caused [Ca²⁺]i rises in a concentra...

Antifungal drugs are the most common systemic drugs used for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis, which is the first symptom of HIV infection. However, the efficacy and bioavailability of these drugs have been limited by their poor aqueous solubility and dissolution rate. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different preparation methods (i.e. kneading, coeva...