Nano-sized titanium dioxide TiO2 powder was prepared by new wet chemical route from its precursor Titanium (IV) chloride (TiCl4) as precursor with isopropoxy alcohol in presence of nitric acid under ambient condition. Their morphologies, phase compositions and components of the TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron ...

A deep inspiration (DI) produces bronchodilation in healthy individuals. Conversely, in asthmatics, DIs are less effective in producing bronchodilation and can cause more rapid airway renarrowing and even bronchoconstriction in moderate to severe asthmatics. It is noteworthy that the manner by which a DI is able to cause bronchoconstriction via a stretch-activated contraction (R(stretch)) is th...

An array of 16 enantiomeric pairs of chiral phosphate, phosphonate, and phosphinate esters was used to establish the breadth of the stereoselective discrimination inherent within the bacterial phosphotriesterase and 15 mutant enzymes. For each substrate, the leaving group was 4-hydroxyacetophenone while the other two groups attached to the phosphorus core consisted of an asymmetric mixture of m...

Proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)(2) is activated by trypsin-like serine proteinases and has been implicated in intestinal inflammation. However, its role in the regulation of intestinal mucosal function remains unclear. Using the intestinal epithelial cell line, SCBN, we have studied the stimulus-secretion coupling mechanisms of PAR(2)-induced epithelial chloride transport, focusing on cyclo...

8-Isoprostanes are bioactive lipid mediators formed via the nonenzymatic peroxidation of arachidonic acid by free radicals and reactive oxygen species. However, their cognate receptors, biological actions, and signaling pathways are poorly studied. Here, we report the effect of a variety of E- and Falpha-ring 8-isoprostanes on the release of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-...

The present manuscript describes simple, sensitive, rapid, accurate, precise and economical spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous determination of cefpodoxime proxetil and ofloxacin in combined tablet dosage form. The method is based on the simultaneous equations for analysis of both the drugs using methanol as solvent. Cefpodoxime proxetil has absorabance maxima at 236 nm and ofloxaci...

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 agonist, causes airway hyperreactivity through nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Because NF-kappaB induces cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) to increase synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs), including the potent airway anti-inflammatory and smooth muscle relaxant PGE(2), we investigated whether LPS causes short-term PGE(2)-dependent relaxation of mous...

Organophosphate-inhibited cholinesterases can be reactivated by nucleophilic compounds. Sometimes phosphylated (phosphorylated or phosphonylated) cholinesterases become progressively refractory to reactivation; this can result from different reactions. The most frequent process, termed 'aging', involves the dealkylation of an alkoxy group on the phosphyl moiety through a carbocation mechanism. ...

2-Amino-9-(3-acetoxymethyl-4-isopropoxycarbonyloxybut-1-yl)purine (SK1899) was tested as an oral prodrug for penciclovir. SK1899 was administered orally to rats and dogs at doses up to 2 and 0.68 mmol/kg, respectively. SK1899 was well absorbed, and the major metabolites detected in plasma and urine were penciclovir, the active antiviral compound, and 6-deoxypenciclovir (M4) in both species. In ...