Comparative study between the effect of neural versus intra-articular dextrose prolotherapy on pain and disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease which presents with joint pain and stiffness and reduced mobility. Knee OA is the commonest cause of disability in adults. Dextrose prolotherapy is a new option used to treat mild-to-moderate knee OA. Neural prolotherapy (NPT) is multiple small injections under the skin targeting painful areas with natural substances. The aim of work was to evaluate and compare neural prolotherapy versus intra-articular dextrose prolotherapy effect on relieving pain and improving disability of knee OA. Results VAS and WOMAC scores improved significantly immediately and at 3 and at 6 months, respectively, in group I compared with group II (P < 0.001). The decrease in VAS scores and all the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores in group I along the follow-up period in comparison with the baseline scores was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In group II, only WOMAC pain and stiffness scores improved significantly. ROM showed insignificant increase in both groups at 3 and 6 months assessment. On follow-up, range of motion increased in both groups and reached significance in group I (P = .002). Conclusion Dextrose prolotherapy both intra-articular and periarticular (neural) is a very effective and cheap therapy for knee OA with good patient selection. Neural prolotherapy significantly relieves pain and improves function in patients with knee osteoarthritis when compared with intra-articular prolotherapy thus avoiding hazards of intra-articular knee injections.

Characterization of Soluplus/ASC-DP Nanoparticles Encapsulated with Minoxidil for Skin Targeting

Soluplus (Sol) is an amphiphilic graft copolymer capable of forming self-assembled micelles and L-ascorbyl 2,6-dipalmitate (ASC-DP) aggregates spontaneously to form micelles. Micelles are used as drug carriers and can nanoparticulate drugs that are poorly soluble in water, such as minoxidil. The study aimed to prepare minoxidil-encapsulated nanoparticles using Sol/ASC-DP and evaluate their potential for targeted skin application. Sol/ASC-DP nanoparticles or Sol/ASC-DP with minoxidil were prepared using the hydration method, and physical evaluations were carried out, including assessments of particle size and zeta potential. Particle structure was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra to assess particle stability and perform functional evaluations in skin penetration tests. TEM images showed spherical micelle-like particles of approximately 100 nm for Sol/ASC-DP at a 9:1 ratio and of approximately 80 nm for Sol/ASC-DP with incorporated minoxidil at a 9:1:0.5 ratio. Changes were also observed in the solid state, suggesting a hydrophobic interaction between Sol and ASC-DP. In addition, evaporated microparticles (Sol/ASC-DP/minoxidil = 9/1/0.5) improved the skin permeability of minoxidil. These results suggest that Sol/ASC-DP nanoparticles form a stable new nanoparticle due to hydrophobic interactions, which would improve the skin permeability of minoxidil.

In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicity Assessment of Metallic Nanoparticulate Systems for Skin Targeting

: In the recent decades, nanoscience and nanotechnology have played a revolutionary role in the therapeutic domain. Manipulation of atoms and molecules at the nanometric scale endows bio-materials with specific physicochemical properties. Skin being the largest organ of human body and an extensively exploited route for drug delivery is one of the primary sites for the exposure to nanoparticulate matter. Skin care products and cosmetics also constitute a major source of exposure to metallic nanoparticles. Metallic nanoparticles are widely used for therapeutic, diagnostic and cosmetic purposes. The potential risks associated with their use in modern medicine are a subject of extensive research. The present article aims to discuss the toxicity concerns associated with the use of metallic nanoparticles in dermatological products, and provide an overview of their in vitro and in vivo methods of nanotoxicity assessment, as per OECD guidelines. It also presents a concise account of the lacunae in the existing guideline, which need to be addressed in order to adapt the prescribed tests to testing of nanoparticles. The review also gives an insight into the gaps in the in vitro- in vivo correlation of data furnished by various research groups. It provides a glimpse of important regulatory aspects applicable to the evaluation of topically applied nanoparticulate systems. In the end, it discusses the challenges and future perspectives in order to strengthen the scientific investigations in this domain.

Formulation and in-vitro evaluation of a transdermal patch loaded with letrozole

The prime objective behind this investigation was to plan a Letrozole enclosed adhesive transdermal patch; since the transdermal route is an outright attractive option concerning its route, convenience and safety. Letrozole, a non-steroidal type II aromatase inhibitor, is reported for treating breast tumours and in postmenopausal women. In this study, few factors confined to formulation such as drug-in-adhesive, enhancers and amount of drug-loaded were investigated. The procedure used supposedly involves, the incarnation of the LET in phospholipids exploiting to a spray dryer. FTIR, X-RD, and DSC techniques which are used to evaluate entrapment efficiency were employed to LET spray-dried powder (LT-SDP). The molecule size, polydispersity file, and the EE were allegedly found to be 284.0 nm, 0.247 and 59.08%. On adding LT-SDP to a cream base with peppermint and olive oil as regular infiltration, the optimized formulation showed superior skin targeting in both in vitro and in vivo observations post-study.In vivo bioavailability studies showed just about four-fold increment in the plasma whereas the mean residence time and half-life were reasonably higher as compared to the LET cream in plain. The in vivo results observed remarkable patch concurrence with the plasma fixations anticipated from the in vitro infiltration. As an outpatient convenience, avoidance of gastrointestinal incompatibility provides suitability for self-administration for breast cancer prevention and treatment.

Development of nanoemulsions containing penciclovir for herpes simplex treatment and a liquid chromatographic method to drug assessment in porcine skin layers

A successful formulation (penciclovir hydrogel nanoemulsion - HN) to be used in transdermal drug delivery route to treat herpes simplex virus was developed and an analytical method to quantify penciclovir (PCV) in porcine ear skin was stablished and validated. PCV nanoemulsions were prepared by high pressure homogenization and presented spherical mean droplet size 180 nm. The association efficiency and zeta potential were 87% and– 27 mV, respectively. The bioanalytical method developed showed specificity for the interferences from the skin matrixes (epidermis and dermis) and the linearity was in the range 0.1 – 25 μg/mL of drug, The mean recovery data for the three levels tested were 95.2% for the epidermis and 97.3% for the dermis and adequate results were obtained for repeatability and inter-day precision. In vitro percutaneous absorption studies with the PCV nanoemulsion and a market cream were conducted employing the porcine skin.The cumulative amounts of PCV permeated from cream and HN, 8 h after dosing, were 2.60 and 4.15 μg/cm², respectively, representing a quite higher flux and a much higher permeability coefficient for the developed formulation. It can be concluded that HN provide a good skin targeting effect and may be a promising carrier for topical delivery of penciclovir.

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A Groundbreaking Approach for Transdermal Drug Delivery

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are novel pharmaceutical formulations which are composed of physiological and biocompatible lipids, surfactants and co-surfactants. Over time, as a second generation lipid nanocarrier NLC has emerged as an alternative to first generation nanoparticles. This review article highlights the structure, composition, various formulation methodologies, and characterization of NLCs which are prerequisites in formulating a stable drug delivery system. NLCs hold an eminent potential in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics market because of extensive beneficial effects like skin hydration, occlusion, enhanced bioavailability, and skin targeting. This article aims to evoke an interest in the current state of art NLC by discussing their promising assistance in topical drug delivery system. The key attributes of NLC that make them a promising drug delivery system are ease of preparation, biocompatibility, the feasibility of scale up, non-toxicity, improved drug loading, and stability.