Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 13, Issue 21, 2006

This paper reviews the recent advances and the key strategies in capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical detection (ECD) for separating and detecting a variety of bioactive constituents in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The subjects covered include the separation modes for the CE analysis of the constituents in TCMs, the CE-ECD system, the sample preparations of TCMs, the ECD of TCMs, the applications of CE-E Read More

Endotoxin tolerance is a well known phenomenon, described both in vivo and in vitro, in which repeated exposure to endotoxin results in a diminished response, usually characterised as a reduction in proinflammatory cytokine release. The mechanisms responsible for endotoxin tolerance have become clear in recent years as our understanding of the pathways through which endotoxin mediates its effects has inc Read More

In the last decade, there has been a rapid proliferation of new technologies that are capable of identifying an increasing spectrum of autoantibodies and other biomarkers in autoimmune diseases. These newer diagnostic technologies include line immunoassays, addressable laser bead immunoassays, microarrays in microfluidics platforms and nanobarcode particles. Multiplexed bead assays are a particularly robus Read More

The roles of metals in the development and inhibition of cancer have a complex character and have risen many questions because of their essential and toxic effects on human health. Question of whether trace metal concentrations in tissues are increased or decreased in cancerous patients in comparison with noncancerous patients has not been answered yet, due to the fact that the data known in this field is rare a Read More

The diesters of benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic (phthalic) acid, commonly known as phthalates, are a family of industrial compounds, primarily used as plasticizers in enormous quantities for a variety of industrial uses in the formulation of plastics. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most commonly used plasticizer. These plasticizers are not covalently bound to the polymer and leach out into the environment, thus becomi Read More

The therapeutical use of drugs involves the application of dosage forms, serving as carrier systems together with several excipients to deliver the active ingredient to the site of action. Drug delivery technology combines an understanding of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology with the skill of formulation, aiming the preparation of improved pharmaceuticals. The recently introduced Biopharmaceutical Classification System p Read More

The increase in diagnostic imaging procedures that require infusion of intravenous radiographic contrast has led to a parallel increase in the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Since CIN accounts for a significant increase of hospital-acquired renal failure, length of stay and mortality, several additive strategies to prevent CIN are presently advocated, including N-acetylcysteine (NAC), sodium bicarbonate, the Read More

Millions of people in the developing world are affected by diseases caused by the kinetoplastid parasites: the leishmaniases, African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease. In many cases the drugs employed for treatment are toxic, marginally effective, given by injection, and/or compromised by the development of resistance. Since safe, effective, and affordable chemotherapeutic agents for leishmaniasis and try Read More