The pharmacokinetics of methimazole in pregnant patients after oral administration of carbimazole

1 A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was used to study the pharmacokinetics of methimazole after oral administration of carbimazole to women in various stages of pregnancy. 2 In one patient it was possible to conduct the study in the first and third timesters: there was an appreciable increase in the apparent clearance of methimazole. 3 Based on the assumption of complete absorption and hydrolysis of carbimazole to methimazole the mean apparent clearance was found to be significantly higher in pregnant patients receiving 10 mg carbimazole than in non-pregnant patients receiving the same dose.     

Effects of dianabol and high-intensity sprint training on body composition of rats

The practice of sequential incubation in radio-immunoassay of TSH improves the sensitivity and precision without affecting the specificity compared with the method using simultaneous incubation of the constituents of the radio-immunological reaction. The determination of basic levels of TSH is more sensitive and more precise.     

Effects of cationization on DSC thermal profiles,pasting and emulsifying properties of sago starch

Cationic sago starches were prepared using an aqueous alkaline process with different levels of cationic reagent 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (0.01–0.10 M ), sodium hydroxide (0.03–0.86 M ) and reaction temperature (30–62 °C). The degree of substitution (DS), reaction efficiency, thermal and pasting properties of cationic sago starches were analysed. Emulsifying and fat binding properties of native sago starch, cationized sago starch and commercial chitosan were compared at two different pH values (4 and 7). Degree of substitution increased with an increase in concentration of cationic reagent or NaOH, or reaction temperature. The reaction efficiency was proportional to the concentration of NaOH and reaction temperature but inversely proportional to the cationic reagent concentration. The highest DS and reaction efficiency achieved was 0.06 and 79%, respectively. The pasting temperature and gelatinization enthalpy of cationic starch (DS 0.06) were lower compared with native sago starch. Cationization increased the peak viscosity and breakdown of the starch paste but decreased the setback. The presence of cationic groups significantly increased emulsion stability, emulsion viscosity and fat binding capacity of sago starch. However, the cationic sago starch was still inferior to chitosan, which showed the highest emulsion stability, emulsion viscosity and fat binding capacity. There was no significant difference between the surface tension values of native and cationic sago starch and chitosan. The influence of pH on emulsifying properties was not significant. The emulsion stability of the cationic sago starch improved due to an increase in viscosity and fat binding capacity but not its surface active property. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

A method to measure the adsorption of bile salts to vegetable fiber of differing water holding capacity

Dietary vegetable fibers have physico-chemical properties which may influence their role in nutrition. A method is described which measures bile acid adsorption to fibers of differing water holding capacity. Such absorption studies are complicated by the water held in the fiber matrix which includes bile acid in solution. The entrapped solution gives some apparent adsorption but this can be removed by washing the fibers with water. This method differentiates between strong adsorption and reversible adsorption. This enables dietary vegetable fibers to be classified according to their bile acid absorption capacity which may be useful in selecting fibers for clinical trials.     

Idiopathic pulmonary hilar fibrosis: an unusual cause of pulmonary hypertension

A 37-year-old man with progressive exertional dyspnea had pulmonary hypertension associated with pulmonary arterial and venous obstruction. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary hilar fibrosis, a variant of mediastinal fibrosis. Pulmonary hilar fibrosis can mimic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, and pulmonary venous hypertension.