Methods for delivery of genes and agents which bind to nucleic acids, and thereby modify the expression of genes, are areas of intensive research. The focus of the present study is the initial development and characterization of an enteric delivery system for DNA-binding drugs. Several fluorescent probes were screened as to their suitability for analysis of DNA in alginate beads. A UV transilluminator was used to identify SYBR I and SYBR II as two functional fluorescent probes for DNA within intact alginate beads. A methyl green-DNA complex was found to be useful for monitoring the dissolution of alginate beads and release of an intact drug-DNA carrier system. After dissolution of alginate beads containing DNA, addition of DNase I to the dissolution fluid resulted in the complete hydrolysis of DNA. This is a necessary condition for the release of a DNA binding drug from the DNA carrier system in that hydrolysis of the carrier by enteric nucleases must occur in the presence of alginate. Once released from a DNA carrier, protein binding plays an important role in the disposition of these agents. A phosphorothioate oligonucleotide complexed to a methidium-spermine affinity gel was used as a tool to study oligonucleotide binding proteins . Bovine serum albumin was used as a prototype binding protein and was found to elute as a single peak from the oligonucleotide affinity column. Elution was accomplished with a sodium chloride gradient. This approach may be useful for characterization of other oligonucleotide binding proteins.

This document only includes an excerpt of the corresponding thesis or dissertation. To request a digital scan of the full text, please contact the Ruth Lilly Medical Library's Interlibrary Loan Department (rlmlill@iu.edu).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 124 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-121).

Thesis (PhD (Medicine. Pharmacology))--University of Stellenbosch, 1996. / The work presented in this thesis has contributed to the clarification of a number of issues related to the clinical pharmacokinetics of isoniazid and hydrozine in juvenile and adult patients of both sexes subject to potentially deleterious environmental factors: acute tuberculous disease; nutritional deprivation; simultaneous ingestion of rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethionamide, each of which is potentially toxic in its own right. The advances are embodied in the developments listed here below. ...

Purpose: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) place a burden on our nation and cause potential harm to patients. Awareness of potential DDIs is essential for safe prescribing. Nurse practitioners (NP) have prescriptive authority throughout the nation, however, little is known about NP prescribing habits. The purpose of this study was to identify NPs' demographic and practice characteristics, DDI knowledge and factors that influence this knowledge.Data Sources: A survey was administered to NP prescribers recruited from a national conference. Data was collected on demographics, practice and technological characteristics, and perceptions and knowledge of DDIs.Conclusions: Data from 305 questionnaires were analyzed. NPs correctly classified 31% of drug pairs. Nitroglycerin and Sildenafil (drug combination to avoid) was classified correctly by the most respondents (90.8%, n = 305); Warfarin and Gemfibrozil (drug combination to usually avoid) the fewest 15.7% (n = 302). A positive correlation was found between NPs in acute care hospital settings and DDI knowledge, indicating higher knowledge scores. Neither hierarchical linear regression model was significant at predicting NPs' DDI knowledge.Implications for Practice: Continuing education needs to be targeted to enhance NPs knowledge of potential clinically significant DDIs. The increased recognition of potential DDIs among NPs will enhance patient safety.

Objective: The research sought to evaluate seven drug information resources, specifically designed for analyzing drug interactions for scope, completeness, and ease of use, and determine the consistency of content among the seven resources. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted where 100 drug-drug and drug-dietary supplement interactions were analyzed using 7 drug information resources: Lexicomp Interactions module, Micromedex Drug Interactions, Clinical Pharmacology Drug Interaction Report, Facts & Comparisons eAnswers, Stockley's Drug Interactions (10th edition), Drug Interactions Analysis and Management (2014), and Drug Interaction Facts (2015). The interaction sample was developed based on published resources and peer input. Two independent reviewers gathered data for each interaction from each of the 7 resources using a common form. Results: Eighty-two drug-drug and 18 drug-dietary supplement interactions were analyzed. Scope scores were higher for Lexicomp Interactions (97.0%), Clinical Pharmacology Drug Interaction Report (97.0%), and Micromedex Drug Interactions (93.0%) compared to all other resources (p<0.05 for each comparison). Overall completeness scores were higher for Micromedex Drug Interactions (median 5, interquartile range [IQR] 4 to 5) compared to all other resources (p<0.01 for each comparison) and were higher for Lexicomp Interactions (median 4, IQR 4 to 5), Facts & Comparisons eAnswers (median 4, IQR 4 to 5), and Drug Interaction Facts (4, IQR 4 to 5) compared to all other resources, except Micromedex (p<0.05 for each comparison). Ease of use, in terms of time to locate information and time to gather information, was similar among resources. Consistency score was higher for Micromedex (69.9%) compared to all other resources (p<0.05 for each comparison). Conclusions: Clinical Pharmacology Drug Interaction Report, Lexicomp Interactions, and Micromedex Drug Interactions scored highest in scope. Micromedex Drug Interactions and Lexicomp Interactions scored highest in completeness. Consistency scores were overall low, but Micromedex Drug Interactions was the highest.

Class of 2010 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of professional pharmacy educational training and occupational student pharmacist training towards the quantity of medication errors attributed to not investigating drug-drug interactions and/or not acknowledging contraindications for medications and treatment. METHODS: The design was a cross-sectional, analytical study of student pharmacists in their first, second, or third year of a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. A questionnaire of patient drug interaction scenarios along with student work experience and demographic survey questions was administered to a class of students to complete and return at the time it was administered. It was a prospective study. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 180 students. None of the classes surveyed scored significantly higher than another class. Students with retail experience did not score significantly higher survey scores than those with hospital experience. Finally, when comparing the scores of students with experience in multiple fields, in comparison to those with experience in only one field of pharmacy, it was noted that there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of professional pharmacy education training and occupational student pharmacist experience was not found to have an affect on a student pharmacist’s ability to prevent medication error that was attributed to either not investigating a drug-drug interaction and/or not acknowledging contraindications for medications and treatment.

Class of 2009 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the DDI knowledge of pharmacy, medical, and nurse practitioner students who are beginning clinical clerkships. METHODS: This study utilized a prospective evaluation of DDI knowledge among healthcare professional students who were currently enrolled in their final didactic year at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, or College of Nursing’s nurse practitioner course. Students were provided with 15 possible DDI pairs, and asked to select an appropriate management strategy for each pair. Management options included: “Avoid Combination,” “Usually Avoid Combination,” “Take Precaution,” “No Special Precaution,” and “Not Sure.” The primary outcome measure was the ability to correctly categorize each DDI pair into one of the five management responses. The secondary outcome measure was the number of clinically significant DDIs recognized. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences between groups. An alpha of 0.05 was set a-priori. RESULTS: Response rates were 61% for medical students (72 of 119), 82% for pharmacy students (64 of 78) and 100% for nurse practitioner students (29 of 29). The mean number correct for management strategies was comparable in the medical students (2.5, SD= 1.9) and nurse practitioner students (3.0, SD= 1.9), while the pharmacy students had a mean score of 6.1 (SD= 2.2) correct answers. There was a significant difference between the groups in correct responses (p< 0.001). In regards to student ability to identify interactions, the mean number correct was 10.1 (SD= 2.6), 5.0 (SD= 3.3), and 4.4 (SD= 3.0) for pharmacy, medicine, and nursing respectively (F= 60.6; p< 0.001). Post hoc analysis demonstrated that pharmacy students performed significantly better than medical and nurse practitioner students in regards to their ability to: 1) select management strategies for DDI pairs; and 2) identify a DDI interaction. No significant differences were found between the medical and nurse practitioner students. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy students demonstrated better knowledge than medical and nurse practitioner students with respect to identifying and selecting management strategies for possible DDIs. However, there is much room for improvement for all groups.

Interaction of drugs used in gynecology and urology and their management Author: Kupka Vojtěch Tutor: PharmDr. Martin Doseděl Ph.D., Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Introduction: Drug interactions represent a serious health problem and they cause adverse drug effects and toxicity of drugs. Objectives: The goal of the thesis was to create an overview of possible drug interactions with drugs used in gynecological and urological practice. Methodology: From a theroretical introduction was selected registred drugs to 1 st January 2015 by State Institute for Drug Controle. Information about drug interactions were collected and collated from databases Vademecum Infopharm and Micromedex. From database Micromedex, the drug interactions were selected with quality of documentation "excellent" or "good". Pubmed database (www.pubmed.gov) with entering key words "basic drug", "drug interaction" and "interactive drug" was applied to create a current information. To complement the information was also gathered from magazines Practical Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy. In case of not finding relevant information was drawn from the summary information of medicine (SPC). Results: The results were categorized into a research...

OBJETIVOS: Os objetivos da presente pesquisa são (i) identificar os fármacos prescritos aos pacientes idosos matriculados em ambulatório didático de geriatria; (ii) estudo da possibilidade de ocorrência de interações medicamentosas nos pacientes ambulatoriais; e (iii) proposta de modelo de rotina de intervenção preventiva para evitar interações medicamentosas prejudiciais de significância clínica antes do aviamento da receita, respeitando a rotina e os recursos disponíveis em um ambulatório de geriatria. CASUÍSTICA e MÉTODO: Ensaio aberto observacional descritivo prospectivo realizado no Ambulatório Didático de Geriatria do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, por meio da análise dos prontuários dos pacientes, acima de 60 anos de idade, na hora da consulta. RESULTADO: Neste Ambulatório foram feitos 380 atendimentos para 124 pacientes, prescrito 211 fármacos e 7 associações fixas, havendo a polimedicação e apenas 8 receitas continham um medicamento. Foram encontradas 65,3% receitas com interações medicamentosas e destas, 63,6% no sexo feminino e 70,1% no sexo masculino. CONCLUSÃO: Houve a identificação dos fármacos prescritos para os idosos, onde a possibilidade de ocorrência de interações medicamentosas foi alta. A proposta de modelo de rotina de intervenção para evitar interações medicamentosas foi aprovada. / OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the research are: (i) identify the drugs prescribed to the elderly enrolled in didatic ambulatory of geriatry; (ii) study of the possibility of ocorrence of drug-drug interactions in these outpatients; e (iii) propose a pattern of routine of intervention to avoid drug-drug interactions harmful of clinical significance before the prescription, respecting the routine, and the resources available in a ambulatory of geriatry. CASUISTIC and METHOD: A prospective descritive observational open assay realized in the Didatic Ambulatory of Geriatry at the Hospital of the Clinics of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of San Paul, by means of the analysis of the promptuary of the outpatients, older than 60 years of age, during the consultation. RESULTS: In these Ambulatory were done 380 attendances for 124 outpatients, prescribed 211 drugs, and 7 fixed association, having polypharmacy and just 8 recipes contained one drug. There were 65,3% recipes with drug-drug interactions, and of these, 63,6% in female, and 70,1% in male. CONCLUSION: The drugs prescribed to the outpatients were identified, and the possibility of ocorrence of drug-drug interactions was high. The purpose of pattern of routine of intervention to avoid the drug-drug interactions was approved.