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The enterovirus genus encompasses many clinically important human pathogens such as poliovirus, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, numbered enteroviruses and rhinoviruses. These viruses are the etiological agents of several human diseases, including hand-foot-and-mouth disease, neonatal sepsis, encephalitis, meningitis, paralysis and respiratory infections. There is an unmet need for antivirals to treat these diseases. The non-structural protein 2C is a AAA+ helicase and plays a key role in viral replication. As such, it is an attractive target for antiviral drug development. Several repurposing screens with FDA-approved drugs have identified 2C-targeting compounds such as fluoxetine and dibucaine, but the molecular basis of 2C inhibition has remained enigmatic. Here we present the 1.5 Å resolution crystal structure of the soluble fragment of coxsackievirus B3 2C protein in complex with (S)-fluoxetine (SFX), which reveals a conserved, hydrophobic drug-binding pocket which is distal to the ATP binding site. To decipher the molecular mechanism of inhibition by fluoxetine and other 2C-targeting compounds, we engineered a soluble, hexameric and ATPase competent 2C protein. Using this system, we show that SFX, dibucaine, HBB and guanidine hydrochloride inhibit 2C ATPase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, using cryo-EM analysis, we demonstrate that SFX and dibucaine lock 2C in a defined hexameric state, rationalizing their mode of inhibition and allowing us to generate the first reconstruction of the oligomeric complex. Taken together, these results provide important structural and mechanistic insights into 2C inhibition and provide a robust engineering strategy which can be used for structural, functional and drug-screening analysis of 2C proteins from current or future enteroviruses.

Background Because ordered membrane domains, called lipid rafts, regulate activation of ion channels related to the nerve pulse, lipids rafts are thought to be a possible target for anesthetic molecules. To understand the mechanism of anesthetic action, we examined influence of representative local anesthetics (LAs); dibucaine, tetracaine, and lidocaine, on raft-like liquid-ordered (Lo)/non-raft-like liquid-disordered (Ld) phase separation. Methods Impact of LAs on the phase separation was observed by fluorescent microscopy. LA-induced perturbation of the Lo and Ld membranes was examined by DPH anisotropy measurements. Incorporation of LAs to the membranes was examined by fluorescent anisotropy of LAs. The biding location of the LAs was indicated by small angle x-ray diffraction (SAXD). Results Fluorescent experiments showed that dibucaine eliminated the phase separation the most effectively, followed by tetracaine and lidocaine. The disruption of the phase separation can be explained by their disordering effects on the Lo membrane. SAXD and other experiments further suggested that dibucaine's most potent perturbation of the Lo membrane is attributable to its deeper immersion and bulky molecular structure. Tetracaine, albeit immersed in the Lo membrane as deeply as dibucaine, less perturbs the Lo membrane probably because of its smaller bulkiness. Lidocaine hardly reaches the hydrophobic region, resulting in the weakest Lo membrane perturbation. Conclusion Dibcaine perturbs the Lo membrane the most effectively, followed by tetracaine and lidocaine. This ranking correlates with their anesthetic potency. General significance This study suggests a possible mechanistic link between anesthetic action and perturbation of lipid rafts.

Mitochondrial membranes are pointed out as the site of cardiotoxic action of local anaesthetics. Its three main phospholipids components are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin. Cardiolipins, in eukaryotes, are only found in mitochondria and are essential for the maintenance of its integrity and dynamics. Fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to study the interactions of a local anaesthetics, Dibucaine (DBC), with different mitochondrial membrane models constituted by combinations of its three main lipid components in which cardiolipin was a natural extract (CLmix). Both CLmix presence/absence and its percentage in the model membranes were evaluated. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that DBC lowered the transition temperature of all membrane models understudy. DBC partition showed to be dependent of CLmix presence and phosphatidylethanolamine:CL ratio. Furthermore, the maximum emission wavelength (λmax) exhibited a notorious decreased with increasing phospholipid to DBC ratio, in all the membrane models containing CLmix. Nevertheless, it remained approximately the same in the membrane without CLmix. This indicates a differential membrane localization of the anaesthetics, dependent on the membrane models used. NMR results showed that DBC interaction and location in the membrane models is mainly influenced by CLmix presence, and DBC can significant alter lipid systems properties e.g. percentage and type of lipid phase present. Taken all together it was shown that DBC interaction and location are largely dependent on the membrane model system. Furthermore, DBC is able to produce significant changes in the lipidic systems which might help to explain its high toxicity.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is an atypical non-polio enterovirus that mainly infected the respiratory system of humans, leading to moderate to severe respiratory diseases. In rare cases, EV-D68 can spread to the central nervous system and causes paralysis in infected patients, especially young children and immunocompromised individuals. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral available for the prevention and treatment of EV-D68. In this study, we aimed to improve the antiviral potency and selectivity of a previously reported EV-D68 inhibitor, dibucaine, through structure-activity relationship studies. In total, sixty compounds were synthesized and tested against EV-D68 using the viral cytopathic effect (CPE) assay. Three compounds 10a, 12a, and 12c were identified to have significantly improved potency (EC(50) < 1 μM) and a high selectivity index (SI > 180) compared to dibucaine against five different strains of EV-D68 viruses. These compounds also showed potent antiviral activity in neuronal cells such as A172 and SH-SY5Y cells, suggesting they might be further developed for the treatment of both respiratory infection as well as neuronal infection.

For the treatment of internal and external hemorrhoids, policresulen (POL) and cinchocaine hydrochloride (CIN) are used in combination. Using a new, simple, fast, and economical first-derivative synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic process, both drugs were simultaneously determined and validated. At Δλ 60 nm and with a scanning rate of 600 nm/min, methanol was used as the solvent for both products. In the concentration ranges of 5.0–21.0 μg mL−1 and 0.5–6.0 μg mL−1 for POL and CIN, the amplitude-concentration plots were rectilinear. The detection limits were found to be 0.770 μg mL−1 and 0.118 μg mL−1 and the quantitation limits for POL and CIN were 2.541 μg mL−1 and 0.391 μg mL−1. To evaluate all compounds in synthetic mixtures and medicinal dosage types, the proposed method has been successfully applied. These findings were in line with the results obtained using high-performance thin layer chromatography, the comparison process.

Electrochemical characterization and detection of protonated dibucaine (DIC+) at microinterface array across water|1,6-dichlorohexane were performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Some thermodynamic parameters of dibucaine, such as the standard transfer potential, the Gibbs energy of transfer and the partition coefficient, were estimated by CV. In addition to the analytical parameters, the impact of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on dibucaine detection (in artificial serum matrices) was also investigated. DPV was applied to detect a lower concentration of DIC+, resulting in a detection limit of 0.9 &plusmn, 0.06 &micro, M. While the presence of BSA affected CV, demonstrated as reduced current responses, DPV was confirmed to be an efficient method for lowering concentrations of the dibucaine detection in the artificial serum matrix in the presence of BSA, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 &plusmn, 0.12 &micro, M.

Colloidal lipid emulsions are a promising formulation option for poorly water-soluble drugs. Due to their complex composition, they provide different sites for the localization of drugs. Drug molecules can be situated in the lipid matrix, in the aqueous phase with its structures formed by an excess of emulsifier or at the droplet interface. The interface and the mechanism of stabilization is mainly characterized by the emulsifier. In this study, the main focus was on the influence of drug localization on the stability of emulsions sterically stabilized with poloxamer188. In addition to 5% of this non-ionic emulsifier, the emulsions contained 10% soybean oil. The localization of the drugs fenofibrate, curcumin, betamethasone valerate, cinnarizine, dibucaine and flufenamic acid within the emulsion system at a physiological pH of 7.4 as well as their influence on emulsion stability were examined. The results indicated that the stability of poloxamer 188-stabilized emulsions can be influenced in a positive or negative way by the localization of drug molecules in the interface of emulsion droplets. Applying cinnarizine as model substance at pH 5, 7.4 and 10, no pronounced change in the localization was detected as a result of alterations in the charge of the drug.

Introduction:This paper presents the development and validation of a novel, fast, sensitive and accurate high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of dibucaine HCl, fluocortolone pivalate and fluocortolone caproate in pharmaceutical preparations.Experiment:Development of the chromatographic method was based on an experimental design approach. A five-level-three-factor central composite design requiring 20 experiments in this optimization study was performed in order to evaluate the effects of three independent variances including mobile phase ratio, flow rate and amount of acid in the mobile phase.Conclusion:The optimum composition for mobile phase was found as a methanol:water:acetic acid mixture at 71.6 : 26.4 : 2 (v/v/v) ratio and optimum separation was acquired by isocratic elution with a flow rate of 1.3 mL/min. The analytes were detected using a UV detector at 240 nm. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection/quantitation and solution stability and successfully applied to the determination of dibucaine HCl, fluocortolone pivalate and fluocortolone caproate in pharmaceutical topical formulations such as suppositories and ointments.

To investigate the relationship between acetyl cholinesterase associated collagen gene (COLQ) mutation in patients with acetyl cholinesterase deficiency and its clinical characteristics. Serum and red blood cell acetyl cholinesterase from patients with acetyl cholinesterase deficiency (n=6) and normal controls (n=20) were measured by butyryl thiocholine substrate. COLQ gene variations were detected by sequencing. And the cholinesterase (ChE) genotypes were measured by dibucaine inhibition in vitro. The distributions of ChE surrounded the blood vessels and nerve fibers in lung or pancreas tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining and indirect immunofluorescence. Serum lactic acid, ammonia and other clinical data were analyzed. Serum ChE in patients with acetyl cholinesterase deficiency were only 1/50 to 1/1000 fold of normal controls. Comparing to controls, dibucaine inhibition values of patients were significantly lower, while there were no differences in red blood cells acetyl cholinesterase. Serum lactic acid and ammonia in patients were significantly higher than controls. Inser 1281-1282 GC of COLQ gene was found in 2 patients, while IVS 6 + 21 T > A, IVS 6 + 30 G > T, IVS 6 + 34 T > C and IVS66 + 12 inser T mutations were found in the other 4 patients, respectively. In addition, the patients with COLQ gene mutation were resistant to regular doses of anesthetics. COLQ gene mutation may be an important reason for the lack of serum ChE in patients with acetyl cholinesterase deficiency.

Cinchocaine hydrochloride (CIN) and betamethasone valerate (BMV) are co-formulated in pharmaceutical formulations that could be used for local treatment of hemorrhoids. Both drugs are susceptible to hydrolytic degradation. Two sensitive and precise stability-indicating chromatographic methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of both active pharmaceutical ingredients. The developed methods were applied for quantitation of CIN and BMV in their pure forms, in presence of their corresponding degradation products and in their pharmaceutical formulation. The first method was a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) one, separation and quantitation was achieved using a Waters Spheriosorb® 5 μm ODS2 C18 analytical column and an isocratic mobile phase formed of acetonitrile-acetate buffer (pH 6.5 ± 0.1) in a ratio of (55:45, v/v). The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. UV-detection was done at 240 nm using photodiode array detector. The second method was based on thin layer chromatography (TLC) fractionation coupled with densitometric determination. Separation was done on high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) silica gel 60F254 plates using a developing system formed of chloroform-toluene-ethanol-acetic acid in a ratio of (4.5:4.5:1:1, by volume). The separated bands were scanned densitometrically at 240 nm. For the HPLC method, linearity was confirmed over concentration ranges of 4-300 and 4-350 μg/mL for CIN and BMV, respectively. For the HPTLC-densitometric method, the obtained ranges were 0.5-12 and 0.5-10 μg/band for CIN and BMV, respectively. The developed methods were optimized and validated according to the ICH guidelines. CIN acid degradation products were separated and identified by mass spectroscopy. The developed HPLC method was used to study the kinetics of acid and alkali degradation of the both drugs. The results obtained were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by applying the official methods for both drugs.

Ketoprofen is one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used for fomentation. It is associated with undesirable photosensitivity caused by UV irradiation. Moreover, it induces photodegradation, including decarboxylation, when exposed to UV irradiation. In this study, we attempted to identify compounds that can inhibit the photodegradation of ketoprofen. UV irradiation of ketoprofen follows first-order reaction kinetics and yields three photoproducts. Aqueous solutions containing ketoprofen generate free radicals when it was irradiated with UV. We considered that these free radicals react with ketoprofen. Antioxidants inhibit the photodegradation of ketoprofen. On the other hand, a local anesthetic, dibucaine hydrochloride, was also effective in inhibiting the photodegradation of ketoprofen. We evaluated the difference in the mechanism of inhibition between the antioxidants and the local anesthetic. In conclusion, both antioxidants and dibucaine hydrochloride are effective inhibitors of the photodegradation of ketoprofen.

Dibucaine (DBC) is among the more potent long-acting local anesthetics (LA), and it is also one of the most toxic. Over the last decades, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) have been developed as promising carriers for drug delivery. In this study, SLN formulations were prepared with the aim of prolonging DBC release and reducing its toxicity. To this end, SLN composed of two different lipid matrices and prepared by two different hot-emulsion techniques (high-pressure procedure and sonication) were compared. The colloidal stability of the SLN formulations was tracked in terms of particle size (nm), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (mV) for 240 days at 4 &deg, C, the DBC encapsulation efficiency was determined by the ultrafiltration/centrifugation method. The formulations were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and release kinetic experiments. Finally, the in vitro cytotoxicity against 3T3 fibroblast and HaCaT cells was determined, and the in vivo analgesic action was assessed using the tail flick test in rats. Both of the homogenization procedures were found suitable to produce particles in the 200 nm range, with good shelf stability (240 days) and high DBC encapsulation efficiency (~72&ndash, 89%). DSC results disclosed structural information on the nanoparticles, such as the lower crystallinity of the lipid core vs. the bulk lipid. EPR measurements provided evidence of DBC partitioning in both SLNs. In vitro (cytotoxicity) and in vivo (tail flick) experiments revealed that the encapsulation of DBC into nanoparticles reduces its intrinsic cytotoxicity and prolongs the anesthetic effect, respectively. These results show that the SLNs produced are safe and have great potential to extend the applications of dibucaine by enhancing its bioavailability.

Dibucaine (DBC) is one of the most potent long-acting local anesthetics, but it also has significant toxic side effects and low water solubility. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have been proposed as drug-delivery systems to increase the bioavailability of local anesthetics. The purpose of the present study was to characterize SLNs and NLCs composed of cetyl palmitate or myristyl myristate, a mixture of capric and caprylic acids (for NLCs only) plus Pluronic F68 prepared for the encapsulation of DBC. We intended to provide a careful structural characterization of the nanoparticles to identify the relevant architectural parameters that lead to the desirable biological response. Initially, SLNs and NLCs were assessed in terms of their size distribution, morphology, surface charge, and drug loading. Spectroscopic techniques (infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR) plus small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) provided information on the interactions between nanoparticle components and their structural organization. The sizes of nanoparticles were in the 180 nm range with low polydispersity and negative zeta values (-25 to -46 mV). The partition coefficient of DBC between nanoparticles and water at pH 8.2 was very high (>104). EPR (with doxyl-stearate spin labels) data revealed the existence of lamellar arrangements inside the lipid nanoparticles, which was also confirmed by SAXS experiments. Moreover, the addition of DBC increased the molecular packing of both SLN and NLC lipids, indicative of DBC insertion between the lipids, in the milieu assessed by spin labels. Such structural information brings insights into understanding the molecular organization of these versatile drug-delivery systems which have already demonstrated their potential for therapeutic applications in pain control.

Paraquat (PQ) as a Parkinsonian mimetic has been demonstrated to impair dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons and is highly correlated with the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) where the death of DAergic neurons has been mainly attributed to impaired mitochondrial functioning. In this study, PQ-induced cytotoxicity focusing on mitochondrial membrane permeability (MMP), which has been implicated to play a part in neurodegeneration, was investigated. Primarily, PQ-induced cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were inhibited by an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase (NOX), indicating the toxic effect of PQ redox cycling. Further, dibucaine and cyclosporin A which respectively inhibit mitochondrial apoptosis-induced channels (MAC) and mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTP) were used and found to prevent PQ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, such as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased MMP, mitochondrial ROS, and pro-apoptotic factor release. Knockdown of bax and/or bak blocked PQ-induced mitochondrial clusterization of Bax and/or Bak and cytotoxicity, demonstrating the significance of MAC which is composed of Bax and/or Bak. This clusterization coincided with the release of mitochondrial apoptotic factors before there was an increase in inner MMP, indicating that MAC may precede mPTP formation. Besides, NOX inhibitor but not dibucaine attenuated the earlier PQ-induced cytosolic ROS formation or Bax and/or Bak clusterization indicating PQ redox cycling may account for MAC formation. In this model, we have resolved for the first that PQ cytotoxicity through redox cycling may sequentially result in increased outer (MAC) and inner (mPTP) MMP and suggested MMP could be implicated as a therapeutic target in treating neurodegenerative diseases like PD.

Interactions of two local anesthetics, dibucaine and tetracaine have been studied with phospholipid vesicles containing cholesterol and/or monosialogangliosides (GM1) using fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence intensity of tetracaine showed a marked increase with the increasing molar ratio of the phospholipid to tetracaine, while that of dibucaine showed opposite effects. Steady state anisotropy and the wavelength of maximum emission (λmax) decreased with the increasing phospholipids to tetracaine ratio. The extent of such changes in anisotropy and λmax in the presence and absence of two important components of neuronal membranes, cholesterol and GM1 indicated differential membrane localization of the two local anesthetics. To understand the intercellular mode of action of local anesthetics, we have also studied the interactions of dibucaine and tetracaine with brain spectrin which indicate differential spectrin interactions with similar binding strength. Thermodynamic parameters associated with such binding reveal that binding is favored by entropy. Tetracaine brings about distinct structural changes in spectrin compared to dibucaine, as reflected in the tryptophan mean lifetime and far-UV CD spectra. Tetracaine also exhibits a detergent-like property inducing concentration dependent decrease in spectrin anisotropy, further indicating structural changes in brain spectrin with probable implications in its anesthetic potential.

In this work, the competitive interaction between dibucaine and three fluorescent probes (i.e., berberine, palmatine, and coptisine) for occupancy of the cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) cavity was studied by fluorescence spectra, UV-visible absorption spectra, (1)H NMR spectra, and theoretical calculations in acidic aqueous solution. Based on the fluorescence enhancement of berberine, palmatine, and coptisine upon binding with CB[7], respectively, a series of fluorescence detection methods for dibucaine were proposed. At the optimized conditions, the fluorescence intensity of berberine-CB[7], palmatine-CB[7], and coptisine-CB[7] complexes showed negative correlation to the concentration of dibucaine, which led to a series of simple and sensitive fluorescence methods for the determination of dibucaine for the first time. Linear ranges obtained in the detection of the dibucaine were 0.018-3.34 μmol L(-1), 0.032-4.47 μmol L(-1), and 0.079-4.42 μmol L(-1) with detection limits of 6.0 nmol L(-1), 12.0 nmol L(-1), and 25.0 nmol L(-1), respectively. Moreover, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of the drug in biological fluids. The competitive mode based on CB[7] superstructure provided a promising assay strategy for fluorescence detection in various potential applications.

Amongst other strategies for the formulation of poorly water-soluble drugs, solubilization of these drugs in lipid-based formulations is a promising option. Most screening methods for the identification of a suitable lipid-based formulation fail to elucidate the role interfacial effects play for drug solubility in disperse systems. In a novel screening approach called passive drug loading, different preformed lipid nanocarrier dispersions are incubated with drug powder. Afterwards, undissolved drug is filtered off and the amount of solubilized drug is determined. The aim of this study was to identify parameters for drug solubility in pure lipids as well as for drug loading to the lipid-water interface of lipid nanoparticles. Using passive loading, the solubility of eight poorly water-soluble drugs in seven lipid nanocarriers varying in particle size or lipid matrix was investigated. Drug solubility in the nanocarriers did not follow any apparent trend and different drugs dissolved best in different carriers. Drugs with a melting point below approximately 150°C displayed distinctly better solubility than higher melting drugs. Additionally, relating the specific lipid nanocarrier surface area to the drug solubility allowed drawing conclusions on the drug localization. Fenofibrate, dibucaine and, less distinctly also clotrimazole, which all melt below 150°C, were predominantly located in the lipid droplet core of the nanoparticles. In contrast, the five remaining drugs (betamethasone valerate, flufenamic acid, itraconazole, ketoconazole, mefenamic acid) were also located at the lipid-water interface to different, but substantial degrees. The ability to account for drug loading to the lipid-water interface is thus a major advantage of passive loading.

The efficacy of antimicrobial drugs against Mycobacterium tuberculosis , an intracellular bacterial pathogen, is generally first established by testing compounds against bacteria in axenic culture. However, inside infected macrophages, bacteria encounter an environment which differs substantially from broth culture and are subject to important host-dependent pharmacokinetic phenomena which modulate drug activity. Here, we describe how pH-dependent partitioning drives asymmetric antimicrobial drug distribution in M. tuberculosis- infected macrophages. Specifically, weak bases with moderate activity against M. tuberculosis (fluoxetine, sertraline, and dibucaine) were shown to accumulate intracellularly due to differential permeability and relative abundance of their ionized and nonionized forms. Nonprotonatable analogs of the test compounds did not show this effect. Neutralization of acidic organelles directly with ammonium chloride or indirectly with bafilomycin A1 partially abrogated the growth restriction of these drugs. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, we quantified the degree of accumulation and reversibility upon acidic compartment neutralization in macrophages and observed that accumulation was greater in infected than in uninfected macrophages. We further demonstrate that the efficacy of a clinically used compound, clofazimine, is augmented by pH-based partitioning in a macrophage infection model. Because the parameters which govern this effect are well understood and are amenable to chemical modification, this knowledge may enable the rational development of more effective antibiotics against tuberculosis.

In this research, Ag(I) nanoparticle with 4-nitro phenylcyanamide ligand, [AgL] n , where L = 4-nitro phenylcyanamide (4-NO2pcyd), was synthesized successfully. FT-IR, 1H-NMR, TGA, and UV–Vis studies were done for the structural and thermal characterization of the Ag(I) nanoparticle. The spherical morphology of silver nanoparticles was confirmed from SEM image. The transmission electron microscopy image showed that the particle size dimensions of silver nanoparticles were about 1.5–5 nm. Furthermore, Ag(I) nanoparticle was immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and the electroactivity behavior was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The obtained [AgL] n -modified GCE showed high catalytic activity for the oxidation of dibucaine and naphazoline. The peak current of differential pulse voltammograms of dibucaine and naphazoline increased linearly with their concentration in the ranges of 2.17–5.74 µM naphazoline and 18.5–72.2 µM dibucaine. The detection limits for dibucaine and naphazoline were 0.002 and 0.009 µM, respectively. In addition, the obtained [AgL] n -modified GCE was investigated for the simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and acetaminophen (AP). In DPV technique, both DA and AP give sensitive oxidation peaks at 130 and 312 mV, respectively. Under the optimized experimental conditions, DA and AP give linear response over the range of 5–200 µmol L−1 (r = 0.996) and 5–300 µmol L−1 (r = 0.994), respectively. The lower detection limits were found to be 0.7 for DA and 0.5 µmol L−1 for AP. The investigated method showed good stability, reproducibility [1.4 % (DA) and 2.5 % (AP)], and repeatability (1.8 %).

Lipid nanoemulsions and -suspensions are being intensively investigated as carriers for poorly water soluble drugs. The question on where model compounds or probes are localized within the dispersions has been the subject of several studies. However, only little data exists for pharmaceutically relevant molecules in dispersions composed of pharmaceutically relevant excipients. In this work, the localization of drugs and drug-like substances was studied in lipid nanoemulsions and -suspensions. Conclusions about the drug localization were drawn from the relations between lipid mass, specific particle surface area and drug load in the dispersions. Additionally, the achievable drug loads of the liquid and the solid lipid particles were compared. Nanoemulsions and -suspensions comprised trimyristin as lipid matrix and poloxamer 188 as emulsifier and were prepared with different well-defined particle sizes. These pre-formed dispersions were passively loaded with either amphotericin B, curcumin, dibucaine, fenofibrate, mefenamic acid, propofol, or a porphyrin derivative. The physico-chemical properties of the particles were characterized; drug load and lipid content were quantified by UV spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. For all drugs the passive loading procedure was successful in both emulsions and suspensions. Solid particles accommodate drug molecules preferably at the particle surface. Liquid particles can accommodate drugs at the particle surface as well as in the core; the distribution between the two sites is drug specific. It is also drug specific whether solid or liquid particles yield higher drug loads. As a general rule, smaller particles led to higher drug loads than larger ones. Propofol and the porphyrin derivative displayed eutectic interaction with the lipid and crystal growth after loading, respectively.

This study determined the effects of melatonin (MEL) and its receptors on monochromatic light-induced bursal B-lymphocyte proliferation in broiler chickens. In vivo, green light (GL) enhanced the proliferation of B lymphocytes in bursas by 16.49% to 30.83% and the expression of MEL receptor subtypes 1a ( Mel1a ), Mel1b , and Mel1c receptors in bursas by 6.91% to 366.98% than other light colors. However, pinealectomy reduced these parameters and eliminated the differences between GL and other light groups. In vitro, the MEL-induced bursal B-lymphocyte proliferation was most suppressed by prazosin ( P = 0.001, selective Mel1c antagonist), followed by luzindole ( P = 0.022, nonselective Mel1a/Mel1b antagonist), but not by 4-phenyl-2-propionamideotetralin ( P = 0.144, selective Mel1b antagonist). Similarly, dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP; analog of cAMP; P = 0.017) but not 8-(4-chloro-phenylthio)-2′-O-methyladenosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate ( P = 0.736; activator of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP) significantly inhibited bursal B-lymphocyte proliferation. These results suggest that MEL mediates GL-induced bursal B-lymphocyte proliferation through Mel1c and Mel1a receptors but not Mel1b receptors by activating the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway.

Purpose There is a compelling need for prolonged local anesthetic that would be used for analgesia with a single administration. However, due to the low molecular weight of local anesthetics (LA) (lidocaine, bupivacaine, procaine, dibucaine, etc), they present fast systemic absorption. Methods The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate bupivacaine lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (BVC LPNs), and compared with BVC loaded PLGA nanoparticles (BVC NPs). Their morphology, particle size, zeta potential and drug loading capacity were evaluated. In vitro release study, stability and cytotoxicity were studied. In vivo evaluation of anesthetic effects was performed on animal models. Results A facile nanoprecipitation and self-assembly method was optimized to obtain BVC LPNs, composed of PLGA, lecithin and DSPE-PEG2000, of ∼175 nm particle size. Compared to BVC NPs, BVC LPNs exhibited prolonged in vitro release in phosphate-buffered saline (pH = 7.4). Further, BVC LPNs displayed enhanced in vitro stability in 10% FBS and lower cytotoxicity (the concentration of BVC ranging from 1.0 μM to 20 μM). In addition, BVC LPNs exhibited significantly prolonged analgesic duration. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the LPNs could function as promising drug delivery system for overcoming the drawbacks of poor stability and rapid drug leakage, and prolonging the anesthetic effect with slight toxicity.

Enteroviruses (EVs) represent many important pathogens of humans. Unfortunately, no antiviral compounds currently exist to treat infections with these viruses. We screened the Prestwick Chemical Library, a library of approved drugs, for inhibitors of coxsackievirus B3, identified pirlindole as a potent novel inhibitor, and confirmed the inhibitory action of dibucaine, zuclopenthixol, fluoxetine, and formoterol. Upon testing of viruses of several EV species, we found that dibucaine and pirlindole inhibited EV-B and EV-D and that dibucaine also inhibited EV-A, but none of them inhibited EV-C or rhinoviruses (RVs). In contrast, formoterol inhibited all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses tested. All compounds acted through the inhibition of genome replication. Mutations in the coding sequence of the coxsackievirus B3 (CV-B3) 2C protein conferred resistance to dibucaine, pirlindole, and zuclopenthixol but not formoterol, suggesting that 2C is the target for this set of compounds. Importantly, dibucaine bound to CV-B3 protein 2C in vitro , whereas binding to a 2C protein carrying the resistance mutations was reduced, providing an explanation for how resistance is acquired.

The binding geometries, abilities and thermodynamic parameters for the intermolecular complexation of three water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[n]arenes (SCnAs), p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene (SC4A), p-sulfonatocalix[5]arene (SC5A), andp-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene (STC4A), with five local anesthetics (LA), procaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, dibucaine, and procainamide, have been determined by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The obtained results show that the complexation of SCnAs with LA guests shows unappreciable guest selectivity, but regular host selectivity: SC4A > SC5A > STC4A for each guest. A large difference in the enthalpy term is responsible for the decrease in the stability constants. The intrinsic relationship between binding structures and host selectivities were comprehensively analyzed and discussed from the viewpoint of thermodynamics. Furthermore, the complexation of SC4A towards LA guests were compared with other macrocyclic hosts, β-cyclodextrin and cucurbit[7]uril.

E-mail: Ensafi@cc.iut.ac.irReceived January 26, 2011, Accepted July 4, 2011Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride), PVCs, with different membrane compositions tested for use in theconstruction of an ion-selective sensor for the determination dibucaine. A prepared membrane with dioctylphthalate-PVC and ion-pair of N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride-tetraphenyl borate had a goodpotential to acts as a potentiometric sensor for the analysis of dibucaine. A linear relationship was obtainedbetween potential and logC varying between 1.0 × 10

Spectroscopic properties of molecules which undergo acid–base equilibrium are greatly influenced by the local pH. Their acid–base equilibrium constants can be experimentally obtained under different environments by measuring spectroscopic parameters such as absorbance, fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetimes as a function of pH. The pKa values are obtained fitting the data with the well known Henderson–Hasselbalch equation. Decay curves obtained with time-resolved pulse fluorometry are usually analyzed in terms of multi-exponential functions characterized by the pre-exponential factors or by the integrated fractional fluorescence intensities associated with each lifetime, this last being analogous to the steady state fluorescence contributions. In this paper we show that under normal conditions for many fluorescent drugs, a two-exponential analysis is adequate. We develop expressions for the pH dependence of pre-exponential factors and fractional fluorescence intensities in time-resolved pulse fluorometry of a fluorophore undergoing acid–base transition. We show that the obtained pKa values are apparently shifted, and give the expressions for the pK-shifts. The expressions were tested using the fluorescence decay properties of two compounds: the well characterized local anesthetic dibucaine and the antibiotic levofloxacin.

Calcium-dependent calpains are a family of cysteine proteases that have been demonstrated to play key roles in both platelet glycoprotein Ibα shedding and platelet activation and altered calpain activity is associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Calpain activators induce apoptosis in several types of nucleated cells. However, it is not clear whether calpain activators induce platelet apoptosis. Here we show that the calpain activator dibucaine induced several platelet apoptotic events including depolarization of the mitochondrial inner transmembrane potential, up-regulation of Bax and Bak, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L), caspase-3 activation and phosphatidylserine exposure. Platelet apoptosis elicited by dibucaine was not affected by the broad spectrum metalloproteinase inhibitor GM6001. Furthermore, dibucaine did not induce platelet activation as detected by P-selectin expression and PAC-1 binding. However, platelet aggregation induced by ristocetin or α-thrombin, platelet adhesion and spreading on von Willebrand factor were significantly inhibited in platelets treated with dibucaine. Taken together, these data indicate that dibucaine induces platelet apoptosis and platelet dysfunction.

Micelles of a new ABC triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide-b-sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate-b-styrene) (PEO-b-PAMPS-b-PS), were prepared in aqueous solutions. The physicochemical properties of the micelle were investigated by combining different techniques: dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The micelles have a spherical morphology with a hydrophobic PS core, a hydrophilic and anionic PAMPS shell, and a hydrophilic and nonionic PEO corona as revealed by TEM measurements. The interactions of dibucaine (DC) and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DTAC) with PEO-b-PAMPS-b-PS were also studied. The binding of cationic DC and DTAC to the anionic PAMPS shell was confirmed by zeta-potential measurements. It is elucidated that hydrophobic interactions contribute to the binding of DTAC and DC to the polymer, although electrostatic interactions play a primarily important role.

Rat sarcolemma preparations were incubated with some membranes stabilizers to study their effects on the (Na+,K+)- and Ca2+-ATPase activity. The drugs inhibited the enzymes with the same order of potency as in the earlier observed muscle contractures: chlorpromazine greater than dibucaine greater than propranolol greater than tetracaine greater than procaine (range 0.1-3.6 mM) (Roed & Brodal 1979). The contracture inducing effect of the stabilizers is suggested to be caused by a membrane depolarization due to the (Na+,K+)-ATPase inhibition. Ouabain inhibited the (Na+,K+)-ATPase activity in purified plasma membrane, but did not inherit the sarcolemma located ATPases or induce any contracture.

A simple, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method for simultaneous determination of dibucaine and naphazoline from serum was developed and validated. The extraction procedure was performed using a monolithic silica spin column. Chromatographic separation of dibucaine and naphazoline was achieved on a C 18 reverse phase column with a mobile phase gradient (mobile phase A: 10 mM ammonium formate and mobile phase B: acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. LC–MS was operated under the selective ion monitoring mode using the electrospray ionization technique in the positive mode. The retention times for naphazoline, dibucaine, and the internal standard (IS) were 6.7, 7.8, and 8.0 min, respectively. A linear graph was obtained for dibucaine and naphazoline with correlation coefficients >0.998 for all analytes by this method. The limit of quantification of dibucaine and naphazoline was 10 and 25 ng/mL, respectively. The mean recoveries were greater than 70%. Both compounds were stable under conditions of short-term storage, long-term storage as well as after freeze–thaw cycles. Monolithic spin column extraction and LC–MS analysis enabled the separation of dibucaine and naphazoline within 20 min.

Summary Estimates of the Michaelis constants for usual5 and ‘atypical’ serum cholinesterase with α-naphthyl acetate as substrate were obtained. Expressed as m-moles α-naphthyl acetate per litre the values were: ‘usual’ enzyme 0-76 + 0-056, ‘atypical’ enzyme 0-58 + 0-057. The inhibition of the activity of the two enzymes by dibucaine, RO 2-0683, and fluoride was also examined using α-naphthyl acetate as substrate. It was found that, in the appropriate concentration range, the ‘usual’ enzyme was inhibited to a much greater degree than the ‘atypical’ enzyme by dibucaine and RO 2-0683. With fluoride, however, the difference, though significant, was much less marked. The findings are compared with similar data obtained when choline esters were used as substrates for the enzymes, and are considered in terms of the hypothesis that a structural difference at the ‘anionic’ site is the cause of the difference in the properties of the two enzymes.

Based on universal thermodynamic principles (Schwarz in Biophys Chem 86:119-129, 2000) it is shown how measured enthalpy changes can be utilized to determine the relevant binding isotherm as well as the variation of the molar enthalpy change. This is carried out in a novel way involving multiple titration experiments whose evaluation requires no beforehand assumptions or models whatever. An appropriate specific model mechanism may be discussed afterwards and developed in view of the given experimental results. The pertinent procedure is demonstrated using micro-calorimetric data obtained in the case of the local anesthetic dibucaine as it associates with POPC liposomes. Mutual interactions of the bound ligand molecules could be described in terms of repulsive enthalpic and entropic activity coefficients. Apparently these are induced by electrostatic forces and by the finite size of binding sites, respectively.

Anesthetics have in common the capacity to partition indiscriminately into all biological membranes and act as general perturbants of the membrane structure and function. However, anesthetic mechanisms have not yet been clarified. Some measurement techniques are used to investigate the interaction between anesthetic and biological materials. Thus, in this research we examined the utility of the electrode selectively sensitive to local anesthetics as a measurement technique of the interaction of the bovine serum albumin (BSA) with local anesthetics. The electromotive forces (EMF) of the local anesthetic dibucaine and tetracaine cation-selective electrodes were measured relative to an Ag-AgCl reference electrode in both the absence and presence of BSA at pH 5.5. In the absence of BSA, both the dibucaine and tetracaine electrodes showed a linear response with a Nernstian slope over the concentration of 10−5 mol dm−3. Most of local aneshetic molecules must exist as the protonated cation at pH 5.5, judging from the pKa values. In the presence of BSA, the response curve was shifted toward the higher concentration of anesthetics, which means a decrease of the concentration of free anesthetic cation due to binding to BSA. The binding isotherms of anesthetics to BSA were calculated from a pair of response curves. The slope of the binding isotherm increased steeply above a certain concentration of local anesthetics, which means that the binding form of local anesthetic into BSA is multiple-step.

A simple, rapid, accurate, precise and specific analytical method has been developed, validated and applied for determination of cinchocaine in guinea pig and albino rabbit dorsal skins, after in vivo application of cinchocaine formulations. Extraction was performed using a solvent mixture of ethanol and 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (90:10; v/v). Samples were chromatographed on Spheri-5, RP18 column with a particle size of 5 µm and 220 mm × 4.6 mm i.d. The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile and triethylamine phosphate buffer (pH 2.8; 0.04 M) (60:40, v/v). UV detection was carried out at 247 nm and the run time was 6 min with typical retention time of cinchocaine of 3.63 ± 0.02 min. Specificity was demonstrated, showing that the cinchocaine peak was free of interference from skin endogenous components. The detector response was found to be linear in the concentration range 0.96–56.00 µg/mL with a coefficient of correlation r = 0.99996. The relative standard deviations of within- and between-day analyses were all below 5%. The drug extraction procedure was validated. Satisfactory recoveries with relative standard deviation values below 5% were obtained, indicating efficient quantitative reproducible extraction procedure. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity assay and inhibitor phenotyping can help to identify individuals at risk of prolonged paralysis following the administration of neuromuscular blocking agents, like succinylcholine, pesticides and nerve agents. In this study, the activity of BChE and its sensitivity to inhibition by dibucaine and fluoride was evaluated in 1200 Polish healthy individuals. In addition, molecular analysis of all exons, exon-intron boundaries and the 3'UTR sequence of the BCHE gene was performed in a group of 72 subjects with abnormal BChE activity (2000 U/L and5745 U/L) or with DN (Dibucaine Number) or FN (Fluoride-Number) values outside the reference range (DN 78 and FN lower than wild type). In a studied group, BChE activity range was similar to those observed in other populations. BChE activity screening allowed to detect UA and UF phenotypes in 26 (2.2%) and 15 (1.2%) individuals, respectively. Observed UA or UF phenotypes were confirmed by direct sequencing and heterozygous c.293A G or c.1253G T substitutions were identified in all cases. Nine out of 18 (50%) individuals with BChE activity below 2000 U/L had a mutation in 5'UTR (32G/A), intron 2 (c.1518-121T/C) or exon 4 (c.1699G/A; the K variant mutation). Majority of the individuals with BChE activity ≥6000 U/L were wild type. To summarize, the range of BChE activity in a Polish population is similar to those observed in other countries. We conclude that the BChE phenotyping assay is a reliable method for identification of individuals with the UA and UF genotypes.

Using broadband dielectric spectroscopy the molecular mobility of dibucaine is investigated in the supercooled liquid and gassy states, over a wide temperature range for some test frequencies. Above the glass transition temperature Tg, the presence of structural α- relaxation peak was observed due to the cooperative motions of the molecule and upon cooling frozen kinetically to form the glass. The secondary relaxation process was perceivable below Tg due to localized motions. The peak loss frequency of α-relaxation process shows non-Arrhenius behavior and obeys Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation over the measured temperature range whereas the β- process shows Arrhenius behavior.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity assay and inhibitor phenotyping can help to identify patients at risk of prolonged paralysis following the administration of neuromuscular blocking agents. The assay plays an important role in clinical chemistry as a good diagnostic marker for intoxication with pesticides and nerve agents. Furthermore, the assay is also commonly used for in vitro characterization of cholinesterases, their toxins and drugs. There is still lack of standardized procedure for measurement of BChE activity and many laboratories use different substrates at various concentrations. The purpose of this study was to validate the BChE activity assay to determine the best dilution of human serum and the most optimal concentration of substrates and inhibitors. Serum BChE activity was measured using modified Ellman’s method applicable for a microplate reader. We present our experience and new insights into the protocol for high-throughput routine assays of human plasma cholinesterase activities adapted to a microplate reader. During our routine assays used for the determination of BChE activity, we have observed that serum dilution factor influences the results obtained. We show that a 400-fold dilution of serum and 5mM S-butyrylthiocholine iodide can be successfully used for the accurate measurement of BChE activity in human serum. We also discuss usage of various concentrations of dibucaine and fluoride in BChE phenotyping. This study indicates that some factors of such a multicomponent clinical material like serum can influence kinetic parameters of the BChE. The observed inhibitory effect is dependent on serum dilution factor used in the assay.

Many biochemical effects of local anesthetics are expressed in Ca2+-dependent processes [Volpi M., Sha'afi R. I., Epstein P. M., Andrenyak P. M., and Feinstein M. B. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 795–799]. In this communication we report that local anesthetics (dibucaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, and procaine and the analogue quinacrine) inhibit the Ca2+-dependent and the Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity of rat brain synaptosomes and of membrane vesicles derived from them by osmotic shock. This inhibition is induced by concentrations of these drugs close to their pharmacological doses, and a good correlation between K0.5 of inhibition and their relative anesthetic potency is found. The Ca2+-dependent ATPase is more selectively inhibited at lower drug concentrations. The physiological relevance of these findings is discussed briefly.

Desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) has been successfully combined with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer to provide mass spectra and product ion mass spectra of active ingredients formulated in pharmaceutical tablets, gels and ointments. Accurate mass data has been obtained from the DESI mass spectra and of the product ion fragments of selected ions, greatly enhancing the selectivity and information content of the experiment. This accurate mass information only takes seconds to acquire since the DESI technique does not require any sample preparation or extraction prior to mass analysis.

Local anesthetics block not only the Na(+) but also the K(+) and Ca(2+) channels in the mammalian neurons. It is well known that lidocaine has neuroprotective actions against the ischemic insult of neurons in the central nervous system. In order to elucidate how other local anesthetics as well as lidocaine show the neuroprotective effects against in vitro ischemic insult, intracellular recordings were made from CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat hippocampal slices. Superfusion with the medium deprived of oxygen and glucose (in vitro ischemia) produced a rapid depolarization after 5 min of exposure. When the normal medium was immediately reintroduced after the rapid depolarization, the membrane depolarized further (persistent depolarization), the neurons showed no functional recovery. Pretreatment with tetracaine, bupivacaine, procaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, or dibucaine (10 or 300 microM) prolonged the latency of the rapid depolarization, and most of the drugs partially restored the membrane potential toward the pre-exposure level after the reintroduction. Judging from the neuroprotective actions such as the prolongation and the potential recovery by these drugs, lidocaine, bupivacaine, and dibucaine are candidates for the therapeutic use against the ischemic insult. Suppression of the regenerative Na(+) conductance is somehow involved in the neuroprotective actions of local anesthetics.

Interaction of the local anesthetic dibucaine with small unilamellar vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) containing different mole percents of monosialoganglioside (GM1) has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence measurements on dibucaine in the presence of phospholipid vesicles containing various amounts of GM1 yielded a pattern of variation of wavelength at emission maximum and steady-state anisotropy which indicated that the microenvironment of dibucaine is more hydrophobic and rigid in membranes that contain GM1 than in membranes without it. Experiments on quenching of fluorescence from membrane-associated dibucaine by potassium iodide showed reduced quenching efficiency with the increase in GM1 content of the vesicles, demonstrating lesser accessibility of the iodide quenchers to dibucaine in the presence of GM1, when compared to that in its absence. Total emission intensity decay profiles of dibucaine yielded two lifetime components of approximately 1 and approximately 2.8-3.1 ns with mean relative contributions of approximately 25 and approximately 75%, respectively. The mean lifetime in vesicles was 20-30% lower than in the aqueous medium and showed a definite increase in presence of GM1 from that in the absence of it. All the spectral properties point that dibucaine encountered regions of membrane containing significant amount of GM1 and penetrated deeper in hydrophobic core of the bilayer.

The effects of procaine and some relatedagents on the growth rate of thecyanobacterium Synechococcusleopoliensis were investigated underphotoautotropic growth conditions and thedata compared with those for selectedphytohormones. Low concentrations(0.1–1 μM) of synthetic localanaesthetics (procaine, procainamide,tetracaine, lidocaine, dibucaine) enhancedphotoautotrophic growth. Lidocaine was themost effective growth stimulant, followedin decreasing order by procainamide,tetracaine, dibucaine, and procaine.Increases in growth rate were comparable tothose elicited by similar concentrations ofthe auxins indole-3-acetic acid and2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and of thecytokinin kinetin. Quantitativestructure-activity relationships betweenthe anaesthetics and phytohormones weresought. Score plots of principal componentsformulated from twelve moleculardescriptors suggest that the proliferativeeffects evoked by the anaesthetics andphytohormones may result from similaraffinities for binding receptor sites onthe cyanobacterial cell surface.Cyanobacterial growth assays couldtherefore be utilised as screens forcompounds with potential applications inagriculture and medicine.evolution

SummaryPhosphatidylserine exposure in platelets is required for normal haemostasis and is also a hallmark of apoptosis. It results from activation of a phospholipid scramblase, which has been shown to be differently stimulated by Ca2+-influx and during apoptosis, thus suggesting that mitochondria may be involved in phosphatidylserine exposure in platelets. It is also well known that local anaesthetics can expose phosphatidylserine in platelets and affect the mitochondrial metabolism in other cells. Thus, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the specific involvement of mitochondria in phosphatidylserine exposure in platelets. For this purpose, we stimulated phosphatidylserine exposure by local anaesthetics and avoided any external Ca2+-influx by performing all experiments in the absence of added Ca2+. We report that phosphatidylserine exposure, induced by the lipophilic local anaesthetics dibucaine and tetracaine, was accompanied by depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, cytochrome c release, calpain-processing of caspases 9 and 3 to active enzymes, as well as a prolonged increase in both cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ concentrations. In contrast, in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, the Ca2+-ionophore A23187 induced a smaller transient increase in both cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ concentrations, but did not induce any other phenomena, nor phosphatidylserine exposure. However, phosphatidylserine exposure and depolarization induced by dibucaine still occurred in spite of inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ elevation. Thus we conclude that phosphatidylserine exposure in platelets is associated with mitochondrial apoptotic-like events. Therefore, we propose that mitochondria engagement in an apoptotic pathway in platelets could lead to PS exposure without the participation of Ca2+.

We prepared nanoaggregates of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polymethacrylate (PEO-b-PMA) in which the PMA block was electrically neutralized with cationic anesthetics. The anesthetics employed are dibucaine, tetracaine, and procaine. They self-assembled to form micelle-like nanoaggregates comprised of core of neutralized polyions surrounded by the PEO corona. The formation of the nanoaggregates is confirmed by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, turbidimetry, and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the properties of the aggregates strongly depend on the hydrophobicity of the anesthetics and that hydrophobic interaction as well as electrostatic interaction plays an important role in binding between the PMA block and the anesthetics. The aggregate induced by dibucaine has a highly viscous interior, whereas that induced by tetracaine has a fluid interior due to its less hydrophobic effect. Procaine did not give the aggregates probably due to its low hydrophobicity. The significance of these new types of nanoaggregates is that they can incorporate ionic drugs into their cores in aqueous solutions, in considerable contrast to conventional polymer micelles in which only hydrophobic species can be incorporated into the core. The potential applications of the present systems include a carrier for ionic drugs.

The dibucaine number (DN) was determined for serum cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8, SChE) in plasma samples. The ones with a DN of 79-82 were used, because they had the "usual" SChE variant. The enzyme was assayed colorimetrically by the reaction of 5,5'-dithiobis-[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB) with the free sulfhydryl groups of thiocholine that were produced by the enzyme reaction with butrylthiocholine (BuTch) or acetylthiocholine (AcTch) substrates, and measured at 412 nm. Dibucaine, a quaternary ammonium compound, inhibited SChE to a minimum within 2 min in a reversible manner. The inhibition was very potent. It had an IC(50) of 5.3 microM with BuTch or 3.8 microM with AcTch. The inhibition was competitive with respect to BuTch with a K(i) of 1.3 microM and a linear-mixed type (competitive/noncompetitive) with respect to AcTch with inhibition constants, K(i) and K(I) of 0.66 and 2.5 microM, respectively. Dibucaine possesses a butoxy side chain that is similar to the butryl group of BuTch and longer by an ethylene group from AcTch. This may account for the difference in inhibition behavior. It may also suggest the existence of an additional binding site, other than the anionic binding site, and of a hydrophobic nature.

Sonic spray ionization (SSI) was compared with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) as an interface for liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of some local anesthetics. Peaks at [M+H]+ constituted the base peaks for all compounds by both SSI and APCI, except for prilocaine. The sensitivities by SSI for tetracaine, benzoxinate, dibucaine, bupivacaine and mepivacaine were 4–16 times higher than those by APCI; those by SSI for procaine and lidocaine were equivalent to those by APCI. Only for prilocaine was the sensitivity by SSI two times lower than that by APCI. In view of the higher sensitivities obtained for many local anesthetics by SSI, we established a detailed procedure for the assay of these drugs in human plasma and urine by LC-MS with SSI in combination with a diol-bonded silica gel HPLC column that enabled direct injection of crude biological samples without complicated pretreatment. The recoveries, sensitivities, accuracies and precisions were found satisfactory to quantitate them at their therapeutic levels.