A literature review of reports of the stability and storage of common injectable chemotherapy agents used in veterinary patients

Mentha aquatica L. aerial parts: in vitro anti-proliferative evaluation on human tumour and non-tumour cell lines

Bearing in mind the several medicinal properties of Mentha genus, this work aimed to evaluate the anti-proliferative potential of the ethanolic extract (EE) and fractions from M. aquatica L aerial parts. Using the anti-proliferative protocol developed by the NCI/USA, four fractions (F2 - F4 and F6) obtained from EE showed promising anti-proliferative profile against a panel of human tumor and non-tumor cell lines. After 24-h exposure, F2 (0.25 µg/mL) showed potent and irreversible anti-proliferative effect without inducing cell cycle arrest in both NCI-H460 and MCF-7 cells, without (anti) estrogenic activity. These effects were lost after storage of F2 diluted in dimethyl sulfoxide at -80 °C during 2 weeks. Analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass detection evidenced some chemical changes induced by F2 storage in solution. The present study demonstrated the anti-proliferative effect of M. aquatica. Further studies are necessary to determine better storage conditions to enhance F2 stability.

Pharmaceutical Development of 5-Fluorouracil-Eluting Stents for the Potential Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers and Related Obstructions

BACKGROUND

Drug-eluting gastrointestinal (GI) stents are emerging as promising platforms for the treatment of GI cancers and provide the combined advantages of mechanical support to prevent lumen occlusion and as a reservoir for localized drug delivery to tumors. Therefore, in this work we present a detailed quality assurance study of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) drug-eluting stents (DESs) as potential candidates for the treatment of obstructive GI cancers.

METHODS

The 5FU DESs were fabricated via a simple two-step sequential dip-coating process of commercial GI self-expanding nitinol stents with a 5FU-loaded polyurethane basecoat and a drug-free protective poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) topcoat. The drug loading, content uniformity and drug stability were determined using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, which is also recommended in the United States Pharmacopeia. In vitro drug release studies were performed in phosphate buffered saline to determine the drug releasing properties of the two 5FU-loaded stents. Gas chromatography (GC) and HPLC were employed to determine total residual tetrahydrofuran and N,N-dimethylformamide in the stents remaining from the manufacturing process. Sterilization of the stents was performed using gamma radiation and stability testing was carried out for 3 months.

RESULTS

The drug loading analysis revealed excellent uniformity in the distribution of 5FU between and within individual stents. Determination of drug stability in the biorelevant release media confirmed that 5FU remains stable over 100 d. In vitro drug release studies from the stents revealed sustained release of 5FU across two different time scales (161 and 30 d), and mathematical modeling of drug release profiles revealed a diffusion-controlled mechanism for the sustained 5FU release. GC and HPLC analysis revealed that the daily residual solvent leached from the stents was below the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, and therefore, unlikely to cause localized/systemic toxicities. Sterilization of the stents with gamma radiation and accelerated stability tests over a period of 3 months revealed no significant effect on the stability or in vitro release of 5FU.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that the 5FU DESs meet relevant quality standards and display favourable drug release characteristics for the potential treatment of GI cancers and related obstructions.