The effects of oxymetazoline on lysozyme secretion from the human nasal mucosa

1,3-Dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin as an efficient homogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 2-arylthiazolines and 2-arylimidazolines

A simple, facile, and efficient procedure for the synthesis of 2-arylthizolines and 2-arylimidazolines has been developed by the simple condensation of nitriles with 2-aminoethanethiol or ethylenediamine catalyzed by 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin under solvent-free conditions. Selective preparation of bisthiozolines and monoimidazolines from dinitriles and also selective conversion of arylnitriles to their corresponding 2-arylthiazolines or imidazolines in the presence of alkylnitriles can be considered as considerable advantages of this method.

Oxymetazoline modulates proinflammatory cytokines and the T-cell stimulatory capacity of dendritic cells

Abstract:  The nasal decongestant oxymetazoline (OMZ) is frequently used in the topical treatment of rhinitis/sinusitis. As proinflammatory cytokines play a critical role in the development and maintenance of local inflammation, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of OMZ on immune cells in order to diminish the mucosal infiltration of the nose. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from buffy coats of healthy volunteers were isolated and stimulated in the presence or absence of OMZ. In addition, monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DC) were generated and different concentrations of OMZ were added. DC phenotype and their T‐cell stimulatory properties were analysed. The vasoactive substance OMZ showed a concentration dependent inhibitory effect on T‐cell activation as well as a dominant effect on T‐cell stimulatory properties of DC. Low concentrations of OMZ inhibited the proliferation of polyclonally activated T cells. In addition, secretion of proinflammatory mediators such as the cytokines interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF α), IL‐6 and IL‐8 were inhibited in the presence of physiological doses of OMZ. Interestingly, the addition of IL‐6 to DC‐T‐cell co‐culture was able to completely restore T‐cell proliferation. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the anti‐inflammatory properties of OMZ are partially mediated by the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines as well as reduced T‐cell stimulatory capacity of DC resulting in a repressed stimulation of T cells. Therefore, the therapeutic benefit of OMZ can be explained in part by its immunomodulating effects in the topical treatment of nasal inflammation.

Intravail: highly effective intranasal delivery of peptide and protein drugs

Recent development of a new class of patented alkylsaccharide transmucosal delivery enhancement agents, collectively designated as Intravail (Aegis Therapeutics) absorption enhancers, has created opportunities for new therapeutic options across a broad spectrum of human diseases. Intravail absorption enhancers provide unsurpassed intranasal bioavailabilities, comparable to those that are achieved by injection for protein, peptide and other macromolecular therapeutics. These novel, highly effective and non-irritating excipients circumvent the two primary limitations of intranasal drug delivery, namely mucosal irritation and poor bioavailability, and offer the promise of more convenient, more effective and safer therapeutics for patients and physicians alike. For pharmaceutical companies, Intravail provides a means to capitalise on two important industry dynamics: rapidly growing industry interest in commercialising peptide and protein drugs, and increasing interest in, and use of, the intranasal route for systemic drug delivery.

Measurement of albumin in nasal lavage using the technique of chemiluminescent immunoassay

A method has been developed that uses chemiluminescent acridinium esters rather than radioactive iodine in an immunoassay for albumin. Albumin is a protein derived from plasma sources found in nasal fluids. As such, it can be used as an important marker of plasma exudation in experimental rhinology. The assay was developed as an alternative to radioimmunoassay for a number of reasons: chemiluminescent assays do not require radioactive materials and the complex safety related aspects of their usage; the assays are easy to perform and do not require expensive equipment; and the assay is capable of the sensitivity required to detect very small changes in albumin concentrations in nasal fluids. The assay measures albumin with a sensitivity of 1.2 ng/ml. The working range of the assay is 1.0-23.7 micrograms/ml with an interassay coefficient of variation < or = 15%. This working range encompasses the range of albumin usually found in nasal lavage samples from normal volunteers.