A validated stability-indicating liquid-chromatographic method for ranitidine hydrochloride in liquid oral dosage form

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) Formation from Ranitidine Impurities: Possible Root Causes of the Presence of NDMA in Ranitidine Hydrochloride

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a probable human carcinogen. This study investigated the root cause of the presence of NDMA in ranitidine hydrochloride. Forced thermal degradation studies of ranitidine hydrochloride and its inherent impurities (Imps. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K) listed in the European and United States Pharmacopeias revealed that in addition to ranitidine, Imps. A, C, D, E, H, and I produce NDMA at different rates in a solid or an oily liquid state. The rate of NDMA formation from amorphous Imps. A, C, and E was 100 times higher than that from crystalline ranitidine hydrochloride under forced degradation at 110 °C for 1 h. Surprisingly, crystalline Imp. H, bearing neither the N,N-dialkyl-2-nitroethene-1,1-diamine moiety nor a dimethylamino group, also generated NDMA in the solid state, while Imp. I, as an oily liquid, favorably produced NDMA at moderate temperatures (e.g., 50 °C). Therefore, strict control of the aforementioned specific impurities in ranitidine hydrochloride during manufacturing and storage allows appropriate control of NDMA in ranitidine and its pharmaceutical products. Understanding the pathways of the stability related NDMA formation enables improved control of the pharmaceuticals to mitigate this risk.

Comparison of the anti-diabetic effects of resveratrol, gliclazide and losartan in streptozotocin-induced experimental diabetes

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the resveratrol with gliclazide and losartan in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups of seven rats each. Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Rats with blood glucose levels above 250 mg/dl after 48 h of streptozotocin injection were included in the diabetic group. Gliclazide and resveratrol were administered for 3 weeks at 5 mg/kg per day and losartan was administered for 3 weeks at 30 mg/kg per day in an oral aqueous suspension. At the end of the third week all rats were euthanized and fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and the metabolic activity of the hepatic enzymes hexokinase and glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase were measured in tail blood and liver specimens. All parameters were quantified using an ELISA plate reader.

RESULTS

Resveratrol and gliclazide significantly reduced both blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels in diabetic rats (p < 0.001). However, losartan did not exhibit the same effects (p < 0.05). The enzymatic activity of the liver enzymes hexokinase, glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase, fructose 1,6-biphosphatase, pyruvate kinase and glucose-6 phosphatase were enhanced by resveratrol and gliclazide, while losartan treatment was not associated with significant changes in liver carbohydrate metabolism.

CONCLUSION

Resveratrol was not effective in improving liver carbohydrate metabolism relative to gliclazide, a drug widely used to treat diabetes. Dose-response profile of resveratrol remains indeterminate and additional studies may be necessary to determine effective dosing in diabetes.