Bioavailability of butorphanol after intranasal administration to horses

The aim of the present study was to describe butorphanol pharmacokinetics and bioavailability following intranasal administration to horses. Six adult horses received 0.05 mg/kg butorphanol, in a randomised crossover design, by either intravenous or intranasal route. Plasma concentrations of butorphanol were measured at predetermined time points using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry assay. After intravenous injection, mean ±SD butorphanol steady-state volume of distribution and clearance was 3.20 ± 1.77 l/kg and 3.18 ± 1.47 L/kg/h, respectively. Terminal half-lives for butorphanol after intravenous and intranasal administrations were 0.68 ± 0.17 h and 1.79 ± 1.43 h. For intranasal administration, absorption half-life and peak plasma concentration were 0.43 ± 0.33 h and 1.95 ± 1.7 ng/mL, respectively. Bioavailability was 54.45 ± 20.09%. Intranasal butorphanol administration in horses is practical, not stressful and well tolerated. Therefore, it might be a substitute to the intravenous route in adult horses

Mimotopes of mutalysin-II from Lachesis muta snake venom induce hemorrhage inhibitory antibodies upon vaccination of rabbits

Mutalysin-II (mut-II) from Lachesis muta snake venom is an endopeptidase with hemorrhagic activity. A mAb against mutalysin-II that neutralized the hemorrhagic effect was produced previously. To identify the mAb epitopes, sets of 15-mer overlapping peptides covering the mut-II amino acid sequence were synthesized using the SPOT method and tested but failed to react with the mAb. Using a phage-display approach seventeen clones reactive with mAb were identified. Additional immunoassays with the peptides and mAb identified the QCTMDQGRLRCR, TCATDQGRLRCT, HCFHDQGRVRCA, HCTMDQGRLRCR and SCMLDQGRSRCR sequences as possible epitopes. Immunization of rabbits with these peptides induced antibodies that recognize mut-II and protected against the hemorrhagic effects of Lachesis venom.

Exercises using the upper limbs hyperinflate COPD patients more than exercises using the lower limbs at the same metabolic demand

BACKGROUND

Lower and upper body exercise are mandatory constituents of a rehabilitation programme for patients with COPD. However, it is not known how much these exercises may induce pulmonary dynamic hyperinflation (DH).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the DH in patients with COPD exercising the upper and lower parts of the body at the same metabolic demand.

METHODS

Sixteen patients aged 63 +/- 13 years and with a FEV1 of 1.5 +/- 0.7 L (41 +/- 11% pred) were studied. Patients initially performed a maximal exercise test with the arms using the diagonal movement technique. The lower limbs were exercised on a treadmill at the same metabolic demand.

RESULTS

Inspiratory capacity decreased 222 +/- 158 ml (9.8%) after the upper body exercise (p < 0.0001) and 148 +/- 161 ml (7%) after exercise with the lower body (p = 0.0028) and a difference between the two groups was found (p < 0.05). There was no difference between resting IC before upper and lower limbs exercises (p = 0.8); increase in minute ventilation and in pulmonary ventilation in percentage of maximum voluntary ventilation and reduction of expiratory time were larger in the upper limbs exercise (p < 0.05). Dyspnea as measured by the Borg Scale was higher in the upper body (3.9 +/- 2.2) than in the lower body (2.3 +/- 1.3) at the end of the exercise (p = 0.033). Pulmonary ventilation and inspiratory capacity were correlated (p = 0.0001; r = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

Exercise with the upper part of the body causes more DH and dyspnea than exercise with the lower part of the body at the same metabolic demand.