薬理と治療

Objectives Gellan gum is a thickening agent and is used for pharmaceutical formulations including eyedrops. To investigate whether gellan gum improves the availability of eyedrops, we conducted the ocular retention tests using albino rabbits on formulations containing gellan gum or hypromellose(HPMC)/alginate, and compared the remaining amounts of active ingredients after antimicrobial eyedrops instillation. Methods Fluorescein sodium solutions containing gellan gum or HPMC/alginate were instilled in the conjunctiva of albino rabbits. The luminescence of fluid was observed under cobalt blue light, and measured the retention time when no luminescence was detected on the tear meniscus. For the availability tests, sulphamethoxazole(SMX)formulation containing gellan gum and commercial formulation containing HPMC/alginate was instilled, and highperformance liquid chromatography(HPLC)determined the amounts of the active ingredients in tear fluids collected at 15, 30 and 60 minutes after instillation. Results Gellan gum improved fluid retention in a concentration-dependent manner, with significant increase at 0.4%(P<0.05). The retention times of formulations containing gellan gum or HPMC/alginate were significantly longer than control(0.9% saline). The HPLC analysis showed SMX instilled with gellan gum remained on the ocular surface until 60 min after instillation at more than MIC. In HPMC/alginate formulation, the active ingredients remained until 15 min but not at 60 min after instillation. The gellan gum formulation retained significantly higher amount of SMX than HPMC/alginate formulation at 60 min(P<0.05). Conclusions Gellan gum prolonged the eyedrops retention, and its antimicrobial formulation showed its availability as long as 60 min with biologically active concentration in the eye.

Background Dietary glucosylceramide have been reported to improve the skin barrier function in face and arm, but few studies have examined the effects for whole body. In this report, to study whether rice bran extract containing glucosylceramide can improve transepidermal water loss(TEWL)of whole body, a randomized placebo controlled double blind test was performed in healthy volunteers who had reported dryness of the skin. Methods 123 health volunteers took granular powder(1.5 g/day)with or without rice bran extract including 1.8 mg of glucosylceramide for 12 weeks and did not take it for the following 4 weeks. TEWL was evaluated at the upper back, neck, elbow, dorsum pedis and cheek using a Tewameter. Results TEWL of the rice bran extract uptake group was significantly reduced compared with the control group at 4, 8 and 12 weeks on the upper back, elbow and cheek, at 4 and 12 weeks on the neck, and at 8 weeks on the dorsum pedis. Conclusions These results demonstrate that dietary rice bran extract containing glucosylceramide improves skin condition of whole body.

Objective The effect of carbonated beverage containing resistant maltodextrin on the postprandial serum triglyceride was evaluated by a randomized double-blind crossover study. Method The subjects were 90 healthy volunteers(fasting serum triglyceride:120-200 mg/dL)and randomly divided into two groups. They ingested the test beverage containing 5 g(as fiber)of resistant maltodextrin or the placebo beverage containing none of resistant maltodextrin with a high fat diet. Serum triglyceride was measured before and 2, 3, 4 and 6 h after ingestion.Result In comparison with the placebo beverage, the test beverage significantly lowered the postprandial serum triglyceride at 2, 3 and 4 h after ingestion. In addition, postprandial serum remnant-like particle cholesterol was significantly lowered at 2, 3 and 4 h after ingestion of the test beverage. Conclusion These results suggest that the elevation of postprandial serum triglyceride issuppressed by the carbonated beverage containing resistant maltodextrin.