Pharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic evaluation of novel rectal mucoadhesive hydrogels containing tolmetin sodium

Afaf A. Ramadan,Asmaa M. Elbakry,Asmaa H. Esmaeil,Sahar A. Khaleel 한국약제학회 2018 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.48 No.6

The objective of the present study was to develop rectal mucoadhesive hydrogels loaded with Tolmetin Sodium, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for prolonged duration of action and increased bioavailability. Fourteen formulae were prepared with different types and concentrations of polymers as hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium alginate. Each formulation contain Tolmetin Sodium equivalent to 5% w/w active drug. The effect of the employed gel bases on pH, gel strength, mucoadhesion, viscosity and the in vitro release profile of drug was examined. In addition, hydrogel formulations were subjected to rheological and stability studies. The physicochemical characterization revealed that all hydrogels had a suitable pH (6.64–7.75) and gel strength (15.5–65.29 s) for rectal application. The in-vitro drug release from the formulations showed a controlled drug release pattern, reaching 72–92.6% after 8 h. The kinetic analysis of the release data revealed that the drug release from all tested hydrogel bases obeyed the diffusion mechanism. The degradation of Tolmetin Sodium from its rectal hydrogel formulations was found to be a zero-order reaction. All formulations except sodium alginate hydrogel were quite stable. Considering the in-vitro release, rheological properties and shelf life, (CMC; 2%w/w) hydrogel formula was the best among the studied formulations. Therefore, further histopathological and bioavailability studies were carried out to detect different pharmacokinetic parameters of the established formulations compared with commercially available capsules. Formula containing 2% CMC showed relative bioavailability 357.93%. Finally, good correlation was observed between in-vitro and in-vivo profile.

Protective and health-promoting impact of Washingtonia filifera oil on the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic mice

El-Beeh Mohamed E.,El-Badawi Ashraf A.,Qari Sameer H.,Ramadan Mohamed Fawzy,Filfilan Wessam M. 한국응용생명화학회 2022 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.65 No.3

Diabetes kidney damage (DKD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the kidney induced with continuous hyperglycemia as the most prevalent consequence of diabetes. Washingtonia filifera seed oil (WFO) was used as a traditional medicine to cure various diseases in ancient Saudi. This work was carried out to investigate the potential protective impact of WFO against DKD on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic mice (C57BL/6 mice). The mice were randomly split into groups: C, C + WFO (200 mg/Kg B.W.), T2D, and T2D + WFO (200 mg/Kg B.W.). Diabetes was created in mice groups except for the control group after 6 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Treatments with STZ (60 mg/ kg body weight) were administered three times for 6 weeks, and after that, mice were sacrificed. Kidney tissues and serum were obtained to analyze levels of insulin, metabolism of lipids [triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), highdensity lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and free fatty acids (FFA)], antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)], creatine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). In addition, H&E staining had been used to investigate the histological changes of the kidneys. In T2D mice, WFO corrected aberrant serum lipids (TG, TC, HDL, LDL, and FFA), elevated antioxidative enzyme levels (CAT, SOD, and GPx), and inhibited GST to various degrees. In addition, WFO improves kidney pathological traits such as fibrosis of the kidney, hypertrophy of glomeruli, and basement membrane thickness of glomeruli. Through hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory actions, WFO might ameliorate diabetic alterations in T2D mice. WFO could significantly reduce AGE buildup in the T2D mice kidneys, therefore alleviating kidney oxidative stress and inflammatory kidney damage. Diabetes kidney damage (DKD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the kidney induced with continuous hyperglycemia as the most prevalent consequence of diabetes. Washingtonia filifera seed oil (WFO) was used as a traditional medicine to cure various diseases in ancient Saudi. This work was carried out to investigate the potential protective impact of WFO against DKD on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic mice (C57BL/6 mice). The mice were randomly split into groups: C, C + WFO (200 mg/Kg B.W.), T2D, and T2D + WFO (200 mg/Kg B.W.). Diabetes was created in mice groups except for the control group after 6 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Treatments with STZ (60 mg/kg body weight) were administered three times for 6 weeks, and after that, mice were sacrificed. Kidney tissues and serum were obtained to analyze levels of insulin, metabolism of lipids [triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and free fatty acids (FFA)], antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)], creatine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). In addition, H&E staining had been used to investigate the histological changes of the kidneys. In T2D mice, WFO corrected aberrant serum lipids (TG, TC, HDL, LDL, and FFA), elevated antioxidative enzyme levels (CAT, SOD, and GPx), and inhibited GST to various degrees. In addition, WFO improves kidney pathological traits such as fibrosis of the kidney, hypertrophy of glomeruli, and basement membrane thickness of glomeruli. Through hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory actions, WFO might ameliorate diabetic alterations in T2D mice. WFO could significantly reduce AGE buildup in the T2D mice kidneys, therefore alleviating kidney oxidative stress and inflammatory kidney damage.

Buckling of insulated irregular transition flue gas ducts under axial loading

H.M. Ramadan 국제구조공학회 2012 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.43 No.4

Finite element buckling analysis of insulated transition flue ducts is carried out to determine the critical buckling load multipliers when subjected to axial compression for design process. Through this investigation, the results of numerical computations to examine the buckling strength for different possible duct shapes (cylinder, and circular-to-square) are presented. The load multipliers are determined through detailed buckling analysis taking into account the effects of geometrical construction and duct plate thickness which have great influence on the buckling load. Enhancement in the buckling capacity of such ducts by the addition of horizontal and vertical stiffeners is also investigated. Several models with varying dimensions and plate thicknesses are examined to obtain the linear buckling capacities against duct dimensions. The percentage improvement in the buckling capacity due to the addition of vertical stiffeners and horizontal Stiffeners is shown to be as high as three times for some cases. The study suggests that the best location of the horizontal stiffener is at 0.25 of duct depth from the bottom to achieve the maximum buckling capacity. A design equation estimating the buckling strength of geometrically perfect cylindrical-to-square shell is developed by using regression analysis accurately with approximately 4% errors.

Buckling of insulated irregular transition flue gas ducts under axial loading

Ramadan, H.M. Techno-Press 2012 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.43 No.4

Finite element buckling analysis of insulated transition flue ducts is carried out to determine the critical buckling load multipliers when subjected to axial compression for design process. Through this investigation, the results of numerical computations to examine the buckling strength for different possible duct shapes (cylinder, and circular-to-square) are presented. The load multipliers are determined through detailed buckling analysis taking into account the effects of geometrical construction and duct plate thickness which have great influence on the buckling load. Enhancement in the buckling capacity of such ducts by the addition of horizontal and vertical stiffeners is also investigated. Several models with varying dimensions and plate thicknesses are examined to obtain the linear buckling capacities against duct dimensions. The percentage improvement in the buckling capacity due to the addition of vertical stiffeners and horizontal Stiffeners is shown to be as high as three times for some cases. The study suggests that the best location of the horizontal stiffener is at 0.25 of duct depth from the bottom to achieve the maximum buckling capacity. A design equation estimating the buckling strength of geometrically perfect cylindrical-to-square shell is developed by using regression analysis accurately with approximately 4% errors.

Effect of FRP composites on buckling capacity of anchored steel tanks

H. Ramadan,M.A. Al-Kashif,A. Rashed,M.A. Haroun 국제구조공학회 2010 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.10 No.4

Enhancement in the seismic buckling capacity of steel tanks caused by the addition of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) retrofit layers attached to the outer walls of the steel tank is investigated. Threedimensional non-linear finite element modeling is utilized to perform such analysis considering non linear material properties and non-linear large deformation large strain analysis. FRP composites which possess high stiffness and high failure strength are used to reduce the steel hoop stress and consequently improve the tank capacity. A number of tanks with varying dimensions and shell thicknesses are examined using FRP composites added in symmetric layers attached to the outer surface of the steel shell. The FRP shows its effectiveness in carrying part of the hoop stresses along with the steel before steel yielding. Following steel yielding, the FRP restrains the outward bulging of the tank and continues to resist higher hoop stresses. The percentage improvement in the ultimate base moment capacity of the tank due to the addition of more FRP layers is shown to be as high as 60% for some tanks. The percentage of increase in the tank moment capacity is shown to be dependent on the ratio of the shell thickness to the tank radius (t/R). Finally a new methodology has been explained to calculate the location of Elephant foot buckling and consequently the best location of FRP application.

Experimental and numerical study of one-sided branch plate-to-circular hollow section connections

M.M. Hassan,H. Ramadan,M. Abdel-Mooty,S.A. Mourad 국제구조공학회 2015 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.19 No.4

Connections to circular hollow steel sections (CHS) are considered one of the most complex and time consuming connections in steel construction. Such connections are usually composed of gusset plates welded to the outside of the steel tube or penetrating the steel tube. Design guides, accounting for the effect of connection configuration on the strength of the connection, are not present. This study aims to investigate, through experimental testing and a parametric study, the influence of connection configuration on the strength of one sided branch plate-to-CHS members. A notable effect was observed on the behavior of the connections due to its detailing changes with respect to capacity, failure mode, ductility, and stress distribution. A parametric study is performed using the calibrated analytical model to include a wider range of parameters. The study involves 26 numerical analyses of finite element models including parameters of the diameter-to-thickness (<I>D/t</I>) ratio, length of gusset plate, and connection configuration. Accordingly, a modification to the formulas provided by the current design recommendations was suggested to include connection configuration effects for the one sided branch plate-to-CHS members.

Behavior of gusset plate-T0-CCFT connections with different configurations

M.M. Hassan,H.M. Ramadan,M. Naeem,S.A. Mourad 국제구조공학회 2014 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.17 No.5

Concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) composite columns, either circular (CCFT) or rectangular (RCFT), have many economical and aesthetic advantages but the behavior of their connections are complicated. This study aims to investigate, through an experimental program, the performance and behavior of different connections configurations between circular concrete filled steel tube columns (CCFT) and gusset plates subjected to shear and axial compression loadings. The study included seventeen connection subassemblies consisting of a fixed length steel tube and gusset plate connected to the tube end with different details tested under half cyclic loading. A notable effect was observed on the behavior of the connections due to its detailing changes with respect to capacity, failure mode, ductility, and stress distribution.

Insectary production and synopsis of Fopius caudatus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), parasitoid of tephritid fruit flies indigenous to Africa

Aimé H. Bokonon-Ganta,Mohsen M. Ramadan,Russell H. Messing 한국응용곤충학회 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.22 No.1

Fopius caudatus (Szépligeti) is an endophagous koinobiont egg-larval parasitoid native to Africa. It has recently been noted as a candidate for augmentative biological control of several Dacinae fruit fly pests (Diptera: Tephritidae), due to its ability to parasitize the egg stage. Previous attempts to establish this parasitoid in Hawaii, Guatemala, and Costa Rica were unsuccessful due to inability to maintain parasitoid colonies under laboratory conditions. A cohort of F. caudatus collected from Kenyan fruit flies infesting Coffea arabica was successfully colonized in Hawaii at 28 °C and 60–80% RH, resulting in the development of a laboratory-adapted colony amenable for mass production. The parasitoid was successfully developed from eggs of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera latifrons as a factitious host. The wasps were propagated for 15 weeks until the rearing stabilized, at which point > 10,500 adults were produced with an overall sex ratio of 0.52 females and a mean host parasitism rate of 17.3%. It could parasitize Medfly eggs in fruits other than coffee, including papaya, mango, pear, squash, and sweet pepper. Female F. caudatus oviposited mainly in 24–48 h old Medfly eggs, although occasionally a few individuals eclosed when first instar fly larvae were exposed. Mean developmental time from egg to adult was 19.8 d for males and 21.5 d for females. Mean longevity was 5.2 d for males and 14.2 d for hostdeprived females. This study enabled us to maintain a colony of F. caudatus for research and redistribution to other countries for biocontrol programs against Medfly.

Early myocardial functional abnormalities in primary dyslipidemia: clinical and echocardiographic observations in young children from a highly consanguineous population

El-koofy Nehal M.,Fattouh Aya M.,Ramadan Areef,Elmonem Mohamed A.,Hamed Dina H. 대한소아청소년과학회 2022 Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics (CEP) Vol.65 No.8

Background: Dyslipidemia is a major health problem among children and adolescents worldwide due to its significant association with cardiovascular disease. Primary dyslipidemias are commonly familial syndromes that can be completely asymptomatic.Purpose: Apart from the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), limited data are currently available on the direct effects of dyslipidemia on myocardial function in children.Methods: We recruited 25 children with primary dyslipidemia (14 with isolated hypercholesterolemia, 4 with isolated hypertriglyceridemia, and 7 with combined dyslipidemia). Relevant clinical manifestations and laboratory and radiological investigations were evaluated. Pulsed-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging echocardiography were performed for all recruited patients and the results were compared with those of 15 age- and sex-matched healthy children.Results: The median age of the dyslipidemic children was 8 years (range, 1.5–16 years). A family history was documented in 13 cases (52%), while 18 (72%) had consanguineous parents. None of the dyslipidemic children had a personal history or clinical manifestations of CAD. In contrast, echocardiographic findings differed in several diastolic function parameters of both right and left ventricles in dyslipidemic children compared to controls. Based on normalized z scores, aortic valve narrowing was detected in 7 patients (28%), while narrowing of the aortic sinus (sinus of Valsalva) was detected in 15 patients (60%).Conclusion: Different types of primary dyslipidemia produce functional myocardial abnormalities early in childhood. Biochemical and echocardiographic screening of high-risk children is advised to minimize the incidence of serious cardiovascular complications.

Experimental investigation of zinc sodium borate glass systems containing barium oxide for gamma radiation shielding applications

Aboalatta, A.,Asad, J.,Humaid, M.,Musleh, H.,Shaat, S.K.K.,Ramadan, Kh,Sayyed, M.I.,Alajerami, Y.,Aldahoudi, N. Korean Nuclear Society 2021 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.53 No.9

Sodium zinc borate glasses doped with dysprosium and modified with different concentrations of barium oxide (0-50 mol %) were fabricated using the melting quenching technique. The structural properties of the prepared glass systems were characterized using XRD and FTIR methods. The absorption spectra of the prepared glasses were measured to determine their energy gap and their related optical properties. The density of the glasses and other physical parameters were also reported. Additionally, with the help of Photon Shielding and Dosimetry (PSD) software, we investigated the radiation shielding parameters of the prepared glass systems at different energy values. It was found that an increase in the density of the glasses by increasing the concentration of BaO significantly improved the gamma ray shielding ability of the samples. For practical results, a compatible irradiation set up was designed to check the shielding capability of the obtained glasses using a gamma ray source at 662 keV. The experimentally obtained results strongly agreed with the data obtained by PDS software at the same energy. These results demonstrated that the investigated glass system is a good candidate for several radiation shielding applications when comparing it with other commercial shielding glasses and concretes.