Phosphatidylcholine association increases the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of ibuprofen in acute and chronic rodent models of joint inflammation: relationship to alterations in bioavailability and cyclooxygenase-inhibitory potency

We investigated whether chemical association of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to ibuprofen enhances the anti-inflammatory/analgesic activity of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and whether any change in therapeutic action is due to alterations in drug bioavailability and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity. Acute/chronic joint inflammation was induced in rats, by injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant. In the acute study, rats were administered saline, ibuprofen, or PC-ibuprofen (at NSAID doses of 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg), and 2 h later the pain threshold of the affected joint to pressure was measured. PC-ibuprofen increased the pain threshold at all NSAID doses, whereas unmodified ibuprofen demonstrated analgesic activity at only the highest dose. In the chronic study, we investigated the effects of saline, PC-ibuprofen, and ibuprofen (administered at 15 and 25 mg/kg/day) on ankle thickness and pain threshold, and demonstrated that PC-ibuprofen had significantly greater anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity than ibuprofen, over a 30- to 60-day period. PC association resulted in reduced uptake (decreased Cmax), a modest increase in the area under the curve, and a longer t(1/2) of ibuprofen. We also demonstrated that PC-ibuprofen was a comparable or a more effective inhibitor of both 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha concentration of fluid collected from tissue in and around the inflamed stifle joint, and COX-2 activity in activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that PC association results in increases in ibuprofen's anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in rodent models of acute and chronic joint inflammation, and this effect may relate to alterations in drug bioavailability and COX-inhibitory potency.

Decreasing rates of cervical cancer among American Indians and Hispanics in New Mexico (United States)

Minority women in New Mexico (United States)--including American Indian and Hispanic women--have shown disproportionately high incidence rates of invasive cervical cancer during the 1960s and 1970s. Several public health programs in New Mexico were directed toward early detection of cervical cellular abnormalities, particularly targeting the state's minority women. To evaluate the effectiveness of these programs, we examined the New Mexico Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data collected from 1969-92, and calculated average annual, age-specific, and age-adjusted incidence rates by ethnic group (American Indian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White) for five-year time intervals. We also calculated age-adjusted mortality rates for cervical cancer in the same ethnic groups using state vital records. Age-adjusted incidence rates for invasive cervical cancer show substantial temporal decreases, especially for minority women in the state. The age-adjusted incidence rate decreased by 66 percent, from 30.3 to 10.3 per 100,000 for American Indian women, and by 61 percent, from 26.1 to 10.2 per 100,000 for Hispanic women. A stage shift to earlier stages of cervical neoplasia occurred over the study period, with a substantially higher proportion of in situ compared with invasive cancers diagnosed in the most recent cf the most remote time period. The ratio of incidence rates of in situ to invasive cancers changed dramatically for both American Indian and Hispanic women. Cervical cancer mortality rates decreased steadily among Hispanic women from 1958 to 1992; the decrease among American Indian women was less stable and fluctuated due to small numbers. Ongoing targeted screening programs should help to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality further in New Mexico.

Efficacy of the cued-listening task in the evaluation of binaural hearing aids

To evaluate the efficacy of the cued-listening task (CLT) in the evaluation of binaural hearing aid performance, we tested 10 experienced binaural hearing aid users. Subjects listened for a speech target embedded in continuous discourse from either the right or left directions while simultaneously suppressing similar continuous discourse from the other direction. The task was carried out in the presence of multitalker babble from an overhead source. The target-to-babble ratio was always 0 dB. Testing was carried out in four conditions: (1) unaided; (2) aided in right ear; (3) aided in left ear; and (4) aided binaurally. Results showed that neither condition of monaural amplification was significantly better than the unaided condition. Under binaural amplification, however, there was a significant improvement in target recognition. Furthermore, this enhancement in performance was significantly greater when targets came from the right side than when they came from the left side.