Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"CXCR7 was recently characterized as an alternative receptor for the chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1, previously thought to bind and signal exclusively through CXCR4.We recently identified CXCR7 as a key cellular factor in the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction associated with KSHV infection. CXCL12 signaling is critically associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis in several diverse tumors and is one of the most studied chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in cancer systems. The tumorigenic activity of the CXCL12 signaling axis offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in multiple cancers including Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). However, most of the research to date was based on the …

A Survey Of Top 200 Drugs—Inconsistent Practice Of Drug Strength Expression For Drugs Containing Salt Forms, Daniel Prohotsky, Fang Zhao

Doctoral External Publications

Many ionizable drugs are developed and marketed as salt forms. However, there are no clear US regulatory guidelines on drug strength labeling for salts. The strengths of some drugs are expressed as salts and some as free acids/bases. This study surveyed the top 200 US drugs to assess the common practice in industry. The top 200 drugs prescribed in the United States were included in this survey. The drugs containing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) salts were selected for analysis. Generic or combination products with redundant API salts were excluded. The package insert of each selected drug was reviewed, and the …

Chronic Opioid Use In Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Characteristics And Outcomes, Jacob T. Painter

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition with significant societal and personal burdens of illness. Chronic opioid therapy in the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain has increased drastically over the past decade. This is a worrisome trend in general, but specifically, given the pathophysiologic characteristics seen in fibromyalgia syndrome patients, the use of this class of medication deserves special scrutiny. Although the theoretical case against this therapy choice is strong, little empirical evidence exists. In order to supplement this literature, retrospective analysis methods are utilized to examine the association of state-, provider-, and patient level characteristics with the prevalence …

Discovery Of Gz-793a, A Novel Vmat2 Inhibitor And Potential Pharmacotherapy For Methamphetamine Abuse, David B. Horton

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Methamphetamine abuse is a serious public health concern affecting millions of people worldwide, and there are currently no viable pharmacotherapies to treat methamphetamine abuse. Methamphetamine increases extracellular dopamine (DA) concentrations through an interaction with the DA transporter (DAT) and the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2), leading to reward and abuse. While numerous studies have focused on DAT as a target for the discovery of pharmacotherapies to treat psychostimulant abuse, these efforts have been met with limited success. Taking into account the fact that methamphetamine interacts with VMAT2 to increase DA extracellular concentrations; the focus of the current work was to develop …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Thromboxane A2 Receptor-Mediated Invasion In Lung Cancer Cells, Xiuling Li

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Thromboxane A2 receptor (TP) has been shown to play important roles in multiple aspects of cancer development including regulation of tumor growth, survival and metastasis. Molecular mechanisms of TP mediated cancer cell invasion remain to be identified. TP agonist, I-BOP, significantly elevated several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) including MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-10 in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells overexpressing TPα (A549-TPα) or TPβ (A549-TPβ). Signaling pathways of I-BOP-induced MMP-1 expression were examined in further detail as a model system for MMPs induction. Signaling molecules involved in I-BOP-induced MMP-1 expression were identified by using specific inhibitors including small interfering (si)-RNAs of …

Localization And Functional Characterization Of Oatp4c1 Transporter In In Vitro Cell Systems And Human/Rat Tissues, Kuei-Ling Kuo

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The organic anion transporting polypeptide 4c1 (Oatp4c1) was previously identified as a novel uptake transporter predominantly expressed at the basolateral membrane in the rat kidney proximal tubules. Its functional role was suggested to be a vectorial transport partner of an apically-expressed efflux transporter for the efficient translocation of physiological substrates into urine, some of which were suggested to be uremic toxins. In vitro studies in polarized cell lines showed that upon transfection rat Oatp4c1 localizes at the apical membrane. The objectives of this project were to further validate the subcellular localization of Oatp4c1/OATP4C1 in rat and human tissues as well …

Influence Of Oncotype Dx® On Chemotherapy Prescribing In Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients: A Claims-Based Evaluation Of Utilization In The Real World, Kenneth Neil Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The decision for adjuvant therapy in women with early stage breast cancer (ESBC) has historically been guided by the presence or absence of specific biological markers (hormone and HER2 receptors), age, and extent of nodal involvement. Oncotype DX® is a validated assay that quantifies protein expression that can predict the risk of cancer recurrence. This study evaluates if the use of Oncotype DX® impacts chemotherapy prescribing in ESBC. This retrospective, cohort study identified patients with ESBC from a large commercially insured population from January 2007 through June 2009. Patients were identified as having ESBC by utilizing procedure and diagnosis codes …

Role Of Alternative Macrophage Activation In Mediating Fibrosis In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia, Susan Elizabeth Birket

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Patients with cystic fibrosis who are infected with the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa have shown favorable responses to the drug azithromycin (AZM). This drug works in an anti-inflammatory capacity, improving clinical outcomes and improving quality of life in this population. The drug has also been shown to affect macrophage polarization by shifting these cells away from an inflammatory phenotype toward an alternatively activated anti-inflammatory phenotype. The full impact of this phenotypic change is not well understood in the context of the response to P. aeruginosa infection, or the overall immune response in cystic fibrosis.

To understand how the AZM-polarized macrophage affects …

Nanocrystals Of Chemotherapeutic Agents For Cancer Theranostics: Development And In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation, Christin P. Hollis

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The majority of pharmacologically active chemotherapeutics are poorly water soluble. Solubilization enhancement by the utilization of organic solvents often leads to adverse side effects. Nanoparticle-based cancer therapy, which is passively targeted to the tumor tissue via the enhanced permeation and retention effect, has been vastly developed in recent years. Nanocrystals, which exist as crystalline and carry nearly 100% drug loading, has been explored for delivering antineoplastic agents. Additionally, the hybrid nanocrystal concept offers a novel and simple way to integrate imaging agents into the drug crystals, enabling the achievement of theranostics. The overall objective of this dissertation is to formulate …

Role Of Cyclooxygenase-2 In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms In Mice, Kamalika Mukherjee

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic inflammatory disease with no available pharmacological treatment. AAA formation reduces the structural integrity of the vessel and increases the susceptibility to rupture. The inflammatory response within human aneurysmal tissue is characterized by increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Similarly, in a mouse model of the disease induced by chronic Angiotensin II (AngII) infusion, we have shown that COX-2 expression in the abdominal aortic smooth muscle layer increases early in the development of the disease. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological inactivation of COX-2 prior to disease initiation reduces AAA incidence.

The current study utilized nonhyperlipidemic mice …

A Continuous Professional Development Process For First-Year Pharmacy Students, Richard O'Brocta, Asim Abu-Baker, Parag Budukh, Mona A. Gandhi, Jill Lavigne, Christine R. Birnie

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Objectives. To develop, pilot test, and evaluate a continuous professional development (CPD) process for first-year pharmacy (P1) students.

Design. Students and faculty members were introduced to the important elements of the CPD process via a live training program. Students completed the year-long 4-step CPD cycle by identifying a learning objective, creating a plan, completing the learning activity, evaluating their learning outcome, documenting each step, and meeting with their faculty advisor for feedback and advice.

Assessment. Seventy-five first-year students (100%) successfully completed the CPD process during the 2009-2010 academic year. The students spent an average of 7 hours (range 2 to …

The Potential For Screening For Interpersonal Violence In Community Pharmacies: An Exploratory Study, Marie Barnard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem of epidemic proportion; the only known effective health care intervention is routine screening for IPV exposure. Despite professional guidelines for routine screening, this intervention has been poorly adopted. Expansion of screening efforts to the community pharmacy setting provides an opportunity to have a substantial impact on the health, well-being of pharmacy patients. This investigation is the first to examine IPV screening related to the pharmacy environment. An existing measure of physicians' readiness to manage IPV (PREMIS) was adapted for the community pharmacy environment and validated in a national random sample of …

Influence Of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs On Acetaminophen-Related Liver Toxicity, Aaron Barcelo

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Effects Of In Vivo Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury On The Hepatobiliary Disposition Of Rhodamine 123 And Its Metabolites In Isolated Perfused Rat Livers, Ridhi Parasrampuria, Imam H. Shaik, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. A few studies have shown that normothermic hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury may affect the mRNA and/or protein levels of canalicular transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2). However, the effects of the injury on the functions of these canalicular transporters with respect to the biliary excretion of drugs remain largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of warm hepatic IR on the hepatobiliary disposition of rhodamine 123 (RH-123), a P-gp substrate, and its glucuronidated metabolite (RH-Glu), an Mrp2 substrate, in rats.

Methods. Twenty four or 72 h following a …

Key Opinion Leaders' Views Regarding Emergency Contraception In India, M.E. Khan, Isha Bhatnagar, Deepthi S. Varma, Anvita Dixit

Reproductive Health

This policy brief explores the views of key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the field of reproductive health and family welfare on provision of emergency contraception (ECPs). The study’s objective was to gain a better understanding of how the attitudes and beliefs of KOLs might influence policy and program implementation, either encouraging or opposing ECP promotion and service delivery. Results suggest strong support by the majority of KOLs to continue the sale of ECP as an over-the-counter drug. KOLs also emphasized the importance of comprehending and addressing the main barriers to ECP provision and use: poor knowledge, lack of training, moral …

Providers' Attitudes And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In India: Key Findings, M.E. Khan, Isha Bhatnagar, Deepthi S. Varma, Anvita Dixit

Reproductive Health

This policy brief reports key findings of a study in India that explored providers’ knowledge of how emergency contraception (ECP) works and its safety and effectiveness, their perceptions of the frequency of repeat use, their provision of ECP, and their attitudes toward women who seek it. Many of the findings of this study are encouraging. Most providers believed that ECP is an effective and safe method to prevent pregnancy and that it cannot induce abortion, and half supported the over-the-counter provision of ECP. Nevertheless, the study revealed many biases and gaps in knowledge. Recommendations include a number of ways to …

Identifying Psychological Contract Breaches To Guide Improvements In Faculty Recruitment, Retention, And Development, Gretchen L. Peirce, Shane P. Desselle, Jolaine R. Draugalis, Alan R. Spies, Tamra S. Davis, Mark Bolino

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Objective. To identify pharmacy faculty members’ perceptions of psychological contract breaches that can be used to guide improvements in faculty recruitment, retention, and development.

Methods. A list of psychological contract breaches was developed using a Delphi procedure involving a panel of experts assembled through purposive sampling. The Delphi consisted of 4 rounds, the first of which elicited examples of psychological contract breaches in an open-ended format. The ensuing 3 rounds consisting of a survey and anonymous feedback on aggregated group responses.

Results. Usable responses were obtained from 11 of 12 faculty members who completed the Delphi procedure. The final list …

Preformulation Characterization And Formulation Development Of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Prodrugs For Potential Treatment Of Glacuoma, Tushar Hingorani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relationship between smoking marihuana and a drop in intraocular pressure (IOP) was first reported in 1971. Research efforts since then have identified a number of constituents that could be linked to this observation. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was one of the ingredients identified. However, four decades and numerous research efforts since the first observation, it has still not been concluded whether THC is effective in the treatment of glaucoma or not. Current therapy for IOP control in glaucoma, though effective, cannot prevent vision loss completely. Thus, identification of agents that can lower IOP as well as protect the retinal ganglion cells from …

Design And Development Of Drug Delivery Systems For Immediate And Sustained Release Utilizing Hot Melt Extrusion, Abhilasha Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymers have indispensable role in pharmaceutical formulation development. Polymer choice is a critical factor to obtain the desired drug-release profile during formulation development for HME (Hot melt extrusion). Many commercially available, pharmaceutical-grade polymers can be used in HME formulations. The suitable polymer choice facilitates processing in the extruder. When choosing a polymer to use in a formulation, processing conditions and processing attributes of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) should be considered. The physicochemical and the mechanisms of drug release from drug delivery systems prepared by utilizing HME with various polymeric carriers were investigated. Amorphous forms of API can have as …

Anticancer And Antibiotic Leads From Marine Organis, Bin Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the past three decades, the development of marine natural products as drug leads has become a promising avenue for research. As our efforts towards the discovery of anticancer and antibiotic drug leads from marine organisms, modifications of anticancer drug candidate kahalalide F, isolations of new peptides from the mollusk, Elysia rufescens and anticancer drug leads from the NCI repository, as well as chemical regulation of antibiotic production from marine Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. Kahalalide F (KF) is a potent anticancer lead isolated from the herbivorous marine mollusk E. rufescens and its algal diet Bryopsis pennata. Our semisynthesis approach was …