The physical properties of paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) inks, such as volatility, viscosity and surface tension, were optimized for piezoelectric inkjet printing, and PTX-loaded PLGA microparticles were fabricated with various geometries, such as circles, grids,

honeycombs, and rings. The resulting microparticles with 10% (w/w) PTX exhibited a fairly homogeneous shape and size. The microparticle fabrication by piezoelectric inkjet printing was precise, reproducible, and highly favorable for mass production. The microparticles exhibited a biphasic release profile with an initial burst due to diffusion and a subsequent, slow second phase due to degradation of PLGA. The release rate was dependent on the geometry, ATM inhibitor mainly the surface area, with a descending rate order of honeycomb > grid, ring > circle. The PTX-loaded microparticles showed SNS-032 Cell Cycle inhibitor a comparable activity in inhibiting the growth of HeLa cells. Our results demonstrate that a piezoelectric inkjet printing system would provide a new approach for large-scale manufacturing of drug carriers with a desired geometry. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins that change conformation after ligand binding so that they can transduce signals from an extracellular ligand to a variety of intracellular components.

The detailed interaction of a molecule with a G protein-coupled receptor is a complicated process that is influenced by the receptor conformation, thermodynamics, and ligand conformation and stereoisomeric configuration. To better understand the molecular interactions

of fenoterol analogs with the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor, we developed a new agonist radioligand for binding assays. [H-3](R,R’)-methoxyfenoterol was used to probe the binding affinity learn more for a series of fenoterol stereoisomers and derivatives. The results suggest that the radioligand binds with high affinity to an agonist conformation of the receptor, which represents approximately 25% of the total beta(2)-adrenoceptor (AR) population as determined with the antagonist [H-3]CGP-12177. The beta(2)-AR agonists tested in this study have considerably higher affinity for the agonist conformation of the receptor, and K-i values determined for fenoterol analogs model much better the cAMP activity of the beta(2)-AR elicited by these ligands. The thermodynamics of binding are also different when interacting with an agonist conformation, being purely entropy-driven for each fenoterol isomer, rather than a mixture of entropy and enthalpy when the fenoterol isomers binding was determined using [H-3]CGP-12177. Finally, computational modeling identified the molecular interactions involved in agonist binding and allow for the prediction of additional novel beta(2)-AR agonists.