Bentyl
Antibacterial potential of an antispasmodic drug dicyclomine hydrochloride.

Karak P, Kumar KA, Mazumdar K, Mookerjee M, Dastidar SG.

Division of Microbiology, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Several compounds are known to possess antimicrobial activity in addition to their predesignated pharmacological actions. In the present study, dicyclomine hydrochloride, an antispasmodic drug, was tested for possible antimicrobial property in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of dicyclomine against the bacteria was determined by agar and broth dilution methods in vitro. The antibacterial activity of dicyclomine was confirmed by animal experiments. Toxicity and protective efficacy of the drug were tested in vivo. RESULTS: Dicyclomine inhibited most of the bacterial isolates tested at 25-100 microg/ml concentration, and a few were sensitive even at a lower concentration (10 microg/ml). Dicyclomine was found to be bacteriostatic in nature against Shigella dysenteriae 7, and bactericidal against S. aureus NCTC 6571, 8530, and 8531. When administered to Swiss white mice at doses of 30 and 60 microg/mouse, dicyclomine protected the animals challenged with 50 MLD of Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 74. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Dicyclomine showed inhibitory action against several pathogenic bacteria. It also offered significant protection to mice against the bacterial challange. As dicyclomine is in routine therapeutic use, it may be developed as a potent antimicrobial agent in many infections.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14723484&dopt=Abstract dicyclomine Bentyl



Bentyl
Post-marketing surveillance using pharmacy-based cohorts: results of a pilot study.

Louik C, Mitchell AA.

Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of recruiting subjects for follow-up studies of drug exposures using pharmacy records but without involving dispensing pharmacists. METHODS: Working with Eckerd Corporation, a large chain pharmacy, we attempted to enroll subjects taking either hyoscyamine (Levsin and others) or dicyclomine (Bentyl and others). Adults who filled prescriptions during the recruitment period were randomly assigned to one of four enrollment approaches that used a script and materials we provided: (1) an introductory phone call from an Eckerd pharmacy technician with an offer of a $5 payment; (2) an introductory phone call with no payment; (3) a questionnaire mailed from Eckerd with introductory letters enclosed and an offer of a $5 payment and (4) the same mailed packet but with no payment offered. Willing subjects responded directly to us; they received a follow-up questionnaire approximately 6 weeks following enrollment. This method also provided limited information about subjects who chose not to enroll, permitting us to assess the representativeness of the study population. RESULTS: The enrollment rates for the four groups were 35, 22, 21 and 17% respectively. Rates of completion of the follow-up questionnaire were 86, 83, 83 and 79% respectively. Participants appeared to be representative of the target population. The differential cost per enrolled subject in each group was $39.25, $50.45, $41.95 and $48.26 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This method provides an efficient way to create cohorts of users of specific prescription medications, with enrollment and retention rates that compare favorably with other approaches, allows a limited evaluation of representativeness, and is logistically feasible. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15372672&dopt=Abstract dicyclomine Bentyl



Bentyl
Experimental analysis of antimicrobial action of dicyclomine hydrochloride.

Karaka P, Kumar KA, Basu LR, Dasgupta A, Ray R, Dastidar SG.

Division of Microbiology, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India.

Dicyclomine hydrochloride is an antispasmodic agent. The MIC of dicyclomine against standard strains of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria were performed by NCCLS broth dilution technique. These drugs showed a rapid killing action on Gram positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571, 8530 and several other reference strains. The killing effect against Gram negative bacteria, Shigella boydii 8 NCTC 254/66 and Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 74 showed that the drug was bacteriostatic with respect to these strains. High rate of killing was achieved for most strains of Gram positive bacteria within 2 h. When administered to Swiss strain of white mice at doses of 30 and 60 microg/g of mouse, the drug could significantly protect the animals challenged with 50 MLD of Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 74. According to chi2 test, the in vivo data were highly significant (p<0.001). Since dicyclomine showed a remarkable inhibitory action against several pathogenic bacteria, in the course of time, it may be developed as a potent antimicrobial agent for many bacterial infections.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15577222&dopt=Abstract dicyclomine Bentyl



Bentyl
Quantitative determination of pharmaceuticals using nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry after reversed phase mini-solid phase extraction.

Qi L, Danielson ND.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.

The pre-concentration effect of solid phase microextraction (SPE) with nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nano-ESI MS) for selected pharmaceuticals is presented. An analytical method is developed for the quantitative determination of dicyclomine in serum with cyclopentolate as the internal standard by off-line nano-ESI ion-trap MS with reversed phase mini-SPE. Homemade C18 and C4 mini-SPE cartridges of 0.5 and 1cm in length and 1.55mm i.d. have been tested for pre-concentration of samples originally 30muL in volume. After SPE, the volume of the sample in methanol is about 1-2muL and 0.5muL can be injected into the nano-ESI MS instrument. Use of a 1cm C18 cartridge lowered the detection limit of dicyclomine 100 times to 16.1 fmole. Dicyclomine spiked in serum can be determined by nano-ESI MS after protein precipitation and further clean-up on the 1cm C18 cartridge. However, the slope of a calibration curve of dicyclomine standards spiked in serum is more than a factor of 10 less than that for a calibration curve of dicyclomine standards prepared in water indicating pre-concentration of pharmaceuticals could be compromised by a complex biological matrix.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15708661&dopt=Abstract dicyclomine Bentyl