Drug delivery devices include a flexible elongate body having a bladder end portion, a kidney end portion, and a drug lumen extending therebetween; and a drug reservoir which is located at the bladder end portion, contains a drug, and is defined at least in part by a semi-permeable wall. Methods include inserting the device into the ureter of a patient and permitting water in the bladder to diffuse through the semi-permeable wall to create an osmotic pressure to pump the drug through the drug lumen and out of the device at the kidney end portion and into the renal pelvis.

Provided are beverage compositions comprising a urine citrate increasing component and a urine oxalate reducing component. The beverage compositions may be provided in a ready-to-drink form or may be provided in a concentrate form. Also provided are kits comprising the beverage compositions and methods for treating various conditions using the beverage compositions.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of using peristalsis to force a polymer plug through a mammalian lumen, thereby removing any calculi and/or calculi fragments present in the lumen. In one embodiment, the method is used as an alternative to conventional lithotripsy. In another embodiment, the method is used in conjunction with lithotripsy, thereby removing the small calculi fragments that result from such procedures.

Compounds of the formula Ia***** ##STR00001##
in which the substituents have the definitions provided in the specification, are novel, effective PDE4 inhibitors, useful in the treatment of areata, endogenous acne, exogenous acne or acne rosacea.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Provided herein is an inositol polyphosphate oligo alkyl ether compound, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, for use in treatment or prevention of a disease associated with formation of calcium salt crystals.

Provided herein is an inositol polyphosphate oligo alkyl ether compound, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, for use in treatment or prevention of a disease associated with formation of calcium salt crystals.

Described is a kit for producing a crosslinked gel for surrounding urinary calculi and/or fragments thereof, more particularly kidney stones and/or fragments thereof, comprising a composition (A) comprising one or several cationically crosslinkable polymer(s), and a composition (B) comprising one or several crosslinking agent(s) for crosslinking the cationically crosslinkable polymer(s), wherein composition (A) and/or composition (B) additionally comprise(s) magnetizable particles or the kit additionally comprises a composition (C) that contains magnetizable particles. Upon contact of composition (A) with composition (B) in a region of the urinary tract, more particularly the kidney, that contains urinary calculi and/or fragments thereof, more particularly kidney stones and/or fragments thereof, a crosslinked gel is formed that partly or fully surrounds the urinary calculi and/or fragments thereof, more particularly kidney stones and/or fragments thereof, and that contains the magnetizable particles. The gel together with the urinary calculi and/or fragments thereof, more particularly kidney stones and/or fragments thereof, can then be removed from the body by using magnetic interactions.

Provided are beverage compositions comprising a urine citrate increasing component and a urine oxalate reducing component. The beverage compositions may be provided in a ready-to-drink form or may be provided in a concentrate form. Also provided are kits comprising the beverage compositions and methods for treating various conditions using the beverage compositions.

The present invention relates to the technical field of medicine, and specifically relates to the carboxylic acid compound represented by the chemical formula I or chemical formula II, and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a prodrug, and a solvate thereof, and a method for preparation thereof, as well as a pharmaceutical composition containing the described substances, and a use thereof.

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