Research Advances in Targeted Drug Delivery System / 医药导报

In recent years,due to the development of disciplines such as molecular biology,cell biology,and materials science,the research of targeted therapy drugs has become a hot spot.Compared with conventional drugs,targeted therapy drugs can selectively increase the concentration and effectively reduce the toxic side effects of drugs in target tissues,which is an ideal way of drug delivery.Nanomaterial is receiving more attention for its superior performance in animals.The application and develop-ment of nanocrystals in targeted drug delivery systems has effectively broken the limitation of insoluble drugs and plays an indis-pensable role in drug delivery systems.In this paper,we briefly reviewed the characteristics and classification of targeted therapy drugs and the application of nanocrystals in pharmaceutical research to provide a reference for the related research.

Effect of Anchusa Italica Retz on Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Rats Based on Disease and Active Compound Target Network / 医药导报

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of Anchusa italica Retz on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion inju-ry in rats based on the target network of active compounds in Anchusa italica Retz.Methods The rat model of cerebral ische-mia-reperfusion injury was established by the thread occlusion method.After performing ischemia for 1.5 h and then reperfusion for 24 h,the neurological function of rats was scored and the volume of cerebral infarction was measured by the 2,3,5-triphenyltet-razolium chloride staining method.The molecular network analysis technique of network pharmacology,protein-protein interaction network,gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis,KEGG signal pathway analysis,and molecular docking was used to study the mechanism of Anchusa italica Retz in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Results The administration of An-chusa italica Retz could significantly improve the neurobehavioral dysfunction caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and reduce the pathological injury of brain tissue.Anchusa italica Retz could regulate inflammation,apoptosis,protein phosphorylation,and other biological processes through 143 ischemic stroke-related targets,and interfere with the TNF signal pathway,VEGF signal pathway,HIF-1 signal pathway,and other pathways.Conclusion Network pharmacology and experimental verification had shown that Anchusa italica Retz could effectively reduce brain injury and protect neurological function through multi-target,multi-mechanism,and holistic treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Investigation of Efficacy and Mechanism of Zukamu Granules on Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension / 医药导报

Objective To explore and verify the protective and therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of Zukamu granules on hypoxia alone and hypoxia+Su5416-induced hypoxic pulmonary hypertension(HPH)in mice.Methods Multiple databases and related literature were used to collect the active ingredients data in Zukamu granules and the HPH-related targets were predicted and obtained.The network construction and enrichment analysis were performed.The HPH mouse models were es-tablished by two-week hypoxia and four-week hypoxia+Su5416 induction,and the relevant indicators and the main pharmacodyna-mic indexes such as right ventricular pressure were tested.Masson staining was used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues,and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of bax,bcl-2,PI3K,p-PI3K,eNOS,and HIF-1α in lung tis-sues.Results A total of 167 active ingredients of Zukamu granules were screened,with 179 intersecting targets with HPH,in-cluding targets like PIK3CA and HIF-1.The validation experimental results showed that Zukamu granules could significantly re-duce right ventricular systolic pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy in HPH mice,and down-regulate the expression of bcl-2 and HIF-1α and up-regulate the expression of bax,PI3K,p-PI3K and eNOS in mice lung tissues.Conclusion Zukamu gran-ules may act against HPH by modulating bax/bcl and PI3K-eNOS/HIF-1α signaling pathways.

Protective effect of saikosaponin b2 on corticosterone induced PC12 cell injury based on cell metabonomics / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect of saikosaponin b2(SSb2)on corticosterone(CORT)induced PC12 cell injury and its mechanism.METHODS ① PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group(24 h of culture with RPMI-1640 medium),CORT group(24 h of culture with CORT 100-800 μmol·L-1)and SSb2 group(24 h of culture with SSb2 1.5625,3.125,6.25,12.5,25,50 and 100 μmol·L-1).MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate.②PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group(24 h of culture with RPMI 1640 medium),model group(24 h of culture with CORT 400 μmol·L-1),and model+SSb2 group(3 h pretreatment with SSb2 1.5625,3.125,6.25,12.5 and 25 μmol·L-1,removal of the supernatant before cells were co-incubated with CORT 400 μmol·L-1 and corresponding concentrations of SSb2 for 24 h).MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate while micro-plate assay was used to detect the lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)leakage rate of PC12 cells.③PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group,model group and model+SSb2 12.5 μmol·L-1 group.AnnexinV-FITC/PI flow cytometry assay was used to detect PC12 cell apoptosis,ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)cell metabonomics was used to detect metabolic profile changes and colorimetric assay was employed to detect the glutamic acid content and glutaminase activity in PC12 cells.RESULTS Compared with the cell control group,the cell viability decreased to(55±6)%(P<0.01)when the concentration of CORT was 400 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of SSb2 was higher than 50 μmol·L-1,there was significant toxicity to PC12 cells(P<0.01).②Compared with the cell control group,the cell survival rate was signif-icantly decreased(P<0.01),while the release rate of LDH was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the model group.Compared with the model group,the cell survival rate significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the LDH release rate significantly decreased(P<0.01)in the model+SSb2 group.③ Com-pared with the cell control group,cell apoptosis was significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,cell apoptosis was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the model+ SSb2 group.Metabolomics results show that SSb2 significantly back-regulated nine differential metabo-lites of glutamate,creatine,N-acetylaspartate,L-tyrosine,citric acid,L-isoleucine,lactic acid,glutamine and choline.Further network analysis of the key metabolites regulated by SSb2 yielded five major metabolic pathways:D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism,phenylalanine,tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis,alanine,aspartate and glutamate metabolism,tyrosine metabolism and arginine biosynthesis.Compared with the cell control group,the content of glutamate and activity of glutaminase were significantly decreased in the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of glutamate(P<0.01)and activity of glutaminase(P<0.05)were significantly increased in the model+SSb2 group.CONCLUSION SSb2 has a neuroprotective effect on CORT-injured PC12 cells,and the mechanism of which is related to inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of metabolic disorders.

Erratum: Author correction to 'Protective effects of VMY-2-95 on corticosterone-induced injuries in mice and cellular models' Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 11(2021) 1903-1913

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.03.002.].

Radix Paeoniae Alba attenuates Radix Bupleuri-induced hepatotoxicity by modulating gut microbiota to alleviate the inhibition of saikosaponins on glutathione synthetase / 药物分析学报

Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after long-term use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an herb pair.However,whether RPA can alleviate RB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unclear.In this work,the results confirmed that RB had a dose-dependent antidepressant effect,but the optimal antidepressant dose caused hepatotoxicity.Notably,RPA effectively reversed RB-induced hepatotoxicity.Afterward,the mechanism of RB-induced hepatotoxicity was confirmed.The results showed that saiko-saponin A and saikosaponin D could inhibit GSH synthase(GSS)activity in the liver,and further cause liver injury through oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-KB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Furthermore,the mechanisms by which RPA attenuates RB-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated.The results demonstrated that RPA increased the abundance of intestinal bacteria with glycosidase activity,thereby promoting the conversion of saikosaponins to sai-kogenins in vivo.Different from saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D,which are directly combined with GSS as an inhibitor,their deglycosylation conversion products saikogenin F and saikogenin G exhibited no GSS binding activity.Based on this,RPA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of saikosaponins on GSS activity to reshape the liver redox balance and further reverse the RB-induced liver inflammatory response by the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.In conclusion,the present study suggests that promoting the conversion of saikosa-ponins by modulating gut microbiota to attenuate the inhibition of GSS is the potential mechanism by which RPA prevents RB-induced hepatotoxicity.

Integrating UHPLC-MS/MS quantitative analysis and exogenous purine supplementation to elucidate the antidepressant mechanism of Chaigui granules by regulating purine metabolism / 药物分析学报

Chaigui granules(CG)are a compound composed of six herbal medicines with significant antidepressant effects.However,the antidepressant mechanism of CG remains unclear.In the present study,we attempted to elucidate the antidepressant mechanism of CG by regulating purine metabolism and purinergic signaling.First,the regulatory effect of CG on purine metabolites in the prefrontal cortex(PFC)of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)rats was analyzed by ultra high-performance liquid chro-matography tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)targeted quantitative analysis.Meanwhile,purinergic receptors(P2X7 receptor(P2X7R),A1 receptor(A1R)and A2A receptor(A2AR))and signaling pathways(nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome pathway and cyclic adenosine mono-phosphate(cAMP)-protein kinase A(PKA)pathway)associated with purine metabolism were analyzed by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Besides,antidepressant mecha-nism of CG by modulating purine metabolites to activate purinergic receptors and related signaling pathways was dissected by exogenous supplementation of purine metabolites and antagonism of puri-nergic receptors in vitro.An in vivo study showed that the decrease in xanthine and the increase in four purine nucleosides were closely related to the antidepressant effects of CG.Additionally,purinergic re-ceptors(P2X7R,A1R and A2AR)and related signaling pathways(NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and cAMP-PKA pathway)were also significantly regulated by CG.The results of exogenous supplementation of purine metabolites and antagonism of purinergic receptors showed that excessive accumulation of xanthine led to activation of the P2X7R-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway,and the reduction of adenosine and inosine inhibited the A1R-cAMP-PKA pathway,which was significantly ameliorated by CG.Overall,CG could promote neuroprotection and ultimately play an antidepressant role by inhibiting the xanthine-P2X7R-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and activating the adenosine/inosine-A1R-cAMP-PKA pathway.

Erratum: Author correction to 'Protective effects of VMY-2-95 on corticosterone-induced injuries in mice and cellular models' Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 11 (2021) 1903-1913

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.03.002.].

Interpretation for Evidence-based Practice Guideline of Medication Therapy of High-dose Methotrexate in China / 中国药房

Evidence-based Practice Guideline of Medication Therapy of High-dose Methotrexate in China was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in February 2022. The guideline followed the latest definition of clinical practice guideline and the methodology specification for the guideline development of WHO. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment ， Development，and Evaluation （GRADE）approach was applied to rate the quality of evidence and determine the strength of recommendations. Finally ，this guideline presents 28 recommendations covering the whole process of clinical medication of high-dose methotrexate ，involving evaluation prior to administration （liver and renal function ，pleural effusion and ascites ， comedication，genetic testing ），pre-treatment and routine dosing regimen （pretreatment of hydration and alkalization ，urine alkalization，routine dosing regimen ），therapeutic drug monitoring （necessity，method，timing，target concentration ），leucovorin rescue（rescue timing ，rescue regimen ，rescue dose optimization ），and management of toxicities （liver and kidney function monitoring，supportive treatment ，blood purification treatment ）. This article aims to summarize and interpret the recommendations of this guideline ，so as to promote the better promotion and implementation of this guideline and provide comprehensive technical support and suggestions for whole-course individualized administration of high-dose methotrexate in China.

Sinomenine ester derivative inhibits glioblastoma by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and autophagy by PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR pathway

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in the central nervous system is the most lethal advanced glioma and currently there is no effective treatment for it. Studies of sinomenine, an alkaloid from the Chinese medicinal plant,

The biology, function, and applications of exosomes in cancer

Exosomes are cell-derived nanovesicles with diameters from 30 to 150 nm, released upon fusion of multivesicular bodies with the cell surface. They can transport nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids for intercellular communication and activate signaling pathways in target cells. In cancers, exosomes may participate in growth and metastasis of tumors by regulating the immune response, blocking the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and promoting angiogenesis. They are also involved in the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Exosomes in liquid biopsies can be used as non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of cancers. Because of their amphipathic structure, exosomes are natural drug delivery vehicles for cancer therapy.

3--Acetyl-11-keto- -boswellic acid ameliorated aberrant metabolic landscape and inhibited autophagy in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary tumor in the central nervous system, accounting for 12%-15% of all brain tumors. 3--Acetyl-11-keto--boswellic acid (AKBA), one of the most active ingredients of gum resin from Birdw., was reported to inhibit the growth of glioblastoma cells and subcutaneous glioblastoma. However, whether AKBA has antitumor effects on orthotopic glioblastoma and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. An orthotopic mouse model was used to evaluate the anti-glioblastoma effects of AKBA. The effects of AKBA on tumor growth were evaluated using MRI. The effects on the alteration of metabolic landscape were detected by MALDI-MSI. The underlying mechanisms of autophagy reducing by AKBA treatment were determined by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Transmission electron microscope was used to check morphology of cells treated by AKBA. Our results showed that AKBA (100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the growth of orthotopic U87-MG gliomas. Results from MALDI-MSI showed that AKBA improved the metabolic profile of mice with glioblastoma, while immunoblot assays revealed that AKBA suppressed the expression of ATG5, p62, LC3B, p-ERK/ERK, and P53, and increased the ratio of p-mTOR/mTOR. Taken together, these results suggested that the antitumor effects of AKBA were related to the normalization of aberrant metabolism in the glioblastoma and the inhibition of autophagy. AKBA could be a promising chemotherapy drug for glioblastoma.

Present Situation and Progress of the Research for Polymorphic Chemical Drugs in China / 医药导报

Polymorphism of chemical drugs has become a hot topic in pharmaceutical research at home and abroad. In this review, the phenomena, causes and significance of polymorphism were introduced briefly. The international drug development process and characteristics of the polymorphic drug development in our country were analyzed. Finally, the present situation and development in China was summarized from four aspects including the basic theory, technical methods, intellectual property rights and supervision. This paper can provide a reference for correct understanding the research level of polymorphic drugs in China and clarifying the direction of polymorphic drug research.

Pharmacokinetic Study of Letrozole Polymorphs in Rats / 医药导报

Objective To study the gastrointestinal absorption process of three letrozole polymorphs in rats, and evaluate the different pharmacokinetics parameters of different polymorphs. Methods A total of 18 SD rats were given the different letrozole polymorphs. Then the high-performance liquid chromatographic method was used for the determination of plasma concentration of letrozole in these SD rats.Finally the pharmacokinetic parameters among the different polymorphs were calculated. Results Cmax of letrozole crystal form I, crystal form II and crystal form III were (9.247± 4.612) ,(23.387± 9.049) and (15.682±1.589) mg·L-1, respectively, and AUC0→t were(198.115±47.014) ,(476.641±125.467) and (271.817±41.068) mg·L-1·h,respectively. Conclusion The different crystal forms of letrozole result in different plasma concentration in SD rats. Crystal form II may be its preponderant polymorphs which deserves further research and development.

Research Progresses on Pharmaceutical Co-crystals of the Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases Treatment Drugs / 医药导报

The pharmaceutical co-crystal has attracted a lot of attention in recent years as a new direction in the research of polymorphism drugs. The research on pharmaceutical co-crystal has scientific significance for improving the solubility, bioavailability and physical or chemical stability of drugs. In this paper, from the perspective of drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases(including five major types: heart failure, hypertension, coronary heart disease and arrhythmia, stroke) , the latest research results of pharmaceutical co-crystal reported in recent years are reviewed, hope to provide reference for the follow-up research and promote the development of pharmaceutical co-crystal in China.

Quantitative Detection for Polymorph of Levonorgestrel by Powder X-ray Diffraction / 医药导报

Objective According to the clinical medicinal crystal form———form γ of levonorgestrel, to establish the quantitative analysis method for levonorgestrel form γ by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) . Methods Firstly, single crystal X-ray diffractometry and powder X-ray diffractometry were used to confirm that the prepared levonorgestrel form γ was 100％ polymorphic purity, which provided a standard sample for quantitative analysis by single peak method; then, the standard samples of different quality levonorgestrel form γ for powder X-ray diffraction were weighed, the peak intensity values of characteristic diffraction peaks d = 6.4 , d = 6. 1  and d = 5. 6  of form γ as quantitative parameters selected, a linear relationship between the peak intensity value and the quality of form γ was established; finally, the content of levonorgestrel form γ was quantitatively analyzed. Results The peak intensity values of characteristic diffraction peaks d = 6.4 , d = 6.1  and d = 5.6  of levonorgestrel form γ and the quality showed a good linear relationship.In the range of form γ masses of 5 mg to 50 mg, the regression linear equations wereY = 459.59X+5 536.5, R2 = 0.993 0, Y = 430.03X+6 867.6, R2 = 0.990 5,Y = 615.95X+ 6 209.5, R2 = 0.990 8,respectively. Conclusion The method is simple, rapid, accurate and reliable, it can be used as quality control method for levonorgestrel polymorphs.

Application and Research Progress of Crystal Forms of Dihydropyridine Antihypertensive Drugs / 医药导报

Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blockers drugs (dipine in drug names) are currently used in the treatment of hypertension clinically. In recent years, with the emergence of generic drugs, it has been found that the drug efficacy is quite different from that of the original drug, and the reason is closely related to the difference in the crystal forms of the oral preparations. This paper reviews the polymorphic phenomenon of some DHP calcium channel blockers in the domestic market, introduces the clinical application and research progress of the DHP drugs, analyzes the differences between different crystal forms of the same drugs. This work may provide references and ideas for the research and development of generic drugs or new crystalline drug of DHP drugs.

Pharmacokinetics of Three Kinds of Mangiferin Polymorphs in Rats / 医药导报

Objective To study the mangiferin absorption process of mangiferin polymorphs in SD rats thus to find out the optimal crystal form and explore the factors that may affect the clinical effects of mangiferin. Methods Each rat was given one of three crystal forms of mangiferin. Plasma concentration of mangiferin were determined by HPLC-MS method. After liquidliquid extraction by ethyl acetate, the chromatographic separation was carried out on an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 (2.1 mm× 100 mm,3.5 μm) with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-0.1％ formic acid aqueous solution (30:70) . Mass spectrometry were performed in positive ion mode. Ion mass-to-charge ratio was set at 445 and 447 for mangiferin and, cefuroxime sodium (internal standard) respectivel for quantitive analysis. Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of mangiferin form II, Ⅴ, Ⅵ were as follows: AUC(0-24 h) were (1323. 27 ± 218. 07) ,(1974. 34 ± 469. 24) ,(1737. 79 ± 623. 06) ng · mL-1 · h, respectively; Cmax were (321.92±85.18) ,(455.83±277.07) ,(319.92±86.07) μg·L-1, respectively; tmax were (0.70±0.45) , (0.50±0.32) ,(0.50± 0.34) h, respectively; t1/2z were (2.78± 1.72) ,(5.29± 2.67) ,(5.31± 2.82) h, respectively. Conclusion The main pharmacokinetic parameters of mangiferin polymorphs in plasma of rats are different, and mangiferin form Ⅴ has the hightest AUC(0-24 h) and Cmax.

Inhibition of FOXO3a/BIM signaling pathway contributes to the protective effect of salvianolic acid A against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Salvianolic acid A (SalA) is an effective compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Bunge. The Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) signaling pathway plays crucial roles in the modulation of ischemia-induced cell apoptosis. However, no information about the regulatory effect of SalA on FoxO3a is available. To explore the anti-cerebral ischemia effect and clarify the therapeutic mechanism of SalA, SH-SY5Y cells and Sprague-Dawley rats were applied, which were exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) injuries, respectively. The involved pathway was identified using the specific inhibitor LY294002. Results showed that SalA concentration-dependently inhibited OGD/R injury triggered cell viability loss. SalA reduced cerebral infarction, lowered brain edema, improved neurological function, and inhibited neuron apoptosis in MCAO/R rats, which were attenuated by the treatment of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) specific inhibitor LY294002. SalA time- and concentration-dependently upregulated the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (AKT) and its downstream protein FOXO3a. Moreover, the nuclear translocation of FOXO3a was inhibited by SalA both and , which was also reversed by LY294002. The above results indicated that SalA fought against ischemia/reperfusion damage at least partially the AKT/FOXO3a/BIM pathway.