Translation of paired box 6 (PAX6) mRNA is IRES-mediated and inhibited by cymarin in breast cancer cells.

Paired box 6 (PAX6) is a member of the PAX family and plays an essential role in cancer cell cycle progression, colony formation, proliferation and invasion. Its expression is upregulated in many cancers including breast cancer, but the process of PAX6 mRNA translation has rarely been studied. We found that PAX6 translation level increased in MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with the chemotherapeutic drug adriamycin (ADM), which might be attributable to internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. By modifying a bicistronic luciferase plasmid that is widely used to examine IRES activity, we found that the 469-base 5'-UTR of PAX6 mRNA contains an IRES element and that core IRES activity is located between nucleotides 159 and 333. Moreover, PAX6 IRES activity was induced during ADM treatment, which may be the main reason for the elevated level of PAX6 protein. We also found that cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, acts as an inhibitor of PAX6 protein expression by impairing its IRES-mediated translation. Furthermore, MCF-7 cell proliferation was suppressed during treatment with cymarin. These results provide novel insights into the translation mechanism of PAX6 in breast cancer cells and suggest that cymarin is a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer via targeting the expression of PAX6.

miR-205-5p contributes to paclitaxel resistance and progression of endometrial cancer by downregulating FOXO1.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most frequent malignancies occurring in female genital system. miR-205-5p has been reported to involve in the progression of multiple malignancies, including EC. However, the detail function and mechanism of miR-205-5p in chemoresistance of EC have not been defined. qRT-PCR assay was performed to detect miR-205-5p abundance in EC tissues and cell lines. The sensitivity of HEC-1-A and RL95-2 cells to PTX was assessed based on the results of IC50. MTT and flow cytometry (FCM) analyses were carried out to determine cell proliferation and apoptosis. Bioinformatics, luciferase, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and western blot analyses were employed to confirm the true interaction between miR-205-5p and FOXO1. Functional restoration experiments were carried out to explore the regulatory mechanism of miR-205-5p in PTX sensitivity and cell growth. miR-205-5p was upregulated in EC tissues and cell lines compared with respective control. Knockdown of miR-205-5p enhanced PTX-sensitivity of EC cells and induced cell growth, which was reflected by the decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. FOXO1 was identified to be a target of miR-205-5p. Elevated miR-205-5p expression reversed FOXO1-enhanced chemosensitivity and cell growth. miR-205-5p enhanced PTX-resistance and contributed to tumorigenesis of EC cells through directly targeting FOXO1. These data shed light on a novel regulation of miR-205-5p in EC, providing a potential therapeutic target for EC patients with PTX resistance.

Preparation, optimization, and characterization of chitosan-coated solid lipid nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery.

The present study aimed to develop and optimize chitosan coated solid lipid nanoparticles (chitosan-SLNs) encapsulated with methazolamide. Chitosan-SLNs were successfully prepared by a modified oil-in-water emulsification-solvent evaporation method with glyceryl monostearate as the solid lipid and phospholipid as the surfactant. Systematic screening of formulation factors was carried out. The optimized formula for preparation was screened by orthogonal design as well as Box-Behnken design with entrapment efficiency, particle size and zeta potential as the indexes. The entrapment efficiency of the optimized formulation (methazolamide-chitosan-SLNs) prepared was (58.5±4.5)%, particle size (247.7±17.3) nm and zeta potential (33.5±3.9) mV. Transmission electron microscopy showed homogeneous spherical particles in the nanometer range. A prolonged methazolamide in vitro release profile was obtained in the optimized chitosan-SLNs suspension compared with methazolamide solution. No ocular damages were observed in the susceptibility test on albino rabbits. The results suggest that the combination of orthogonal design and Box-Behnken design is efficient and reliable in the optimization of nanocarriers, and chitosan-SLNs is a potential carrier for ophthalmic administration.

Methazolamide-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles modified with low-molecular weight chitosan for the treatment of glaucoma: vitro and vivo study.

The aims of this study were to design and characterize methazolamide (MTZ)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) with and without modification of low molecular weight chitosan (CS) and compare their potentials for ocular drug delivery. Low molecular weight CS was obtained via a modified chemical oxidative degradation method. SLN with CS (CS-SLN-MTZ) and without CS (SLN-MTZ) were prepared according to a modified emulsion-solvent evaporation method. SLN-MTZ and CS-SLN-MTZ were 199.4 ± 2.8 nm and 252.8 ± 4.0 nm in particle size, -21.3 ± 1.9 mV and +31.3 ± 1.7 mV in zeta potential, respectively. Physical stability studies demonstrated that CS-SLN-MTZ remained stable for at least 4 months at 4 °C, while SLN-MTZ no more than 2 months. A prolonged in vitro release profile of MTZ from CS-SLN-MTZ was obtained compared with SLN-MTZ. Furthermore, CS-SLN-MTZ presented a better permeation property in excised rabbit cornea. In vivo studies indicated that the intraocular pressure lowering effect of CS-SLN-MTZ (245.75 ± 18.31 mmHg × h) was significantly better than both SLN-MTZ (126.74 ± 17.73 mmHg × h) and commercial product Brinzolamide Eye Drops AZOPT® (171.17 ± 16.45 mmHg × h). The maximum percentage decrease in IOP of CS-SLN-MTZ (42.78 ± 7.71%) was higher than SLN-MTZ (27.82 ± 4.15%) and was comparable to AZOPT (38.06 ± 1.25%). CS-SLN-MTZ showed no sign of ocular irritancy according to the Draize method and the histological examination.

Stability of an anti-stroke peptide: driving forces and kinetics in chemical degradation.

NR2B9c (Lys-Leu-Ser-Ser-Ile-Glu-Ser-Asp-Val) is a 9-amino acid peptide that has been illustrated to be a potential anti-stroke drug. For more effective treatment, suitable drug delivery systems should be developed. However, little is known about the stability of NR2B9c which is essential to its formulation. In this study, a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to study the forced degradation behavior and stability of NR2B9c. HPLC studies were performed with an C8 column using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile (14.5:85.5, v/v) and aqueous solution (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and 0.05 M KH2PO4). The flow rate and the wavelength set during HPLC detection were 1.0 mL/min and 205 nm, respectively. The degradation pattern of NR2B9c aqueous solution followed pseudo first-order kinetics. The degradation rate at pH 7.5 was the slowest according to the plotting V-shaped pH-rate profile. The influence of temperature on the rate of reactions was interpreted in terms of Arrhenius equation (r(2)>0.98). Thermodynamic parameters were calculated based on Eyring equation (r(2)>0.98). The concentrations of drug, buffer species, buffer concentrations, oxidation and organic solvents have noticeable effects on the degradation of NR2B9c while ultrasound shows little impact under the experimental conditions. In a word, this study may give a detailed description of stability of NR2B9c.

Optimization of methazolamide-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles for ophthalmic delivery using Box-Behnken design.

The purpose of the present study was to optimize methazolamide (MTZ)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) which were used as topical eye drops by evaluating the relationship between design factors and experimental data. A three factor, three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used for the optimization procedure, choosing the amount of GMS, the amount of phospholipid, the concentration of surfactant as the independent variables. The chosen dependent variables were entrapment efficiency, dosage loading, and particle size. The generated polynomial equations and response surface plots were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. The optimal nanoparticles were formulated with 100 mg GMS, 150 mg phospholipid, and 1% Tween80 and PEG 400 (1:1, w/v). A new formulation was prepared according to these levels. The observed responses were close to the predicted values of the optimized formulation. The particle size was 197.8 ± 4.9 nm. The polydispersity index of particle size was 0.239 ± 0.01 and the zeta potential was 32.7 ± 2.6 mV. The entrapment efficiency and dosage loading were about 68.39% and 2.49%, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) study indicated that the drug was entrapped in nanoparticles. The optimized formulation showed a sustained release followed the Peppas model. MTZ-SLNs showed significant prolonged decreasing intraocular pressure effect comparing with MTZ solution in vivo pharmacodynamics studies. The results of acute eye irritation study indicated that MTZ-SLNs and AZOPT both had no eye irritation. Furthermore, the MTZ-SLNs were suitable to be stored at low temperature (4 °C).

Formulation and characterization of hydrophilic drug diclofenac sodium-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles based on phospholipid complexes technology.

To successfully prepare the diclofenac sodium (DS)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), phospholipid complexes (PCs) technology was applied here to improve the liposolubility of DS. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with phospholipid complexes (PCs) were prepared by the modified emulsion/solvent evaporation method. DS could be solubilized effectively in the organic solvents with the existence of phospholipid and apparent partition coefficient of DS in PCs increased significantly. X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that DS in PCs was either molecularly dispersed or in an amorphous form. However, no significant difference was observed between the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra of physical mixture and that of PCs. Particles with small sizes, narrow polydispersity indexes and high entrapment efficiencies could be obtained with the addition of PCs. Furthermore, according to the transmission electron microscopy, a core-shell structure was likely to be formed. The presence of PCs caused the change of zeta potential and retarded the drug release of SLNs, which indicated that phospholipid formed multilayers around the solid lipid core of SLNs. Both FT-IR and differential scanning calorimetry analysis also illustrated that some weak interactions between DS and lipid materials might take place during the preparation of SLNs. In conclusion, the model hydrophilic drug-DS can be formulated into the SLNs with the help of PCs.

Preformulation study of methazolamide for topical ophthalmic delivery: physicochemical properties and degradation kinetics in aqueous solutions.

Methazolamide (MTZ) is an anti-glaucoma drug. The present paper aims to characterize the physicochemical properties and degradation kinetics of MTZ to provide a basis for topical ophthalmic delivery. With the increase in pH (pH 5.5-8.0) of aqueous solution, the solubility of the compound increased while the partition coefficient (Ko/w) which was estimated in the system n-octanol/aqueous solution decreased. The degradation of MTZ in aqueous solution followed pseudo-first-order kinetic. The degradation rate kpH is the rate in the absence of buffer catalysis. Plotting the natural logarithm of kpH versus the corresponding pH value gave a V-shaped pH-rate profile with a maximum stability at pH 5.0. The degradation rate constants as a function of the temperature obeyed the Arrhenius equation (R(2)=0.9995 at pH 7.0 and R(2)=0.9955 at pH 9.0, respectively). A decrease in ionic strength and buffer concentration displayed a stabilizing effect on MTZ. Buffer species also influenced the MTZ hydrolysis. Phosphate buffer system was more catalytic than tris and borate buffer systems. In brief, it is important to consider the physicochemical properties and the stability of MTZ during formulation.

A potential new therapeutic system for glaucoma: solid lipid nanoparticles containing methazolamide.

Methazolamide (MTA) is an antiglaucoma drug; however, there are many side effects of its systemic administration with insufficient ocular therapeutic concentrations. The aim of this study was to formulate MTA-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and evaluate the potential of SLNs as a new therapeutic system for glaucoma. SLNs were prepared by a modified emulsion-solvent evaporation method and their physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. The pharmacodynamics was investigated by determining the percentage decrease in intraocular pressure. The ocular irritation was studied by Draize test. Despite a burst release of SLNs, the pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that MTA-SLNs had higher therapeutic efficacy, later occurrence of maximum action, and more prolonged effect than drug solution and commercial product. Formulation of MTA-SLNs would be a potential delivery carrier for ocular delivery, with the advantages of a more intensive treatment for glaucoma, lower in doses and better patient compliance compared to the conventional eye drops.