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1.
Biomed Pharmacother ; 172: 116229, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38330708

ABSTRACT

Reperfusion stands as a pivotal intervention for ischemic heart disease. However, the restoration of blood flow to ischemic tissue always lead to further damage, which is known as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). Ramelteon is an orally administered drug used to improve sleep quality, which is famous for its high bioadaptability and absence of notable addictive characteristics. However, the specific mechanism by which it improves MIRI is still unclear. Sirtuin-3 (Sirt3), primarily located in mitochondria, is crucial in mitigating many cardiac diseases, including MIRI. Based on the structure of Sirt3, we simulated molecular docking and identified several potential amino acid binding sites between it and ramelteon. Therefore, we propose a hypothesis that ramelteon may exert cardioprotective effects by activating the Sirt3 signaling pathway. Our results showed that the activation levels and expression level of Sirt3 were significantly decreased in MIRI tissue and H2O2 stimulated H9C2 cells, while ramelteon treatment upregulated Sirt3 activity and expression. After treat with 3-TYP, a classic Sirt3 activity inhibitor, we constructed myocardial ischemia/reperfusion surgery in vivo and induced H9C2 cells with H2O2 in vitro. The results showed that the myocardial protection and anti-apoptotic effects of ramelteon were antagonized by 3-TYP, indicating that the activation of Sirt3 is a key mechanism for ramelteon to exert myocardial protection. In summary, our results confirm a novel mechanism by which ramelteon improves MIRI by activating Sirt3 signaling pathway, providing strong evidence for the treatment of MIRI with ramelteon.


Subject(s)
Indenes , Myocardial Ischemia , Myocardial Reperfusion Injury , Sirtuin 3 , Humans , Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy , Hydrogen Peroxide , Molecular Docking Simulation , Myocytes, Cardiac , Apoptosis
2.
Eur J Pharmacol ; 964: 176253, 2024 Feb 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38096968

ABSTRACT

Diabetes cardiomyopathy (DCM) refers to myocardial dysfunction and disorganization resulting from diabetes. In this study, we investigated the effects of berberine on cardiac function in male db/db mice with metformin as a positive control. After treatment for 8 weeks, significant improvements in cardiac function and a reduction in collagen deposition were observed in db/db mice. Furthermore, inflammation and pyroptosis were seen to decrease in these mice, as evidenced by decreased expressions of p-mTOR, NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3), IL-1ß, IL-18, caspase-1, and gasdermin D (GSDMD). In vitro experiments on H9C2 cells showed that glucose exposure at 33 mmol/L induced pyroptosis, whereas berberine treatment reduced the expression of p-mTOR and NLRP3 inflammasome components. Moreover, berberine treatment was seen to inhibit the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and effectively improve cell damage in high glucose-induced H9C2 cells. The mTOR inhibitor, Torin-1, showed a therapeutic effect similar to that of berberine, by reducing the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components and inhibiting mtROS generation. However, the activation of mTOR by MHY1485 partially nullified berberine's protective effects during high glucose stress. Collectively, our study reveals the mechanism that berberine regulates the mTOR/mtROS axis to inhibit pyroptosis induced by NLRP3 inflammasome activation, thereby alleviating DCM.


Subject(s)
Berberine , Diabetic Cardiomyopathies , Animals , Male , Mice , Berberine/pharmacology , Berberine/therapeutic use , Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/drug therapy , Glucose/pharmacology , Inflammasomes/metabolism , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
3.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38032492

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a devastating lung disease that leads to impaired lung function and ultimately death. Several studies have suggested that melatonin, a hormone involved in regulating sleep-wake cycles, may be effective in improving PF. Ramelteon, an FDA-approved melatonin receptor agonist, has shown promise in exerting an anti-PF effect similar to melatonin. However, further investigations are required for illuminating the extent on its therapeutic benefits and the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this work, a mouse lung fibrosis model was built through intratracheal administration of bleomycin (BLM). Subsequently, the mice were administrated Ramelteon for a duration of 3 weeks to explore its efficacy and mechanism of action. Additionally, we utilized a TGF-ß1-induced MRC-5 cell model to further investigate the molecular mechanism underlying ramelteon's effects. Functionally, Ramelteon partially abrogated TGF-ß1-induced pulmonary fibrosis and reduced fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix deposition, and differentiation into myofibroblasts. In vivo experiments, ramelteon attenuated BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and collagen deposition. Mechanistically, ramelteon exerts its beneficial effect by alleviating translocation and expression of YAP1, a core component of Hippo pathway, from cytoplasm to nucleus; however, overexpression of YAP1 reversed this effect. In conclusion, our findings indicate that ramelteon can improve PF by regulating Hippo pathway and may become a potential candidate as a therapy to PF.

4.
Eur J Med Chem ; 226: 113802, 2021 Dec 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34543934

ABSTRACT

To construct an artificial low-density lipoprotein (aLDL) that highly mimics low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in vivo, and deliver vincristine (VCR) - doxorubicin (DOX) simultaneously, the 100 nm and 35 nm DOX-VCR-aLDLs (DV-aLDLs) were constructed, then the physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. Through in vitro inverse gravity diffusion experiment, the tumour cake and sphere model experiment, draw a conclusion that the diffusion of 35 nm DV-aLDLs was stronger than 100 nm DV-aLDLs, and the tumour retention of 35 nm DV-aLDLs was better than the DV-solution. In addition, the three-dimension (3D) in vivo distribution imaging of aLDLs was performed on HepG-2 tumour-bearing nude mice, followed by the biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy on these xenograft models. Taking advantage of better diffusion capacity in tumour tissue, as well as the synergistic effect of VCR and DOX, the 35 nm DV-aLDL had the strongest efficacy and the lowest toxicity. High entrapment efficiency and stability, both active and passive targeting, making aLDL a potential carrier for tumour-targeted therapy at the same time.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Doxorubicin/pharmacology , Lipoproteins, LDL/chemistry , Vincristine/pharmacology , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Doxorubicin/chemistry , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Female , Hep G2 Cells , Humans , Lipoproteins, LDL/chemical synthesis , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , MCF-7 Cells , Mice , Mice, Nude , Molecular Structure , Structure-Activity Relationship , Vincristine/chemistry
5.
PLoS One ; 16(4): e0250670, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33909691

ABSTRACT

We developed a novel preparative method for nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel with high drug loading, which was based on improved paclitaxel solubility in polyethylene glycol (PEG) and self-assembly of paclitaxel in PEG with albumin powders into nanoparticles. That is, paclitaxel and PEG were firstly dissolved in ethanol, which was subsequently evaporated under vacuum. The obtained liquid was then mixed with human serum albumin powders. Thereafter, the mixtures were added into phosphate-buffered saline and nab paclitaxel suspensions emerged after ultrasound. Nab paclitaxel was finally acquired after dialysis and freeze drying. The drug loading of about 15% (W/V) were realized in self-made nab paclitaxel, which was increased by approximately 50% compared to 10% (W/V) in Abraxane. Now this new preparative method has been authorized to obtain patent from China and Japan. The similar characteristics of self-made nab paclitaxel compared to Abraxane were observed in morphology, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release, X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, and circular dichroism spectra analysis. Consistent concentration-time curves in rats, biodistributions in mice, anti-tumor activities in mice, and histological transmutation in mice were also found between Abraxane and self-made nanoparticles. In a word, our novel preparative method for nab paclitaxel can significantly improve drug loading, obviously decrease product cost, and is considered to have potent practical value.


Subject(s)
Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel/metabolism , Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel/therapeutic use , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/metabolism , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Cell Line, Tumor , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Drug Liberation , Half-Life , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Nude , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Particle Size , Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Tissue Distribution , Transplantation, Heterologous
6.
Int J Environ Health Res ; 31(5): 548-557, 2021 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31617745

ABSTRACT

In this report, we provided an overview of the prevalence, control, and prevention of water-borne arsenicosis in China during 2001-2016. Random sampling was continuously performed during 2001-2010 to find villages having high levels of arsenic (>50 µg/L) in drinking water. The high-arsenic-exposure villages with more geographically dispersed water supplies were subsequently analyzed for characteristics of arsenic distribution, and villages with relatively large populations were investigated for arsenicosis. The results showed that among 32,673,677 inhabitants in 36,820 villages, 1,894,587 inhabitants in 2,476 villages were at risk of high arsenic exposure. Among the 33,318 drinking water sources surveyed in 625 high-arsenic-exposure villages, 9,807 drinking water sources that contained high levels of arsenic (>50 µg/L) were identified. The overall prevalence rate of arsenicosis was 1.93%. Further, some representative villages were chosen to monitor arsenicosis annually, showing that the prevalence rate of arsenicosis was lower in villages with arsenic-safe water supplies than in villages without arsenic-safe water supplies. To the best of our knowledge, this report provides the most comprehensive assessment of the distribution of high arsenic exposure and arsenicosis in China until now.


Subject(s)
Arsenic Poisoning/prevention & control , Arsenic/analysis , Drinking Water/chemistry , Environmental Exposure/prevention & control , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Water Pollution, Chemical/prevention & control , Water Supply , Arsenic Poisoning/diagnosis , Arsenic Poisoning/epidemiology , Arsenic Poisoning/etiology , China/epidemiology , Drinking Water/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Environmental Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Environmental Monitoring , Humans , Prevalence , Water Pollutants, Chemical/poisoning , Water Pollution, Chemical/analysis , Water Pollution, Chemical/statistics & numerical data , Water Purification/methods , Water Purification/statistics & numerical data , Water Supply/methods , Water Supply/statistics & numerical data
7.
PeerJ ; 7: e7341, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31372321

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Natural disasters can indirectly induce epidemics of infectious diseases through air and water pollution, accelerated pathogen reproduction, and population migration. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of the main infectious diseases in Sichuan, a province with a high frequency of natural disasters. METHODS: Data were collected from the local Centers for Disease Control infectious disease reports from Lu, Shifang and Yuexi counties from 2011 to 2015 and from the baseline survey of the Disaster Mitigation Demonstration Area in Western China in 2016. Principal component regression was used to explore the main influencing factors of respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs). RESULTS: The incidence rates of RIDs and intestinal infectious diseases (IIDs) in 2015 were 78.99/100,000, 125.53/100,000, 190.32/100,000 and 51.70/100,000, 206.00/100,000, 69.16/100,000 in Lu, Shifang and Yuexi respectively. The incidence rates of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was the highest among RIDs in the three counties. The main IIDs in Lu and Shifang were hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) and other infectious diarrhea; however, the main IIDs in Yuexi was bacillary dysentery. The proportions of illiterate and ethnic minorities and per capita disposable income were the top three influencing factors of RIDs. CONCLUSIONS: TB was the key point of RIDs prevention among the three counties. The key preventable IIDs in Lu and Shifang were HFMD and other infectious diarrhea, and bacillary dysentery was the major IIDs in Yuexi. The incidence rates of RIDs was associated with the population composition, the economy and personal hygiene habits.

8.
J Appl Toxicol ; 38(5): 656-664, 2018 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29243275

ABSTRACT

Nanocrystals (NCs), a type of innovative material particle, are a potential drug delivery platform that aims to improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. However, due to the lack of consideration of their toxicity, existing studies have not investigated whether the nanoscale properties of NCs, such as particle sizes, may lead to NC-induced toxicity. Because of the disparity between the rapid development of NCs and the lack of studies regarding NC toxicity, the present study investigated possible NC toxicity and clarified the relationship between particle sizes and NC toxicity. RAW264.7 and HepG2 cells were chosen as representatives of macrophage cells and tissue-type cells, respectively. Monosodium urate NCs were used as a drug model. Different particle sizes of monosodium urate NCs were prepared using precipitation methods. Methyl tetrazolium, lactate dehydrogenase, oxidative stress and apoptosis/necrosis assays were then used to evaluate cell damage and recovery. The results showed that small NC particle sizes produced higher toxicity than larger ones. In immune cells, these cytotoxic effects were greater than in tissue cells. After removal of small NCs, tissue cell damage could be significantly reversed, while immune cells were only slightly restored. However, after removal of large NCs, both cell types had almost no recovery. In summary, despite conventional wisdom, our research confirmed that NCs are not very safe and that NC particle sizes are closely related to the degree of NC toxicity.


Subject(s)
Macrophages/drug effects , Nanoparticles/toxicity , Animals , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Membrane/drug effects , Hep G2 Cells/drug effects , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Mice , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Particle Size , RAW 264.7 Cells/drug effects , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Uric Acid/toxicity
9.
PLoS One ; 11(7): e0158517, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27415823

ABSTRACT

Oxaliplatin (OXP) was reported to show low anti-tumor activity when used alone and to display side effects; this low activity was attributed to high partitioning to erythrocytes and low accumulation in tumors. Thermosensitive liposomes (TSL) were considered able to specifically deliver drugs to heated tumors and to resolve the OXP distribution problem. Regretfully, TSL encapsulating doxorubicin did not demonstrate significant improvement in progression-free survival. Drug release below 41°C and significant leakage were considered major reasons for the failure. The purpose of this study was to acquire OXP TSL with rapid release at the triggered temperature and high stability at body temperature and at storage temperatures. A small quantity of poloxamer 188 was introduced into the TSL formulation to stabilize the encapsulated drug. It was shown that the addition of poloxamer 188 had no influence on the TSL characteristics. More than 90% of OXP was released within 10 min at 42°C, and less than 15% was released within 60 min at temperatures below 39°C. TSL were stable at 37°C for 96 h and at 4°C for 6 months. The anti-tumor activity of TSL at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg was certified to be equal to those of OXP injection and non-thermosensitive liposomes (NTSL) at the dose of 5 mg/kg, and significant improvement of tumor inhibition was observed in TSL compared with injection and NTSL at the same dose. It was also shown from the histological transmutation of tumors that TSL had stronger anti-tumor activity. Therefore, it could be concluded that TSL composed of a proper amount of poloxamer had rapid release and high stability, and OXP TSL would be anticipated to exert prominent anti-tumor activity in the clinic.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Organoplatinum Compounds/administration & dosage , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Doxorubicin/administration & dosage , Drug Liberation , Liposomes , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Mice , Mice, Nude , Neoplasm Transplantation , Oxaliplatin
11.
Pharm Res ; 33(8): 1881-98, 2016 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27075873

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To develop vincristine (VCR) and doxorubicin (DOX) co-encapsulated thermo-sensitive liposomes (VD-TSL) against drug resistance, with increased tumor inhibition rate and decreased system toxicity, improving drug targeting efficiency upon mild hyperthermia (HT) in solid tumor. METHODS: Based on similar physicochemical properties, VCR and DOX were co-loaded in TSL with pH gradient active loading method and characterized. The time-dependent drug release profiles at 37 and 42°C were assessed by HPLC. Then we analysed the phospholipids in filtrate after ultrafiltration and studied VD-TSL stability in mimic in vivo conditions and long-time storage conditions (4°C and -20°C). Cytotoxic effect was studied on PANC and sw-620 using MTT. Intracellular drug delivery was studied by confocal microscopy on HT-1080. In vivo imaging of TSL pharmacokinetic and biodistribution was performed on MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice. And therapeutic efficacy on these xenograft models were followed under HT. RESULTS: VD-TSL had excellent particle distribution (about 90 nm), high entrapment efficiency (>95%), obvious thermo-sensitive property, and good stability. MTT proved VD-TSL had strongest cell lethality compared with other formulations. Confocal microscopy demonstrated specific accumulation of drugs in tumor cells. In vivo imaging proved the targeting efficiency of TSL under hyperthermia. Then therapeutic efficacy revealed synergism of VCR and DOX co-loaded in TSL, together with HT. CONCLUSION: VD-TSL could increase drug efficacy and decrease system toxicity, by making good use of synergism of VCR and DOX, as well as high targeting efficiency of TSL.


Subject(s)
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage , Doxorubicin/administration & dosage , Drug Carriers/administration & dosage , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Vincristine/administration & dosage , Animals , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/chemistry , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Chemical Phenomena/drug effects , Doxorubicin/chemistry , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Drug Synergism , Female , Humans , Liposomes , MCF-7 Cells , Mice , Mice, Nude , Temperature , Tissue Distribution/drug effects , Tissue Distribution/physiology , Vincristine/chemistry , Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays/methods
12.
Drug Dev Ind Pharm ; 42(11): 1723-31, 2016 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27074758

ABSTRACT

The synchronous sustained-release of two drugs was desired urgently for patients needing combination therapy in long term. However, sophisticated technologies were used generally to realize the simultaneous delivery of two drugs especially those with different physico-chemical properties. The purpose of this study was to obtain the concurrent release of felodipine and metoprolol tartrate, two drugs with completely different solubilities, in a simple monolithic osmotic pump system (FMOP). Two types of blocking agents were used in monolithic osmotic pump tablets and the synchronous sustained-release of FMOP was acquired in vitro. The tablets were also administered to beagle dogs and the plasma levels of FMOP were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a non-compartmental model. Cmax of both felodipine and metoprolol from the osmotic pump tablets were lower, tmax and mean residence time of both felodipine and metoprolol from the osmotic pump tablets were longer significantly than those from immediate release tablets. These results verified prolonged release of felodipine and metoprolol tartrate from osmotic pump formulations. The similar absorption rate between felodipine and metoprolol in beagles was also obtained by this osmotic pump formulation. Therefore, it could be supposed that the accordant release of two drugs with completely different solubilities may be realized just by using monolithic osmotic pump technology.


Subject(s)
Antihypertensive Agents/administration & dosage , Felodipine/administration & dosage , Metoprolol/administration & dosage , Tablets/administration & dosage , Animals , Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacokinetics , Delayed-Action Preparations , Dogs , Drug Delivery Systems , Felodipine/pharmacokinetics , Humans , Metoprolol/pharmacokinetics , Osmosis , Solubility
13.
Drug Deliv ; 23(4): 1222-31, 2016 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26666408

ABSTRACT

To increase the anti-tumor activity of paclitaxel (PTX), novel temperature-sensitive liposomes loading paclitaxel (PTX-TSL) were developed. In vitro, characteristics of PTX-TSL were evaluated. The mean particle diameter was about 100 nm, and the entrapment efficiency was larger than 95%. The phase-transition temperature of PTX-TSL determined by differential scanning calorimetry was about 42 °C. The result of in vitro drug release from PTX-TSL illustrated that release rate at 37 °C was obviously lower than that at 42 °C. Stability data indicated that the liposome was physically and chemically stable for at least 3 months at -20 °C. In vivo study, after three injections with hyperthermia in the xenograft lung tumor model, PTX-TSL showed distinguished tumor growth suppression, compared with non-temperature-sensitive liposome and free drug. The results of intratumoral drug concentration indicated that PTX-TSL combined with hyperthermia delivered more paxlitaxel into the tumor location than the other two paxlitaxel formulations. In summary, PTX-TSL combined with hyperthermia significantly inhibited tumor growth, due to the increased targeting efficiency of PTX to tumor tissues. Such approach may enhance the delivery efficiency of chemotherapeutics into solid tumors.


Subject(s)
Doxorubicin/pharmacokinetics , Lung Neoplasms/physiopathology , Paclitaxel/pharmacokinetics , Cell Line, Tumor , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical , Doxorubicin/chemistry , Drug Liberation , Fever , Humans , Liposomes , Lung Neoplasms/chemistry , Paclitaxel/chemistry , Transition Temperature , Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
14.
Drug Deliv ; 23(6): 1962-71, 2016 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26066037

ABSTRACT

This work describes a new dry powder for inhalation containing zanamivir, which is less hygroscopic than Relenza®. The powders were prepared via a spray-drying technique using mannitol as the carrier. A 5(3) central composite design was used to optimize the formulations. The final optimized powders, characterized with an angle of repose 37.48°, an aerodynamic diameter of 2.346 µm and in vitro deposition of 58.54%, were obtained by using the predicted variable values. Relenza® absorbed a significant amount of water at 66%, 75% and 85% relative humidity (RH; weight changes of approximately 1.38%, 2.18% and 3.72%, respectively). In contrast, the weight change for the zanamivir dry powder inhalation (DPI) was negligible when the RH was increased to 66%. The in vivo potential for the optimized powders was studied further in rats via the endotracheal administration of an 8.4 mg/kg dose. The bioavailability was 116% relative to Relenza®. Fluorescence imaging monitored the zanamivir dry powder inhalers in rats. The results indicated that the zanamivir DPIs were effectively delivered to the lung. These results indicate that the spray-dried zanamivir DPIs were promising for pulmonary delivery.


Subject(s)
Dry Powder Inhalers/methods , Lung/drug effects , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Zanamivir/administration & dosage , Zanamivir/pharmacokinetics , Administration, Inhalation , Animals , Chemistry, Pharmaceutical , Lung/chemistry , Mannitol , Optical Imaging , Rats , X-Ray Diffraction , Zanamivir/chemistry
15.
Yao Xue Xue Bao ; 50(8): 919-24, 2015 Aug.
Article in Chinese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26668989

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, nanotechnologies have shown wide application foreground in the biomedical field of medicine laboratory tests, drug delivery, gene therapy and bioremediation. However, in recent years, nanomaterials have been labeled poisonous, because of the disputes and misunderstandings of mainstream views on their safety. Besides, for the barriers of technical issues in preparation like: (1) low efficacy (poor PK & PD and low drug loading), (2) high cost (irreproducibility and difficulty in scale up), little of that research has been successfully translated into commercial products. Currently, along with the new theory of "physical damage is the origin of nanotoxicity", biodegradability and biocompatibility of nanomaterials are listed as the basic principle of safe application of nanomaterials. Combining scientific design based on molecular level with precision control of process engineering will provide a new strategy to overcome the core technical challenges. New turning point of translational medicine in nanotechnology may emerge.


Subject(s)
Nanotechnology , Translational Research, Biomedical , Biocompatible Materials , Nanostructures/toxicity
16.
Int J Pharm ; 490(1-2): 412-28, 2015 Jul 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26027489

ABSTRACT

Drug loading strategies and the methods derived for implementing those strategies are crucially important to the preparation of drug loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA-NPs), because each of them is focused on wrapping up specific types of drugs via certain physical and chemical properties. However, poor adaptability still exists to load drugs like model substance 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) by conventional methods. Because it typically represents a large class of water-insoluble drugs, who also structurally possess a certain number of hydrophilic groups. So even though they majorly have lipophilicity but they are of low liposolubility. This article presents a new concept of a loading strategy that takes a drug polymer liquid compound as a loading medium. The drug polymer liquid compound was made from low weight polyethylene glycol (l-PEG) and HCPT. Consequently, this strategy has managed to fabricate HCPT-loaded HSA-NPs through an unconventional approach that overcomes drawbacks of current loading means and better results have been obtained, like high entrapment efficiency (over 99%) and less toxicity involvement. Afterward, in vitro and in vivo evaluations and characterizations were performed to help with the in-depth interpretation of the loading mechanism in order to reveal and further investigate the possible far-reaching applications of this method.


Subject(s)
Camptothecin/analogs & derivatives , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry , Serum Albumin/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry , Camptothecin/administration & dosage , Camptothecin/chemistry , Cell Line, Tumor , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Drug Compounding/methods , Hep G2 Cells , Humans , MCF-7 Cells , Nanoparticles/administration & dosage , Polymers/chemistry , Serum Albumin/administration & dosage
17.
PLoS One ; 10(5): e0125953, 2015.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25938514

ABSTRACT

Poor patient compliance, untoward reactions and unstable blood drug levels after the bolus administration are impeding the pharmacotherapy for insobriety. A long-acting preparation may address these limitations. The aim of this paper was to further investigate the in vitro characteristics and in vivo performances of nalmefene microspheres. Nalmefene was blended with poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) to prepare the target microspheres by an O/O emulsification solvent evaporation method. The prepared microspheres exhibited a controlled release profile of nalmefene in vitro over 4 weeks, which was well fitted with a first-order model. In vitro degradation study showed that the drug release in vitro was dominated by both drug diffusion and polymer degradation mechanisms. Pharmacokinetics study indicated that the prepared microspheres could provide a relatively constant of nalmefene plasma concentration for at least one month in rats. The in vivo pharmacokinetics profile was well correlated with the in vitro drug release. Pharmacodynamics studies revealed that the drug loaded microspheres could produce a long-acting antagonism efficacy on rats. These results demonstrated the promising application of injectable PLGA microspheres containing nalmefene for the long-term treatment of alcohol dependence.


Subject(s)
Drug Carriers , Lactic Acid/chemistry , Microspheres , Naltrexone/analogs & derivatives , Polyglycolic Acid/chemistry , Animals , Drug Liberation , Female , Guinea Pigs , Male , Materials Testing , Mice , Naltrexone/administration & dosage , Naltrexone/adverse effects , Naltrexone/pharmacokinetics , Particle Size , Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer , Rats
18.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 95(1): 200-6, 2015 Jun 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25921636

ABSTRACT

Air barriers have been recently developed and employed as a new type of oil containment boom. This paper presents systematic investigations on the reliability of air barriers on oil containments with the involvement of flowing water, which represents the commonly-seen shearing current in reality, by using both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Both the numerical and experimental investigations are carried out in a model scale. In the investigations, a submerged pipe with apertures is installed near the bottom of a tank to generate the air bubbles forming the air curtain; and, the shearing water flow is introduced by a narrow inlet near the mean free surface. The effects of the aperture configurations (including the size and the spacing of the aperture) and the location of the pipe on the effectiveness of the air barrier on preventing oil spreading are discussed in details with consideration of different air discharges and velocities of the flowing water. The research outcome provides a foundation for evaluating and/or improve the reliability of a air barrier on preventing spilled oil from further spreading.


Subject(s)
Models, Theoretical , Petroleum Pollution , Water Pollution, Chemical/prevention & control , Air , Containment of Biohazards , Equipment Design , Reproducibility of Results
19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19418349

ABSTRACT

It was the objective of this study to construct a model of the uterine vascular supply through vascular casting and thin slice computed tomography scanning. This will provide a teaching aide for the understanding of uterine artery embolization (UAE) procedures, as well as normal uterine and ovarian arterial anatomy. Using 20% chlorinated poly vinyl chloride, we infused and cast a set of a normal uterus, vagina and bilateral adnexa through the uterine artery and ovarian artery. After thin slice CT scanning, we obtained the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction by maximum intensity projection (MIP) and surface-shaded display (SSD), and then observed its figure and characteristics. A model of the uterine vascular supply can be successfully reconstructed by vascular casting and thin slice CT scanning. The 3D reconstruction offers a clear view of the course of the uterine artery and its blood supply distribution. It has two major branches: The intramuscular uterine branch and the cervicovaginal branch (1). Blood supply is generally unilateral, with communicating branches between the two sides and possible anastomoses between the arterial blood supply of the uterus and the ovaries. The major blood supply of the cervix comes from the cervicovaginal branch of the uterine artery, while the vaginal arterial supply derives directly from the internal iliac artery. The CT technique allows real-time 360 degrees rotation and changes in model for in-depth study of the vascular network and its adjacent tissues. It is possible to construct an in vitro uterine arterial network by vascular casting and CT scanning, which can provide unique insight into the female genitourinary system arterial network. Based on this, we can create reconstructions as well as models for different diseases such as leiomyomata, adenomyosis, and endometrial cancer. These models will provide morphological evidence to the interventional therapy and UAE teaching in Obstetrics and Gynecology.


Subject(s)
Models, Anatomic , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Uterus/blood supply , Adnexa Uteri/anatomy & histology , Female , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , Ovary/blood supply , Polyvinyl Chloride/chemistry , Uterine Artery/anatomy & histology , Uterine Artery Embolization/methods , Vagina/blood supply
20.
Wei Sheng Yan Jiu ; 37(2): 147-50, 154, 2008 Mar.
Article in Chinese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18589594

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of phosphorus, nitrogen on the production of microcystin under specific laboratory condition. METHODS: The microcystis were ampliatively cultured for three times in N and P free culture. Then the microcysitis were inoculated in the culture at the concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/L P for 20 days. The microcystis were inoculated in the BG-11 cultures at the concentrations of 0.05 mg/L and 5.0 mg/L P, NaNO3 were added in the culture according to the mol ratios of N/P were 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 50:1, 100:1 and were cultured for 20 days. The changes of the count of the microcystis were observed. The microcystis cell were breaked at the 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th days after the beginning of culturing, the the microcystin were extracted and detected by HPLC. RESULTS: When the concentrations of phosphorus were lower than 5.0 mg/L, The productions of microcystin increased with the phosphorus concentrations. But when the concentrations of phosphorus were 10.0 mg/L, the productions of microcystin significantly decreased. In the culture at the concentrations of 0.05 mg/L P, the microcystin concentration per cell (MCYST fg/cell) and the microcystin concentrations per milliliter (MCYST microg/ml culture) presented the greatest value when the N/P ratio was 50:1. But, In the culture at the concentrations of 5.0 mg/L P, the microcystin concentrations per cell (MCYST fg/cell) and the microcystin concentrations per milliliter (MCYST microg/ml culture) presented the greatest value when the N/P ratio was 20:1. CONCLUSION: P concentrations significantly incluence the production of microcystin. The P concentrations in water should be controlled through different way to control the production of microcystins.


Subject(s)
Microcystins/biosynthesis , Microcystis/metabolism , Nitrogen/pharmacology , Phosphorus/pharmacology , Culture Techniques/methods , Microcystis/growth & development , Water Pollution/prevention & control
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