Ligand conformation dictates membrane and endosomal trafficking of arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD)-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Recent breakthrough research on mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials has illustrated their significant potential in biological applications due to their excellent drug delivery and endocytotic behavior. We set out to determine if MSN, covalently functionalized with conformation specific bioactive molecules (either linear or cyclic RGD ligands), behave towards mammalian cells in a similar manner as the free ligands. We discovered that RGD immobilized on the MSN surface did not influence the integrity of the porous matrix and improved the endocytosis efficiency of the MSN materials. Through competition experiments with free RGD ligands, we also discovered a conformation specific receptor-integrin association. The interaction between RGD immobilized on the MSN surface and integrins plays an important role in endosome trafficking, specifically dictating the kinetics of endosomal escape. Thus, covalent functionalization of biomolecules on MSN assists in the design of a system for controlling the interface with cancer cells.

Application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles in intracellular delivery of molecules and proteins.

Delivery of drugs and molecules to eukaryote animal and plant cells can be enhanced when mediated by mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials. This chapter describes, in detail, the synthesis of several different MSN materials used for the transport of various hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug molecules, neurotransmitters, and macromolecules across the cell membrane, and in some cases, the cell wall of plant cells. In addition, the utility of MSN for mediating the delivery of cell-impermeable proteins is described in detail. Though the experimental descriptions are specifically detailed to research that has been completed, the procedures are applicable to additional drug and protein delivery experiments. Also summarized are several considerations that need to be addressed when utilizing MSN materials with biological systems to avoid complicating experiments.

Surfactant-assisted controlled release of hydrophobic drugs using anionic surfactant templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

A series of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were synthesized using the co-structure directing method. A non-cytotoxic anionic surfactant, undec-1-en-11-yltetra(ethylene glycol) phosphate monoester surfactant (PMES), was used as a structure directing agent (SDA) together with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane that functioned as a co-structure directing agent (CSDA). The morphology and mesoporous structure of these materials were tuned by changing the molar ratio of CSDA and SDA. These mesoporous nanomaterials containing PMES inside the pores showed excellent biocompatibility in vitro. The cellular internalization and endosome escape of PMES-MSNs in cervical cancer cells (HeLa) was demonstrated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, respectively. The PMES-MSNs were used as drug delivery carriers for resveratrol, a low water solubility drug, by taking advantage of the hydrophobic environment created by the PMES micelle inside the pores. This surfactant-assisted delivery strategy was tested under physiological conditions showing an increase of the drug loading compared to the material without surfactant and steady release of resveratrol. Finally, the therapeutic properties of resveratrol-loaded PMES-MSNs were evaluated in vitro using HeLa and Chinese hamster ovarian cells. We envision that this surfactant-assisted drug delivery method using MSNs as nanovehicles would lead to a new generation of carrier materials for intracellular delivery of a variety of hydrophobic therapeutic agents.

Strategies for enantioseparations of catecholamines and structurally related compounds by capillary zone electrophoresis using sulfated beta-cyclodextrins as chiral selectors.

Strategies for simultaneous enantioseparations of three catecholamines (DL-norepinephrine, DL-epinephrine, and DL-isoproterenol) and three structurally related compounds (DL-octopamine, DL-synephrine, and DL-norephedrine) by CZE using sulfated beta-CDs as chiral selectors were investigated. Four different separation modes were attempted: (I) using randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD (MI-S-beta-CD) at relatively low concentrations in a high-concentration phosphate buffer at low pH in the normal polarity mode, (II) using MI-S-beta-CD at high concentrations at low pH in the reversed polarity mode, (III) using MI-S-beta-CD at moderately high concentrations in a phosphate buffer at neutral pH in the normal polarity mode, and (IV) using the single isomer heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD (SI-S-beta-CD) at low to moderately high concentrations in a high-concentration BGE at low pH in the normal polarity mode. Among them, enantioseparation of these cationic solutes was best achieved under the conditions of mode (II). In mode (II) and mode (III), temperature is an important factor affecting the enantioresolution of norepinephrine. In mode (I) and mode (IV), the use of a high-concentration BGE (150-200 mM) is crucial for effective enantioseparation of these cationic solutes with sulfated beta-CDs. Comparative studies of enantioseparations of these cationic solutes with MI-S-beta-CD and SI-S-beta-CD reveal that the sulfate substituents of MI-S-beta-CD located at the C(2)- position interact strongly with the diol moiety of catecholamines.

Migration behavior and enantioseparation of hydrobenzoin and structurally related compounds in capillary zone electrophoresis with a dual cyclodextrin system consisting of heptakis-(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin and beta-cyclodextrin.

Migration behavior and enantioseparation of racemic hydrobenzoin and structurally related compounds, including benzoin and benzoin methyl ether, in CZE with a dual CD system consisting of heptakis-(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD (SI-S-beta-CD) and beta-CD as chiral selectors in the presence and absence of borate complexation at pH 9.0 were investigated. The results indicate that enantioseparation of hydrobenzoin is mainly governed by CD complexation of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes with SI-S-beta-CD when SI-S-beta-CD concentration is relatively high. Whereas CD complexation of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes with beta-CD plays a significant role in enantioseparation when SI-S-beta-CD concentration is comparatively low. The (S,S)-enantiomer of the hydrobenzoin-borate complex was found to interact more strongly than the corresponding (R,R)-enantiomer with both SI-S-beta-CD and beta-CD. These two types of CD show the same chiral recognition pattern, but they exhibit opposite effects on the mobility of the enantiomers of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes. Enantiomer migration reversal of hydrobenzoin occurred in the presence of borate complexation when varying the concentration of beta-CD, while keeping SI-S-beta-CD at a relatively low concentration. Binding constants of the enantiomers of benzoin-related compounds to beta-CD and those of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes to SI-beta-CD were evaluated; the mobility contributions of all complex species to the effective mobility of the enantiomers of hydrobenzoin as a function of beta-CD concentration in a borate buffer were analyzed. In addition, comparative studies on the enantioseparation of benzoin-related compounds with SI-S-beta-CD and with randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD were made.

Capillary electrophoretic studies on the migration behavior of cationic solutes and the influence of interactions of cationic solutes with sodium dodecyl sulfate on the formation of micelles and critical micelle concentration.

The migration behavior of cationic solutes and influences of the interactions of cationic solutes with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the formation of micelles and its critical micelle concentration (CMC) were investigated by capillary electrophoresis at neutral pH. Catecholamines and structurally related compounds, including epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, norephedrine, and tyramine, which involve different extents of hydrophobic, ionic and hydrogen-bonding interactions with SDS surfactant, are selected as cationic solutes. The dependence of the effective electrophoretic mobility of cationic solutes on the concentration of surfactant monomers in the premicellar region provides direct evidence of the formation of ion-pairs between cationic solutes and anionic dodecyl sulfate monomers. Three different approaches, based on the variations of either the effective electrophoretic mobility or the retention factor as a function of surfactant concentration in the premicellar and micellar regions, and the linear relationship between the retention factor and the product of a distribution coefficient and the phase ratio, were considered to determine the CMC value of SDS micelles. The suitability of the methods used for the determination of the CMC of SDS with these cationic solutes was discussed. Depending on the structures of cationic solutes and electrophoretic conditions, the CMC value of SDS determined varies in a wide concentration range. The results indicate that, in addition to hydrophobic interaction, both ionic and hydrogen-bonding interactions have pronounced effects on the formation of SDS micelles. Ionic interaction between cationic solutes and SDS surfactant stabilizes the SDS micelles, whereas hydrogen-bonding interactions weakens the solubilization of the attractive ionic interaction. The elevation of the CMC of SDS depends heavily on hydrogen-bonding interactions between cationic solutes and SDS surfactant. Thus, the CMC value of SDS is remarkably elevated with catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, as compared with norephedrine. In addition, the effect of methanol content in the sample solution of these cationic solutes on the CMC of SDS was also examined.

Enantioseparations of hydrobenzoin and structurally related compounds in capillary zone electrophoresis using heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector and enantiomer migration reversal of hydrobenzoin with a dual cyclodextrin system in the presence of borate complexation.

We investigated the enantioseparations of racemic hydrobenzoin, together with benzoin and benzoin methyl ether, in capillary electrophoresis (CE) using the single-isomer heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin (SI-S-beta-CD) as a chiral selector in the presence and absence of borate complexation and enantiomer migration reversal of hydrobenzoin with a dual CD system consisting of SI-S-beta-CD and beta-CD in the presence of borate complexation at pH 9.0 in a borate buffer. The enantioselectivity of hydrobenzoin increased remarkably with increasing SI-S-beta-CD concentration and the enantioseparation depended on CD complexation between hydrobenzoin-borate and SI-S-beta-CD. The (S,S)-enantiomer of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes interacted more strongly than the (R,R)-enantiomer with SI-S-beta-CD. The enantiomers of hydrobenzoin could be baseline-resolved in the presence of SI-S-beta-CD at a concentration as low as 0.1% w/v, whereas the three test analytes were simultaneously enantioseparated with addition of 0.3% w/v SI-S-beta-CD or at concentrations >2.0% w/v in a borate buffer and 0.5% w/v in a phosphate background electrolyte at pH 9.0. Compared with the results obtained previously using randomly sulfated beta-CD (MI-S-beta-CD) in a borate buffer, enantioseparation of these three benzoin compounds is more advantageously aided by SI-S-beta-CD as the chiral selector. The enantioselectivity of hydrobenzoin depended greatly on the degree of substitution of sulfated beta-CD. Moreover, binding constants of the enantiomers of benzoin compounds to SI-S-beta-CD and those of hydrobenzoin-borate complexes to SI-S-beta-CD were evaluated for a better understanding of the role of CD complexation in the enantioseparation and chiral recognition. Enantiomer migration reversal of hydrobenzoin could be observed by varying the concentration of beta-CD, while keeping SI-S-beta-CD at a relatively low concentration. SI-S-beta-CD and beta-CD showed the same chiral recognition pattern but they exhibited opposite effects on the mobility of the enantiomers.