Hyaluronan polymeric micelles for topical drug delivery.

Nanosized materials offer promising strategy for topical drug delivery due to their enhancing effect on drug percutaneous transport across the stratum corneum barrier. In this work, polymeric micelles made from hydrophobized hyaluronic acid (HA) were probed for skin delivery. Compared to non-polymeric micelle solutions containing similar drug amount, in vitro skin penetration analysis indicated 3 times larger deposition of drug in the epidermis and 6 times larger drug deposition in the dermis after 5h of topical treatment in Franz diffusion cells. The drug deposition was further increased with prolonged time of topical treatment. Laser confocal microscopy revealed the accumulation of both, the HA forming the vehicle and the payload, in the epidermis and dermis. Although fluorescent labeling of the HA would suggest co-transport of the HA and the drug, loading FRET pair dyes in the micellar core clearly demonstrated gradual micelle disruption with increasing skin depth. Transcellular penetration was the predominant pathway for the loaded drug. The HA polymeric micelles also demonstrated increased bioactivity of loaded compound in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the loaded micelles were found to be stable in cream formulations and thus they have great potential for topical applications for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes.

Could tight junctions regulate the barrier function of the aged skin?

The skin is known to be the largest organ in human organism creating interface with outer environment. The skin provides protective barrier against pathogens, physical and chemical insults, and against uncontrolled loss of water. The barrier function was primarily attributed to the stratum corneum (SC) but recent studies confirmed that epidermal tight junctions (TJs) also play important role in maintaining barrier properties of the skin. Independent observations indicate that barrier function and its recovery is impaired in aged skin. However, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) values remains rather unchanged in elderly population. UV radiation as major factor of photoageing impairs TJ proteins, but TJs have great self-regenerative potential. Since it may be possible that TJs can compensate TEWL in elderly due to its regenerative and compensatory capabilities, important question remains to be answered: how are TJs regulated during skin ageing? This review provides an insight into TJs functioning as epidermal barrier and summarizes current knowledge about the impact of ageing on the barrier function of the skin and epidermal TJs.

Chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in a hydrogel system based on an enzymatically crosslinked tyramine derivative of hyaluronan.

Hyaluronan-based tissue substitutes are promising materials in cartilage reconstruction surgery. Herein, the chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in a hydrogel based on a tyramine derivative of hyaluronan crosslinked by hydrogen peroxidase (HA-TA) was evaluated. Human MSC seeded in the scaffold were incubated in standard chondrogenic medium and medium enriched with bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP6). Cell viability, the gene expression of selected markers (collagen type II, aggrecan, SOX9, collagen type X, and osteopontin), and the histological characteristics were examined during three weeks of in vitro cultivation. The tissue reaction of both unseeded and MSC seeded HA-TA scaffolds were tested in vivo after subcutaneous application in rats for 12 weeks. The data showed that cells resisted the process of crosslinking and remained viable for the whole time while exhibiting changes in cell organization. Human MSC cultivated in HA-TA hydrogel expressed genes of both chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation and the addition of BMP6 revealed a tendency to potentiate both processes. Histological analysis of HA-TA in vivo implants did not reveal a chronic inflammatory reaction. In both cases, in vivo HA-TA implants were continuously degraded and MSC-seeded hydrogels tended to form clusters similar to in vitro samples. In conclusion, MSC chondrogenic differentiation may proceed in a HA-TA scaffold that is biocompatible. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 3523-3530, 2014.

Modulation of keratin 1, 10 and involucrin expression as part of the complex response of the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT to ultraviolet radiation.

Skin exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light evokes a complex stress response in keratinocytes. Keratin filament organization provides structural stability and mechanical integrity of keratinocytes. Involucrin is a transglutaminase substrate protein contributing to the formation of insoluble cornified envelopes. However, a more complex role for keratins and involucrin has been proposed, including the regulation of cell stress response. The aim was to evaluate modulations of keratin 1, 10 and involucrin expression in HaCaT in the light of the complex response of these cells to UV-B radiation, including effects on c-Jun and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) gene expression and production of interleukin (IL) 6 and 8. A UV-B (300±5 nm) dose of 10 mJ/cm(2) was selected since this dose resulted in a partial decrease in cell viability in contrast to higher UV-B doses, which induced complete cell death 48 h after treatment. The UV-B radiation induced significant expression of keratin 1 and 10 and decreased expression of involucrin. This was accompanied by increased expression of c-Jun and MMP-1 and IL-6 and IL-8 production. The data suggest that the expression of keratin 1, 10 and involucrin is modulated in HaCaT keratinocytes as a part of the complex stress response to UV radiation.

The dose-dependent effects of endotoxin on protein metabolism in two types of rat skeletal muscle

Endotoxin administration is frequently used as a model of systemic inflammatory response which is considered the important pathogenetic factor in muscle wasting development in severe illness, such as sepsis, cancer, injury, AIDS and others. The main purpose of this study was determining the effect of various doses of endotoxin on protein and amino acid metabolism in two types of rat skeletal muscle. Sepsis was induced by intraperitoneal administration of endotoxin in a dose of 1, 3 and 5 mg/kg body weight (bw); control animals received a corresponding volume of the saline solution. After 24 h, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were isolated and used for determination of total and myofibrillar proteolysis, protein synthesis, activity of cathepsins B and L, chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome and amino acid release. The endotoxemia induced the body weight loss, the rise of total cholesterol and triglyceride plasma concentration and the protein catabolic state in skeletal muscle, which was caused by a higher increase in protein breakdown (due to activation of the proteasome system) than protein synthesis. The more significant effect of endotoxin was seen in EDL than SOL. The dose of 5 mg of endotoxin/kg bw induced the most significant changes in parameters of the protein and amino acid metabolism measured and could be therefore considered appropriate for studies of protein catabolism in young rat skeletal muscle at 24 h after endotoxin treatment (AU)

The dose-dependent effects of endotoxin on protein metabolism in two types of rat skeletal muscle.

Endotoxin administration is frequently used as a model of systemic inflammatory response which is considered the important pathogenetic factor in muscle wasting development in severe illness, such as sepsis, cancer, injury, AIDS and others. The main purpose of this study was determining the effect of various doses of endotoxin on protein and amino acid metabolism in two types of rat skeletal muscle. Sepsis was induced by intraperitoneal administration of endotoxin in a dose of 1, 3 and 5 mg/kg body weight (bw); control animals received a corresponding volume of the saline solution. After 24 h, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were isolated and used for determination of total and myofibrillar proteolysis, protein synthesis, activity of cathepsins B and L, chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome and amino acid release. The endotoxemia induced the body weight loss, the rise of total cholesterol and triglyceride plasma concentration and the protein catabolic state in skeletal muscle, which was caused by a higher increase in protein breakdown (due to activation of the proteasome system) than protein synthesis. The more significant effect of endotoxin was seen in EDL than SOL. The dose of 5 mg of endotoxin/kg bw induced the most significant changes in parameters of the protein and amino acid metabolism measured and could be therefore considered appropriate for studies of protein catabolism in young rat skeletal muscle at 24 h after endotoxin treatment.

Hyaluronan minimizes effects of UV irradiation on human keratinocytes.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has detrimental effects on skin accompanied by the increased metabolism of hyaluronan (HA), a linear polysaccharide important for the normal physiological functions of skin. In this study, the modulation of human keratinocyte response to UVB irradiation by HA (970 kDa) was investigated. Immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were irradiated by a single dose of UVB and immediately treated with HA for 6 and 24 h. The irradiation induced a significant decrease in the gene expression of CD44 and toll-like receptor 2 6 h after irradiation. The expressions of other HA receptors, including toll-like receptor 4 and the receptor for HA-mediated motility, were not detected in either the control or UVB-irradiated or HA-treated HaCaT cells. UVB irradiation induced a significant decrease in the gene expression of HA synthase-2 and hyaluronidase-2 6 h after irradiation. The expressions of HA synthase-3 and hyaluronidase-3 were not significantly modulated by UV irradiation. Interestingly, HA treatment did not significantly modulate any of these effects. In contrast, HA significantly suppressed UVB-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release including interleukin-6 and interleukin-8. Similarly, HA treatment reduced the UVB-mediated production of transforming growth factor ß1. HA treatment also significantly reduced the UV irradiation-mediated release of soluble CD44 into the media. Finally, HA partially, but significantly, suppressed the UVB-induced decrease in cell viability. Data indicate that HA had significant protective effects for HaCaT cells against UVB irradiation.

Effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate treatment in different types of skeletal muscle of intact and septic rats.

ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a leucine metabolite that may have a positive effect in protein catabolic conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that HMB treatment could attenuate the sepsis-induced protein catabolic state. The aims of our study were to elucidate the effect of HMB in healthy and septic animals and to evaluate the differences in the action of HMB in different muscle types. Intact and septic (5 mg endotoxin/kg i.p.) rats were administered with HMB (0.5 g/kg/day) or saline. After 24 h, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were isolated and used for determination of total and myofibrillar proteolysis, protein synthesis, leucine oxidation, activity of cathepsins B and L, chymotrypsin-like activity, and expression of α-subunits of proteasome. Our results indicate that the catabolic state induced by the endotoxin treatment was caused both by increase in protein breakdown (due to activation of proteasome system) and by attenuation of protein synthesis. The EDL (muscle composed of white, fast-twitch fibers) was more susceptible to these changes than the SOL (muscle composed of red, slow-twitch fibers). The HMB treatment had no effect in healthy animals but counteracted the changes in septic animals. The action of HMB was mediated by attenuation of proteasome activity and protein breakdown, not by stimulation of protein synthesis. More pronounced effect of the HMB treatment on myofibrillar proteolysis was observed in the SOL.

The comparison of impedance-based method of cell proliferation monitoring with commonly used metabolic-based techniques.

OBJECTIVES: Determination of cell numbers is a crucial step in studies focused on cytokinetics and cell toxicity. The impedance-based analysis employing electronic sensor array system xCELLigence System allowing label-free dynamic monitoring of relative viable adherent cell amounts was compared with the most utilized methods for relative quantification of viable cell numbers based on a determination of cellular metabolism. DESIGN: Colorimetric assay based on reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT) by mitochondrial enzymes and chemiluminiscent assay based on intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) determination were compared with the impedance-based system. Cell morphology was compared by microscopic evaluation. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF), together with 3T3 mouse fibroblast and HaCaT keratinocyte cell lines were employed. RESULTS: The progress of cell growth curves obtained by different methods during 72 hours reflected cell type and cell seeding densities. The impedance-based method was found to be applicable for the determination of the cell proliferation of 3T3 fibroblasts, HaCaT and NHDF, since the comparison of this method with ATP and MTT determinations showed a comparable results. In contrast, the proliferation of NHEK measured by the impedance-based method did not correlate with other methodological approaches. This could be accounted to the specific morphological appearance of these cells. CONCLUSION: The study shows the impedance-based detection of viable adherent cells is a valuable approach for cytokinetics and pharmacological studies. However, the specific morphological characteristics of cell lines have to be considered employing this method for determination of cell proliferation without using other reference methods.

Protein metabolism in slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscle during turpentine-induced inflammation.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in protein and amino acid metabolism after subcutaneous turpentine administration in the soleus muscle (SOL), predominantly composed of red fibres, and the extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL) composed of white fibres. Young rats (40-60 g) were injected subcutaneously with 0.2 ml of turpentine oil/100 g body weight (inflammation) or with the same volume of saline solution (control). Twenty-four hours later SOL and EDL were dissected and incubated in modified Krebs-Heinseleit buffer to estimate total and myofibrillar proteolysis, chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome (CHTLA), leucine oxidation, protein synthesis and amino acid release into the medium. The data obtained demonstrate that in intact rats, all parameters measured except protein synthesis are significantly higher in SOL than in EDL. In turpentine treated animals, CHTLA increased and protein synthesis decreased significantly more in EDL. Release of leucine was inhibited significantly more in SOL. We conclude that turpentine-induced inflammation affects more CHTLA, protein synthesis and leucine release in EDL compared to SOL.

Simultaneous infusion of glutamine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to septic rats does not have more favorable effect on protein synthesis in muscle, liver, and small intestine than separate infusions.

BACKGROUND: Glutamine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA; valine, leucine, and isoleucine) are used as nutrition supplements in the treatment of proteocatabolic illness. We hypothesized that simultaneous administration of BCAA and glutamine affects protein metabolism more significantly than separate administration. In the present study, we evaluated their effect on protein synthesis in skeletal muscle, liver, and jejunum of septic rats. METHODS: Twenty-four hours after induction of sepsis by subcutaneous injection of turpentine, the rats were infused for 6 hours with 5 mL of 1.75% glutamine, 1.75% BCAA, 1.75% glutamine+BCAA, or saline solution. The control group consisted of intact rats infused with saline. Protein synthesis was measured at the end of infusion by a "flooding method" with [3,4,5-(3)H]phenylalanine. RESULTS: In turpentine-treated animals, we observed a decrease in glutamine concentration in blood plasma and skeletal muscle, a decrease in BCAA concentration in liver and jejunum, and a decrease in protein synthesis in all tissues. Glutamine or glutamine+BCAA infusion increased glutamine concentration in plasma and muscle and stimulated protein synthesis in the liver. The BCAA infusion enhanced concentrations of BCAA in plasma and tissues, but the effect of BCAA on protein synthesis was insignificant. Synergistic effect of simultaneous infusion of glutamine and BCAA on protein synthesis was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that glutamine infusion to rats with septic injury may significantly improve impaired protein synthesis in the liver and that there is no synergistic effect of glutamine and BCAA infusion on protein synthesis in skeletal muscle, liver, and jejunum.

Aspects of protein and amino acid metabolism in a model of severe glutamine deficiency in sepsis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Growth hormone (GH) could have the potential to improve protein metabolism in sepsis but glutamine deficiency has been reported after GH treatment. The aim was to investigate the effects of glutamine deficiency in sepsis with and without GH treatment on protein and amino acid metabolism. METHODS: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used as a model of sepsis. Serious glutamine deficiency was induced by administration of glutamine synthetase inhibitor, methionine sulfoximine (MSO). Young Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control; CLP; CLP+MSO; CLP+GH, and CLP+MSO+GH. Parameters of protein metabolism were measured on incubated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles: [1-14C]leucine was used to estimate protein synthesis and leucine oxidation, tyrosine release was used to evaluate protein breakdown. Amino acid concentrations in plasma, skeletal muscle and incubation media were measured by HPLC. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: A reduced muscle glutamine concentration after MSO treatment is not associated with changes in the rates of protein synthesis or breakdown. MSO treatment decreased glutamine release from skeletal muscle and plasma glutamine concentration. Severe glutamine deficiency in GH-treated septic rats resulted in increased release of branched-chain amino acids from skeletal muscle.

Proteasome inhibitor MG-132 enhances whole-body protein turnover in rat.

Proteasome inhibitors are novel therapeutic agents which may be used in treatment of cancer and other severe disorders. We studied the effect of proteasome inhibitor MG-132 on protein and amino acid metabolism. In MG-132-treated rats we observed a significant decrease in proteasome-dependent proteolysis in skeletal muscle and an increase in whole-body protein turnover (i.e., increase in whole-body proteolysis and protein synthesis). Proteasome-dependent proteolysis was activated in the liver and kidney, protein synthesis increased in skeletal muscle, liver, and kidney. Insignificant changes were found in jejunum and colon. MG-132 administration induced a significant increase in concentration of several amino acids in blood plasma and their decrease in jejunum and colon. We conclude that administration of MG-132 affects both protein anabolic and protein catabolic pathways via the direct effect on proteasome-dependent proteolysis and indirect effect on proteolysis and protein synthesis via unidentified mediators.