The Antiangiogenic Effect and Ocular Pharmacology of Novel Modified Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Treatment of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy.

Purpose: To evaluate the hypothesis that 3 novel compounds, OXT-328, Q-922, and CL-717 show efficacy in the treatment of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and whether or not their route of administration is intravitreal, topical, or systemic. Methods: The OIR mouse model, characterized by an avascular area (AVA) and a neovascular area (NVA) of the retina, was used to study retinopathy of prematurity and other retinal diseases characterized by abnormal vessel growth. We measured the effect of our compounds on both the AVA and NVA in whole mounts of mouse retinal tissue. We also evaluated their ability to prevent new vessel formation in chicken chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs). Finally, we measured the in vitro uptake and biodistribution of topically applied CL-717 in human eye explants. Results: In mice with OIR, compared to controls, a single intravitreal administration of Q-922 or OXT-328 significantly reduced both AVA and NVA. CL-717 administered as eye drops over 5 days also reduced AVA and NVA, whereas OXT-328 eye drops had no effect. Q-922 given intraperitoneal (150 mg/kg/day × 5 days) reduced AVA and NVA. Remarkably, explanted human eyes bathed in CL-717 show rapid uptake and biodistribution in ocular tissues. In the chicken CAM model, all 3 compounds reduced the formation of new blood vessels by about one-third. No side effect in mice was observed, except for mild ocular surface irritation with Q-922. Conclusions: Systemic administration of Q-922 or topical administration of CL-717 holds particular promise for a simplified treatment of proliferative retinopathies without the necessity of intravitreal injections.

ß-arrestin interacts with TRAF6 to negatively regulate the NF-κB pathway in triangle sail mussel Hyriopsis cumingii.

As members of arrestins family, ß-arrestins are widely expressed in monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and other immune cells. They can regulate the immune response of bodies through various ways. In the present study, a ß-arrestin homolog named Hcß-arrestin was cloned and identified from Hyriopsis cumingii. Predicted Hcß-arrestin protein contained a conserved arrestin domain, which could be further divided into arrestin-N (39-192aa) and arrestin-C (211-365aa). Amino acid sequence alignment showed that it had the highest identity with Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mytilus edulis counterpart, which was 89.02% and 87.68%, respectively. Furthermore, real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the Hcß-arrestin gene was widely expressed in the detected tissues and with the highest expression in hepatopancreas. The transcription of Hcß-arrestin in hepatopancreas and gill of mussels was significantly up-regulated after stimulation with peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic polycytidylic acid. Knockdown of Hcß-arrestin gene significantly increased the expression of some antibacterial effector genes, such as lysozyme, LPS-binding protein/bactericidal permeability increasing protein and theromacin in hepatopancreas and gills of LPS stimulated mussels, but only had little effect on TLR pathway genes. In addition, GST pull-down assay confirmed that Hcß-arrestin can bind to HcTRAF6 protein in vitro. Dual luciferase reporter assay showed that the co-expression of HcTRAF6 and Hcß-arrestin inhibited the activation of NF-κB reporter by HcTRAF6. These findings indicated that Hcß-arrestins could interact with HcTRAF6 to negatively regulate the NF-κB pathway in H. cumingii.

Phospho-Sulindac (OXT-328) Inhibits Dry Eye Disease in Rabbits: A Dose-, Formulation- and Structure-Dependent Effect.

Purpose: Inflammation of the ocular surface is central to dry eye disease (DED). The anti-inflammatory agent phospho-sulindac (PS) at a high dose was efficacious against DED in a rabbit model. We assessed the dose, formulation and structure dependence of PS's effect. Methods: In rabbits with concanavalin A-induced DED we evaluated a range of PS concentrations (0.05%-1.6%) and dosing frequencies, assessed the duration of its effect with PS in 2 solution formulations and one emulsion formulation, and compared the efficacy of PS to that of sulindac, and of the structurally similar phospho-ibuprofen amide. We determined tear breakup time (TBUT) (tear stability), Schirmer's tear test (tear production), and by esthesiometry corneal sensitivity (symptoms). We also determined the biodistribution in the eye of topically applied PS. Results: PS in a solution formulation, given as eye drops q.i.d. was efficacious starting at a dose of 0.1%. The effect was apparent after 2 days of treatment and lasted at least 8 days after the last dose. Both signs (evidenced by TBUT and Schirmer's test) and symptoms (measured by corneal sensitivity) improved significantly. The best formulation was the solution formulation; a cyclodextrin-based formulation was also successful but the emulsion formulation was not. PS and its metabolites were essentially restricted to the anterior chamber of the eye. Sulindac and phospho-ibuprofen amide had no efficacy on DED. Conclusions: PS is efficacious against DED. Its effect, encompassing signs, and symptoms, are dose, formulation, and structure dependent. PS has therapeutic promise and merits further development.

The ocular pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of phospho-sulindac (OXT-328) formulated in nanoparticles: Enhanced and targeted tissue drug delivery.

We studied the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and metabolism of phospho-sulindac (PS), a novel agent efficacious in the treatment of dry eye, formulated in nanoparticles (PS-NPs) following its topical administration to the eye of New Zealand White rabbits. The nanoparticles were spherical with effective diameter = 108.9 ±â€¯41.7 nm, zeta potential = -21.70 ±â€¯3.78 mV, drug loading = 7%, and entrapment efficiency = 46.4%. Of the total PS delivered topically to the eye, >95% was retained in the anterior segment, predominantly in the cornea (Cmax = 101.3 µM; Tmax = 1 h; T1/2 = 2.6 h; area AUC0-16h = 164.4 µM·h) and conjunctiva (Cmax = 89.4 µM; Tmax = 0.25 h; T1/2 = 3.1 h; AUC0-16h = 63.5 µM·h), the tissues most affected by dry eye disease. No PS or its metabolites were detected in the systemic circulation. PS was metabolized to PS sulfide and PS sulfone; all three molecules were hydrolyzed to sulindac, which was converted to sulindac sulfide and sulindac sulfone. A solution formulation of PS provided lower PS levels in ocular tissues but higher levels of PS metabolites, compared to PS-NPs. Therefore, NPs represent an effective formulation for the topical ocular administration of PS for anterior segment diseases, such as dry eye disease.

Combination of TRAIL and actinomycin D liposomes enhances antitumor effect in non-small cell lung cancer.

The intractability of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to multimodality treatments plays a large part in its extremely poor prognosis. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising cytokine for selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells; however, many NSCLC cell lines are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The therapeutic effect can be restored by treatments combining TRAIL with chemotherapeutic agents. Actinomycin D (ActD) can sensitize NSCLC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by upregulation of death receptor 4 (DR4) or 5 (DR5). However, the use of ActD has significant drawbacks due to the side effects that result from its nonspecific biodistribution in vivo. In addition, the short half-life of TRAIL in serum also limits the antitumor effect of treatments combining TRAIL and ActD. In this study, we designed a combination treatment of long-circulating TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes with the aim of resolving these problems. The combination of TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes had a synergistic cytotoxic effect against A-549 cells. The mechanism behind this combination treatment includes both increased expression of DR5 and caspase activation. Moreover, systemic administration of the combination of TRAIL liposomes and ActD liposomes suppressed both tumor formation and growth of established subcutaneous NSCLC xenografts in nude mice, inducing apoptosis without causing significant general toxicity. These results provide preclinical proof-of-principle for a novel therapeutic strategy in which TRAIL liposomes are safely combined with ActD liposomes.

Formulation and characterization of boanmycin-loaded liposomes prepared by pH gradient experimental design.

This study reports the development of a novel liposomal formulation containing boanmycin (BAM) by the pH-gradient, spherical symmetric experimental design. DSC was used to elucidate the thermotropic transition of the soybean egg phosphatidylcholine (EPCS) bilayers. The DSC analysis showed that the incorporation of cholesterol into the EPCS bilayers caused a reduction in the cooperativity of the bilayer phase transition, leading to a dense and more stable structure. To further explore the possibility of the facilitated molecular interaction between BAM and lipids, the effective chemical shift anisotropy (Δδ) of EPCS was measured by (31)P-NMR spectroscopy in the presence and absence of BAM at 25 °C. The results revealed that the amino group of BAM interacted with the hydrophilic head group of EPCS by electrostatic attraction. Effects of the lipid concentration, pH of the outside buffer and incubation temperature on the encapsulation efficiency of the liposomes were investigated by the spherical symmetric design. Multiple nonlinear regression and second-order polynomial model were fitted to the data, and the resulting equations were used to produce the three dimensional response graphs. The actual response values were in good agreement with the predicted values calculated by the visual FoxPro software. To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution characteristics of BAM, mice were i.v. injected with BAM-loaded liposomes and the commercial injection solution. The BAM-loaded liposomes exhibited significantly different t(1/2), CL and AUC in plasma and tissues. The MTT assay showed that the BAM-loaded liposomes effectively inhibited the cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Compared to the control group, the BAM-loaded liposomes induced marked apoptotic morphologic alterations, including cell shrinkage and granular apoptotic bodies.

LyP-1-conjugated PEGylated liposomes: a carrier system for targeted therapy of lymphatic metastatic tumor.

The application of liposomes in targeted therapy of lymphatic metastatic tumors has been hampered by the low uptake rate of liposome by metastatic lymph nodes. In this report, LyP-1, a peptide that can specifically bind tumor cells, tumor lymphatics and tumor-associated macrophages, was conjugated to liposomes for targeting and treating lymphatic metastatic tumors. Firstly, LyP-1-conjugated PEGylated liposomes loaded with fluorescein or doxorubicin (DOX) were prepared and showed satisfactory vesicle size and size distribution. The in vitro cellular uptake and in vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging results showed that LyP-1 modification increased liposome uptake by tumor cells and metastatic lymph nodes, but did not increase uptake by normal lymph nodes. The immunofluorescence analysis evidenced that LyP-1-conjugated liposomes were distributed adjacent to tumor lymphatics and tumor-associated macrophages in metastatic lymph nodes. The pharmacodynamic study suggested that compared with unmodified liposomes, LyP-1-conjugated DOX-loaded liposomes exhibited enhanced inhibition effect on tumor cells in vitro and lymphatic metastatic tumors in vivo. Pathological examination showed that liposomal DOX caused reduced tissue damage to injection site compared with DOX solution. In summary, LyP-1-conjugated PEGylated liposomes could be targeted to metastatic lymph nodes based on their specific binding to tumor cells, tumor lymphatics and tumor-associated macrophages. They are a safe and effective drug delivery system of antineoplastic agents for targeted therapy of lymphatic metastatic tumors.

LyP-1-conjugated doxorubicin-loaded liposomes suppress lymphatic metastasis by inhibiting lymph node metastases and destroying tumor lymphatics.

Lymphatic metastasis can be greatly promoted by metastases growth and lymphangiogenesis in lymph nodes (LNs). LyP-1, a cyclic peptide, is able to specifically bind with tumor cells and tumor lymphatics in metastatic LNs. This work aimed to use LyP-1-conjugated liposomes (L-LS) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) (L-LS/DOX) to suppress lymphatic metastasis by inhibiting both metastases and tumor lymphatics in LNs. L-LS were prepared and exhibited sizes around 90 nm and spherical morphology as characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The in vitro cellular studies showed that LyP-1 modification obviously increased liposome uptake by MDA-MB-435 tumor cells and enhanced the cytotoxicity of liposomal DOX. A popliteal and iliac LN metastases model was successfully established by subcutaneous inoculation of tumor cells to nude mice. The immunofluorescence staining analysis indicated that LyP-1 modification enabled specific binding of liposome with tumor lymphatics and enhanced the destroying effect of liposomal DOX on tumor lymphatics. The in vivo fluorescence imaging and pharmacodynamic studies showed that LyP-1 modification increased liposome uptake by metastatic LNs and that L-LS/DOX significantly decreased metastatic LN growth and LN metastasis rate. These results suggested that L-LS/DOX were an effective delivery system for suppressing lymphatic metastasis by simultaneously inhibiting LN metastases and tumor lymphatics.

Brain targeting and toxicity study of odorranalectin-conjugated nanoparticles following intranasal administration.

In order to improve brain uptake of nanoparticles following nasal administration, odorranalectin (OL), the smallest lectin with much less immunogenicity than other members of lectin family, was conjugated to the surface of poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (NP) in this study. The bioactivity of OL conjugated to the nanoparticles was verified by haemagglutination tests.Tissue distribution of OL-modified and unmodified nanoparticles (OL-NP and NP) was evaluated following intranasal (i.n.) administration by in vivo fluorescence imaging technique using DiR as a tracer, comparing with that of unmodified nanoparticles after intravenous (i.v.) injection. Besides, the nasal toxicity of OL-NP was evaluated on Calu-3 cell lines, toad palate and rat nasal mucosa.The results of TEM examination and dynamic light scattering showed a generally spherical shape of OL-NP with an average volume-based diameter around 90 nm. The haemagglutination test proved that OL retained its haemagglutination activity when conjugated to nanoparticles. The brain targeting indexes of NP and OL-NP following i.n. administration and NP following i.v. injection were 5.8, 11.6 and 0.08, respectively.Thus,i.n. administration demonstrated much better brain targeting efficiency than i.v. injection, and OL modification facilitated the nose-to-brain delivery of nanoparticles.Moreover, the toxicity assessment suggested good safety of OL-NP both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, odorranalectin-conjugated nanoparticle could be potentially used as a nose-to-brain drug delivery carrier for the treatment of CNS diseases.

Brain delivery and cellular internalization mechanisms for transferrin conjugated biodegradable polymersomes.

Transferrin conjugated biodegradable polymersomes (Tf-PO) were exploited for efficient brain drug delivery, and its cellular internalization mechanisms were investigated. Tf-PO was prepared by a nanoprecipitation method with an average diameter of approximately 100 nm and a surface Tf molecule number per polymersome of approximately 35. It was demonstrated that the uptake of Tf-PO by bEnd.3 was mainly through a clathrin mediated energy-dependent endocytosis. Both the Golgi apparatus and lysosomes are involved in intracellular transport of Tf-PO. Thirty minutes after a 50mg/kg dose of Tf-PO or PO was injected into rats via the tail vein, fluorescent microscopy of brain coronal sections showed a higher accumulation of Tf-PO than PO in the cerebral cortex, the periventricular region of the lateral ventricle and the third ventricle. The brain delivery results proved that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability surface area product (PS) and the percentage of injected dose per gram of brain (%ID/g brain) for Tf-PO were increased to 2.8-fold and 2.3-fold, respectively, as compared with those for PO. These results indicate that Tf-PO is a promising brain delivery carrier.

TRAIL and doxorubicin combination enhances anti-glioblastoma effect based on passive tumor targeting of liposomes.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a novel anticancer agent for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Some GBM cell lines, however, are relatively resistant to TRAIL. Doxorubicin (DOX) can sensitize GBM cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, indicating that the combination of DOX and TRAIL may be an effective strategy to kill TRAIL-resistant GBM cells. However, the therapeutic effect is limited by the short serum half-life of TRAIL, chronic cardiac toxicity of DOX, multidrug resistance (MDR) property of GBM cells and poor drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To solve such problems, combination treatment of TRAIL liposomes (TRAIL-LP) and DOX liposomes (DOX-LP) were developed for the first time. The in vitro cytotoxicity study indicated that DOX-LP sensitized GBM cell line U87MG but not normal bovine caruncular epithelial cells (BCECs) to TRAIL-LP-induced apoptosis, demonstrating the safety of the combination treatment. This sensitization was accompanied by up-regulation of death receptor 5 (DR5) expression and caspase activation. Furthermore, the combination therapy of TRAIL-LP and DOX-LP displayed stronger anti-GBM effect than free drugs or liposomal drugs alone in vivo. In summary, the combination treatment reported here showed improved therapeutic effect on GBM. Therefore, it has good potential to become a new therapeutic approach for patients with GBM.

Enhanced intracellular delivery and chemotherapy for glioma rats by transferrin-conjugated biodegradable polymersomes loaded with doxorubicin.

A brain drug delivery system for glioma chemotherapy based on transferrin-conjugated biodegradable polymersomes, Tf-PO-DOX, was made and evaluated with doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug. Biodegradable polymersomes (PO) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method (PO-DOX) and then conjugated with transferrin (Tf) to yield Tf-PO-DOX with an average diameter of 107 nm and surface Tf molecule number per polymersome of approximately 35. Compared with PO-DOX and free DOX, Tf-PO-DOX demonstrated the strongest cytotoxicity against C6 glioma cells and the greatest intracellular delivery. It was shown in pharmacokinetic and brain distribution experiments that Tf-PO significantly enhanced brain delivery of DOX, especially the delivery of DOX into brain tumor cells. Pharmacodynamics results revealed a significant reduction of tumor volume and a significant increase of median survival time in the group of Tf-PO-DOX compared with those in saline control animals, animals treated with PO-DOX, and free DOX solution. By terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling, Tf-PO-DOX could extensively make tumor cell apoptosis. These results indicated that Tf-PO-DOX could significantly enhance the intracellular delivery of DOX in glioma and the chemotherapeutic effect of DOX for glioma rats.

A novel combination of TRAIL and doxorubicin enhances antitumor effect based on passive tumor-targeting of liposomes.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a novel anticancer agent for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, approximately half of NSCLC cell lines are highly resistant to TRAIL. Doxorubicin (DOX) can sensitize NSCLC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, indicating the possibility of combination therapy. Unfortunately, the therapeutic effect of a DOX and TRAIL combination is limited by multiple factors including the short serum half-life of TRAIL, poor compliance and application difficulty in the clinic, chronic DOX-induced cardiac toxicity, and the multidrug resistance (MDR) property of NSCLC cells. To solve such problems, we developed the combination of TRAIL liposomes (TRAIL-LP) and DOX liposomes (DOX-LP). An in vitro cytotoxicity study indicated that DOX-LP sensitized the NSCLC cell line A-549 to TRAIL-LP-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, this combination therapy of TRAIL-LP and DOX-LP displayed a stronger antitumor effect on NSCLC in xenografted mice when compared with free drugs or liposomal drugs alone. Therefore, the TRAIL-LP and DOX-LP combination therapy has excellent potential to become a new therapeutic approach for patients with advanced NSCLC.

Odorranalectin-conjugated nanoparticles: preparation, brain delivery and pharmacodynamic study on Parkinson's disease following intranasal administration.

Odorranalectin (OL) was recently identified as the smallest lectin with much less immunogenicity than other members of the lectin family. In this study, to improve nose-to-brain drug delivery and reduce the immunogenicity of traditional lectin modified delivery system, OL was conjugated to poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles and its biorecognitive activity on nanoparticles was verified by haemagglutination tests. Nose-to-brain delivery characteristic of OL-conjugated nanoparticles (OL-NP) was investigated by in vivo fluorescence imaging technique using DiR as a tracer. Besides, urocortin peptide (UCN), as a macromolecular model drug, was incorporated into nanoparticles and evaluated for its therapeutic efficacy on hemiparkinsonian rats following intranasal administration by rotation behavior test, neurotransmitter determination and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) test. The results suggested that OL modification increased the brain delivery of nanoparticles and enhanced the therapeutic effects of UCN-loaded nanoparticles on Parkinson's disease. In summary, the OL-NPs could be potentially used as carriers for nose-to-brain drug delivery, especially for macromolecular drugs, in the treatment of CNS disorders.

Effect of chemical enhancers on percutaneous absorption of daphnetin in isopropyl myristate vehicle across rat skin in vitro.

The percutaneous absorption properties of daphnetin with chemical penetration enhancers were investigated to explore the feasibility of daphnetin as a candidate for transdermal delivery to treat arthritis. Permeation experiments were carried out in vitro using 2-chamber diffusion cells in isopropyl myristate (IPM) vehicle using rat abdominal skin as a barrier. Various enhancers were employed, including O-acylmenthol derivatives synthesized in the laboratory and many conventional enhancers. Among the O-acylmenthol derivatives, 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl 2-hydroxypanoate (M-LA) demonstrated a significant enhancing effect on daphnetin permeation. The highest degree of enhancement was obtained when NMP combined with Span 80 and the cumulative transport was 667.29 microg/cm(2) over 8 h. The solubility parameters, vehicle/stratum corneum partition, and diffusion coefficients were calculated to clarify the enhancing mechanism of classic enhancers on daphnetin. In conclusion, these findings allow a rational approach for designing an effective daphnetin transdermal delivery system.