The Effects of Sacran, a Sulfated Polysaccharide, on Gut Microbiota Using Chronic Kidney Disease Model Rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of sacran, a sulfated polysaccharide, on renal damage and intestinal microflora, in 5/6 nephrectomy rats as a model for chronic kidney disease (CKD). 5/6 Nephrectomy rats were divided into sacran treated and non-treated groups and examined for lethality after 4 weeks. The 5/6 nephrectomy rats were also divided into three groups: sacran treated, non-treated and AST-120 treated groups, and treated orally in a concentration-dependent manner for 4 weeks. Renal function was estimated by biochemical and histopathological analyses. Metagenomic analysis of feces from each group after 4 weeks was also performed and changes in intestinal microflora were compared. The administration of sacran to CKD rats at ≥19 mg/d increased their survival. In addition, the sacran-treated group improved CKD-related parameters in a concentration-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of 40 mg/d of sacran was comparable to that of AST-120. The changes in the intestinal microflora of the sacran treated group were positively correlated with an increase in the number of Lactobacillus species, which are known to be rich in beneficial bacteria, and the increment of this beneficial bacteria was negatively correlated with the concentration of indoxyl sulfate, a uremic toxin, in plasma. These results strongly suggest that the oral administration of sacran could contribute to the stabilization of intestinal microflora in CKD rats and to the reduction of oxidative stress as well as the inhibition of progression of CKD.

Feasibility Study of Dendrimer-Based TTR-CRISPR pDNA Polyplex for Ocular Amyloidosis in Vitro.

Hereditary amyloidgenic transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis is caused by a genetic point-mutated transthyretin such as TTR Val30Met (TTR V30M), since it forms protein aggregates called amyloid resulting in the tissue accumulation and functional disorders. In particular, ATTR produced by retinal pigment epithelial cells often causes ATTR ocular amyloidosis, which elicits deterioration of ocular function and ultimately blindness. Therefore, development of novel therapeutic agents is urgently needed. Genome-editing technology using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas9) system is expected to be a therapeutic approach to treat genetic diseases, such as ATTR amyloidosis caused by a point mutation in TTR gene. Previously, we reported that glucuronylglucosyl-ß-cyclodextrin conjugated with a polyamidoamine dendrimer (CDE) had excellent gene transfer ability and that underlying dendrimer inhibited TTR aggregation. Conversely, folate receptors are known to be highly expressed in retina; thus, folate has potential as a retinal target ligand. In this study, we prepared a novel folate-modified CDE (FP-CDE) and investigated its potential as a carrier for the retinal delivery of TTR-CRISPR plasmid DNA (pDNA). The results suggested that FP-CDE/TTR-CRISPR pDNA could be taken up by retinal pigment epithelial cells via folate receptors, exhibited TTR V30M amyloid inhibitory effect, and suppressed TTR production via the genome editing effect (knockout of TTR gene). Thus, FP-CDE may be useful as a novel therapeutic TTR-CRISPR pDNA carrier in the treatment of ATTR ocular amyloidosis.

FRET-Based In-Cell Detection of Highly Selective Supramolecular Complexes of meso-Tetraarylporphyrin with Peptide/BODIPY-Modified Per-O-Methyl-ß-Cyclodextrins.

Artificial supramolecular systems capable of self-assembly and that precisely function in biological media are in high demand. Herein, we demonstrate a highly specific host-guest-pair system that functions in living cells. A per-O-methyl-ß-cyclodextrin derivative (R8-B-CDMe ) bearing both an octaarginine peptide chain and a BODIPY dye was synthesized as a fluorescent intracellular delivery tool. R8-B-CDMe was efficiently taken up by HeLa cells through both endocytosis and direct transmembrane pathways. R8-B-CDMe formed a 2 : 1 inclusion complex with tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) as a guest molecule in water, from which fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from R8-B-CDMe to TPPS was observed. The FRET phenomenon was clearly detected in living cells using confocal microscopy techniques, which revealed that the formed supramolecular R8-B-CDMe /TPPS complex was maintained within the cells. The R8-B-CDMe cytotoxicity assay revealed that the addition of TPPS counteracts the strong cytotoxicity (IC50 =16 µM) of the CD cavity due to complexation within the cells. A series of experiments demonstrated the bio-orthogonality of the supramolecular per-O-methyl-ß-CD/tetraarylporphyrin host-guest pair in living cells.

Intracerebroventricular Treatment with 2-Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrin Decreased Cerebellar and Hepatic Glycoprotein Nonmetastatic Melanoma Protein B (GPNMB) Expression in Niemann-Pick Disease Type C Model Mice.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a recessive hereditary disease caused by mutation of the NPC1 or NPC2 gene. It is characterized by abnormality of cellular cholesterol trafficking with severe neuronal and hepatic injury. In this study, we investigated the potential of glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) to act as a biomarker reflecting the therapeutic effect of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) in an NPC mouse model. We measured serum, brain, and liver expression levels of GPNMB, and evaluated their therapeutic effects on NPC manifestations in the brain and liver after the intracerebroventricular administration of HP-ß-CD in Npc1 gene-deficient (Npc1-/-) mice. Intracerebroventricular HP-ß-CD inhibited cerebellar Purkinje cell damage in Npc1-/- mice and significantly reduced serum and cerebellar GPNMB levels. Interestingly, we also observed that the intracerebral administration significantly reduced hepatic GPNMB expression and elevated serum ALT in Npc1-/- mice. Repeated doses of intracerebroventricular HP-ß-CD (30 mg/kg, started at 4 weeks of age and repeated every 2 weeks) drastically extended the lifespan of Npc1-/- mice compared with saline treatment. In summary, our results suggest that GPNMB level in serum is a potential biomarker for evaluating the attenuation of NPC pathophysiology by intracerebroventricular HP-ß-CD treatment.

The Use of Megamolecular Polysaccharide Sacran in Food and Biomedical Applications.

Natural polymer is a frequently used polymer in various food applications and pharmaceutical formulations due to its benefits and its biocompatibility compared to synthetic polymers. One of the natural polymer groups (i.e., polysaccharide) does not only function as an additive in pharmaceutical preparations, but also as an active ingredient with pharmacological effects. In addition, several natural polymers offer potential distinct applications in gene delivery and genetic engineering. However, some of these polymers have drawbacks, such as their lack of water retention and elasticity. Sacran, one of the high-molecular-weight natural polysaccharides (megamolecular polysaccharides) derived from Aphanothece sacrum (A. sacrum), has good water retention and elasticity. Historically, sacran has been used as a dietary food. Moreover, sacran can be applied in biomedical fields as an active material, excipient, and genetic engineering material. This article discusses the characteristics, extraction, isolation procedures, and the use of sacran in food and biomedical applications.

Differential Effects of 2-Hydroxypropyl-Cyclodextrins on Lipid Accumulation in Npc1-Null Cells.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by abnormal accumulation of free cholesterol and sphingolipids in lysosomes. The iminosugar miglustat, which inhibits hexosylceramide synthesis, is used for NPC treatment, and 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD), a cyclic oligosaccharide derivative, is being developed to treat NPC. Moreover, therapeutic potential of 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CD) was shown in NPC models, although its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of HP-ß-CD, HP-γ-CD, and their homolog 2-hydroxypropyl-α-cyclodextrin (HP-α-CD) on lipid accumulation in Npc1-null Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells compared with those of miglustat. HP-ß-CD and HP-γ-CD, unlike HP-α-CD, reduced intracellular free cholesterol levels and normalized the lysosome changes in Npc1-null cells but not in wild-type CHO cells. In contrast, miglustat did not normalize intracellular free cholesterol accumulation or lysosome changes in Npc1-null cells. However, miglustat decreased the levels of hexosylceramide and tended to increase those of sphingomyelins in line with its action as a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor in both Npc1-null and wild-type CHO cells. Interestingly, HP-ß-CD and HP-γ-CD, unlike HP-α-CD, reduced sphingomyelins in Npc1-null, but not wild-type, cells. In conclusion, HP-ß-CD and HP-γ-CD reduce the accumulation of sphingolipids, mainly sphingomyelins, and free cholesterol as well as lysosome changes in Npc1-null, but not in wild-type, CHO cells.

Hepatocyte-Targeted Delivery of siRNA Polyplex with PEG-Modified Lactosylated Dendrimer/Cyclodextrin Conjugates for Transthyretin-Related Amyloidosis Therapy.

Targeted drug delivery system (DDS) is required for RNA interference (RNAi) therapy to increase the therapeutic effect and to reduce the adverse effect. Especially in transthyretin (TTR)-related amyloidosis, hepatocyte specific delivery is desired because TTR mainly expresses in hepatocyte. Herein, we report on a hepatocyte-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery system using polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified lactosylated dendrimer (generation 3; G3) conjugates with α-cyclodextrin (PEG-LαCs (G3)) for TTR-related amyloidosis therapy, and investigated the in vitro and in vivo gene silencing effect of PEG-LαCs (G3)/siRNA polyplexes. PEG-LαC (G3, average degree of substitution of PEG (DSP) 2)/TTR siRNA (siTTR) polyplex exhibited the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR)-mediated cellular uptake, high endosomal escaping ability and localization of the siRNA in cytoplasm, resulting in significant TTR silencing in HepG2 cells. In vivo studies showed that PEG-LαC (G3, DSP2)/siTTR polyplex led to a significant TTR silencing effect in liver after systemic administration to mice. Furthermore, safety evaluation revealed that PEG-LαC (G3, DSP2)/siTTR polyplex had no significant toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest the utility of PEG-LαC (G3, DSP2) as a promising hepatocyte-specific siRNA delivery system both in vitro and in vivo, and as a therapeutic approach for TTR-related amyloidosis.

The Use of Enteric Capsules for Releasing a Fragrance over an Extended Period of Time.

A system for releasing a fragrance, citral (CR) over an extended period of time using three types of enteric capsules is reported. The L- and M-type capsules released CR into media with a pH above 6, while the H-type capsule released CR at a pH above 7. The pH of the releasing medium was controlled by sodium borate (SB), i.e., by adding SB-methylcellulose (MC) prepared in different weight ratios (SB-MC 1 : 2, 1 : 1 and 2 : 1) to tablets and by compressing them at different pressures. The tablet containing a large amount of SB and that was pressed at higher pressures permitted the pH of the releasing medium to be changed from 5 to 9, at 4-5 h after the addition of SB to the tablets, while negligible changes were observed for tablets containing low amounts of SB and which were compressed at lower pressures. Reflecting these pH changes, CR was released after different periods of time when SB-MC tablets and capsules containing CR were simultaneously added to the releasing medium. When enteric capsules containing CR and the pH adjusting tablets were simultaneously added to a benzyl acetate (BA) solution, BA was released at a constant rate, while CR was released for different periods of time depending on the type of capsule used. The results suggest that fragrances could be released over different time frames by using enteric capsules and pH adjusting agents, for example, the release of fragrances with sedative effects at night time and with stimulating effects in the morning.

Sacran Hydrogel Film Containing Keratinocyte Growth Factor Accelerates Wound Healing by Stimulating Fibroblast Migration and Re-epithelization.

Regenerative therapy with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of chronic wounds. However, KGF cannot be used directly to the wound site due to its physicochemical instability. In previous study, sacran, a natural megamolecular polysaccharide, showed potential properties as a biomaterial for hydrogel film in wound healing. In this study, we fabricated sacran hydrogel film containing KGF (Sac/KGF-HF) and evaluated the effects of Sac/KGF-HF on fibroblasts migration and re-epithelialization process. We successfully prepared a homogenous and -amorphous Sac/KGF-HF by a casting method. In addition, Sac/KGF-HF had a high swelling ratio and flexibility. Sac/KGF-HF promoted a migration process of NIH3T3 cells and improved wound healing ability in mice with a percentage of wound closure reaching 90.4% at 9 d. Interestingly, the addition of KGF in Sac-HF considerably increased the number of epithelial cells compared to control, which is important in the re-epithelialization process. It could be concluded that KGF in Sac-HF has the potential for promoting Sac-HF abilities in wound healing process.

A comprehensive understanding of lowly-hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol-based ternary solid dispersions with the use of a combined mixture-process design.

We recently reported lowly hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (L-PVA, 70-74% hydrolyzed, about 580 polymerized, JR-05) as a promising matrix for hot-melt extrusion (HME) due to its unique micelle formation ability compared to the most commonly used PVA (87-89% hydrolyzed, about 580 polymerized). In the present study, we focused on the effect of composition [indomethacin (IND), L-PVA, sorbitol] and process parameters (temperature and screw speed) on each response, i.e. processing torque, and physicochemical properties such as residual crystallinity, residual ratio, and area under the dissolution curve (AUDC) in supersaturated solution using a HME by applying the design of experiment (DoE) approach. To overcome the poor processability of L-PVA, given its semicrystalline nature, we applied sorbitol as a plasticizer and systematically and simultaneously evaluated its influence on the outputs based on the mixture design combined with process factors. Few studies have focused on comprehensive evaluation of the composition and HME process conditions because obtaining a design space requires numerous experiments. We found that incorporating sorbitol into the L-PVA greatly improved the processing torque. However, sorbitol negatively influenced the degree of residual crystallinity and the AUDC of IND. Lastly, we established a laboratory-scale design space that could achieve high supersaturation and ensure adequate miscibility between each component, using an acceptable processing torque for HME, by applying the minimum amount of sorbitol. These fundamental results suggest that sorbitol maximizes the potency of L-PVA as a carrier in HME.

Supramolecular Pharmaceutical Sciences: A Novel Concept Combining Pharmaceutical Sciences and Supramolecular Chemistry with a Focus on Cyclodextrin-Based Supermolecules.

Supramolecular chemistry is an extremely useful and important domain for understanding pharmaceutical sciences because various physiological reactions and drug activities are based on supramolecular chemistry. However, it is not a major domain in the pharmaceutical field. In this review, we propose a new concept in pharmaceutical sciences termed "supramolecular pharmaceutical sciences," which combines pharmaceutical sciences and supramolecular chemistry. This concept could be useful for developing new ideas, methods, hypotheses, strategies, materials, and mechanisms in pharmaceutical sciences. Herein, we focus on cyclodextrin (CyD)-based supermolecules, because CyDs have been used not only as pharmaceutical excipients or active pharmaceutical ingredients but also as components of supermolecules.

Supramolecular Complex of Methyl-ß-cyclodextrin with Adamantane-Grafted Hyaluronic Acid as a Novel Antitumor Agent.

Methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (M-ß-CyD) exhibits cytotoxic activity, and has the potentials as an antitumor agent. However, a tumor-selectivity of M-ß-CyD is low, leading to low antitumor activity and the adverse effects. Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid (HA) is known as a promising tumor targeting ligand, because various cancer cells overexpress CD44, a HA-binding glycoprotein. In the present study, to develop a tumor-selective delivery system for M-ß-CyD, we designed a supramolecular complex of M-ß-CyD with adamantane-grafted HA (Ad-HA/M-ß-CyD) and evaluated it as a tumor-selective antitumor agent. M-ß-CyD formed a stable complex with Ad-HA (Kc>104 M-1). In addition, Ad-HA/M-ß-CyD formed slightly a negative-charged nanoparticle with ca. 140 nm of a particle size, indicating the favorable physicochemical properties for antitumor agents. Ad-HA/M-ß-CyD showed the superior cytotoxic activity via CD44-mediated endosomal pathways in HCT116 cells (CD44(+)), a human colon cancer cell line. In addition, cytotoxic activity of Ad-HA/M-ß-CyD was induced by apoptosis. These results suggest that Ad-HA/M-ß-CyD has the potentials as a tumor-selective supramolecular antitumor agent.

Self-Assembly PEGylation Retaining Activity (SPRA) Technology via a Host-Guest Interaction Surpassing Conventional PEGylation Methods of Proteins.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification (PEGylation) is one of the best approaches to improve the stabilities and blood half-lives of protein drugs; however, PEGylation dramatically reduces the bioactivities of protein drugs. Here, we present "self-assembly PEGylation retaining activity" (SPRA) technology via a host-guest interaction between PEGylated ß-cyclodextrin (PEG-ß-CyD) and adamantane-appended (Ad) proteins. PEG-ß-CyD formed stable complexes with Ad-insulin and Ad-lysozyme to yield SPRA-insulin and SPRA-lysozyme, respectively. Both SPRA-proteins showed high stability against heat and trypsin digest, comparable with that of covalently PEGylated protein equivalents. Importantly, the SPRA-lysozyme possessed ca. 100% lytic activity, whereas the activity of the covalently PEGylated lysozyme was ca. 23%. Additionally, SPRA-insulin provided a prolonged and peakless blood glucose profile when compared with insulin glargine. It also showed no loss of activity. In contrast, the covalently PEGylated insulin showed a negligible hypoglycemic effect. These findings indicate that SPRA technology has potential as a generic method, surpassing conventional PEGylation methods for proteins.

Potential Use of Cyclodextrins as Drug Carriers and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients.

Cyclodextrins (CyDs) are extensively used in various fields, and especially have been widely utilized as pharmaceutical excipients and drug carriers in the pharmaceutical field. Owing to the multi-functional and biocompatible characteristics, CyDs can improve the undesirable properties of drug molecules. This review outlines the current application of CyDs in pharmaceutical formulations, focusing on their use as CyD-based drug carriers for several kinds of drugs. Additionally, CyDs have great potential as active pharmaceutical ingredients against various diseases with few side effects.

Synthesis of multi-lactose-appended ß-cyclodextrin and its cholesterol-lowering effects in Niemann-Pick type C disease-like HepG2 cells.

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, characterized by intracellular accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and other lipids owing to defects in two proteins NPC1 and NPC2, causes neurodegeneration and other fatal neurovisceral symptoms. Currently, treatment of NPC involves the use of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD). HP-ß-CD is effective in the treatment of hepatosplenomegaly in NPC disease, albeit at a very high dose. One of the methods to reduce the required dose of HP-ß-CD for treatment of NPC is to actively targeting hepatocytes with ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD). The aim of the present study was to synthesize a novel multi-lactose-appended ß-CD (multi-Lac-ß-CD) and to evaluate its cholesterol-lowering effect in U18666A-treated HepG2 (NPC-like HepG2) cells. Further, the study aimed at delivering ß-CD to hepatocytes via cholesterol-accumulated HepG2 cells, and indicated that the newly synthesized multi-Lac-ß-CD had an average degree of substitution of lactose (DSL) of 5.6. This newly synthesized multi-Lac-ß-CD was found to significantly decrease the concentration of intracellular cholesterol with negligible cytotoxicity as compared to HP-ß-CD. An increased internalization of TRITC-multi-Lac-ß-CD (DSL 5.6) as compared to TRITC-HP-ß-CD was observed in NPC-like HepG2 cells. Further, the dissociation constant of peanut lectin with multi-Lac-ß-CD (DSL5.6) was found to be extremely low (2.5 × 10-8 M). These results indicate that multi-Lac-ß-CD (DSL5.6) diminished intracellular cholesterol levels in NPC-like HepG2 cells via asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR)-mediated endocytosis.

In vitro evaluation of 2-hydroxyalkylated ß-cyclodextrins as potential therapeutic agents for Niemann-Pick Type C disease.

This study was conducted to evaluate the attenuating potential of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) against Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease, as well as the physical and chemical properties, particularly the cholesterol-solubilizing ability, in an NPC disease model in vitro. As parameters of NPC abnormalities, intracellular free and esterified cholesterol levels and lysosome volume were measured in Npc1 null Chinese hamster ovary cells. HPBCD showed dose-dependent effects against dysfunctional intracellular cholesterol trafficking, such as the accumulation and shortage of free and esterified cholesterols, respectively, in Npc1 null cells. However, the effectiveness was gradually offset by exposure to ≥8mM HPBCD. The same effect was also observed for increasing lysosome volume in Npc1 null cells. The degree of substitution of the hydroxypropyl group had little influence on the attenuating effects of HPBCD against the NPC abnormalities, at least in the range between 2.8 and 7.4. Next, we compared the effects of other hydroxyalkylated ß-cyclodextrin derivatives with different cholesterol-solubilizing abilities, such as 2-hydroxyethyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HEBCD) and 2-hydroxybutyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HBBCD). The cholesterol solubilizing potential, attenuating effects against NPC abnormalities and cytotoxicity induction were HBBCD≫HPBCD>HEBCD, HBBCD=HPBCD>HEBCD and HBBCD≫HPBCD=HEBCD, respectively. HPBCD may be superior in terms of safety and efficacy in Npc1 null cells compared with HEBCD and HBBCD. The results of this study will provide a rationale for the optimization of HPBCD therapy for NPC disease.

In Vitro and In Vivo Tumor-Targeting siRNA Delivery Using Folate-PEG-appended Dendrimer (G4)/α-Cyclodextrin Conjugates.

We previously reported that folate-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-appended dendrimer (generation 3)/α-cyclodextrin conjugate (Fol-PαC (G3)) shows folate receptor-α (FR-α)-overexpressing tumor cell-selective in vitro siRNA transfer activity. However, Fol-PαC (G3)/siRNA complex did not induce a significant in vivo RNAi effect after intravenous administration to tumor-bearing mice, possibly resulting from immediate dissociation of the complex in blood. Herein, to develop the novel siRNA carrier having high blood circulating ability, high in vivo siRNA transfer activity, and high safety profile, we newly prepared Fol-PαCs with higher generation (G4) and evaluated their potential as tumor-targeting siRNA carriers in vitro and in vivo. Fol-PαC (G4, average degree of substitution of α-cyclodextrin (DSC) 2.9, average degree of substitution of folate-PEG (DSF) 2)/siRNA complex had the prominent RNAi effect through adequate physicochemical properties, FR-α-mediated endocytosis, efficient endosomal escape, and siRNA delivery to cytoplasm with negligible cytotoxicity. Importantly, Fol-PαC (G4, DSC2.9, DSF2) improved the serum stability, blood circulating ability, and in vivo RNAi effects of siRNA, compared to Fol-PαC (G3). Furthermore, Fol-PαC (G4, DSC2.9, DSF2) complex with siRNA against Polo-like kinase 1 (siPLK1) suppressed the tumor growth compared to control siRNA complex. These results suggest that Fol-PαC (G4, DSC2.9, DSF2) has the potential as a novel tumor-targeting siRNA carrier in vitro and in vivo.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Novel Polysaccharide Sacran Extracted from Cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum in Various Inflammatory Animal Models.

The goal of this study was to investigate the topical anti-inflammatory effects of the megamolecular polysaccharide sacran extracted from cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum using various inflammatory animal models. Sacran showed potent anti-inflammatory effects with optimum effective concentrations at 0.01 and 0.05% (w/v). Sacran markedly inhibited paw swelling and neutrophil infiltration in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Additionally, 6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-2(1H)-quinoxalinone-3-propionyl-carboxylic acid (DMEQ)-labeled sacran had the ability to penetrate carrageenan-induced rat paw skin rather than normal skin. Also, sacran significantly suppressed kaolin-induced and dextran-induced rat paw edema throughout the duration of the study. Furthermore, sacran significantly suppressed 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema and mRNA expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6. Safety of sacran solution was verified by negligible cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that sacran may be useful as a therapeutic agent against inflammatory skin diseases with no life-threatening adverse effects.

Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of Octaarginine-Appended ß-Cyclodextrin in Npc1-Trap-CHO Cells.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder, which is an inherited disease characterized by the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in endolysosomes. Recently, 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CyD) has been used for the treatment of NPC, and ameliorated a hepatosplenomegaly in the patients. However, to obtain the treatment efficacy, a high dose of HP-ß-CyD was necessary. Therefore, the decrease in dose by using active intracellular delivery system of ß-CyD to NPC cells is expected. In this study, to efficiently deliver ß-CyD to NPC-like cells, we newly synthesized octaarginine (R8)-appended ß-CyD with a spacer of γ-aminobutyric acid (R8-ß-CyD) and evaluated its cytotoxicity, intracellular distribution, endocytosis pathway and cholesterol-lowering effect in Npc1-trap-Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, cholesterol-accumulated cells through the impairment of NPC1 function. R8-ß-CyD did not show cytotoxicity in the cells. In addition, Alexa568-labeled R8-ß-CyD was actively internalized into Npc1-trap-CHO cells, possibly through micropinocytosis. Notably, R8-ß-CyD significantly decreased intracellular cholesterol content compared with HP-ß-CyD. These results suggest that R8-ß-CyD may be a promising therapeutic agent for ameliorating cholesterol accumulation in NPC.

Improvement of Pharmaceutical Properties of Isoprenoid Compounds through the Formation of Cyclodextrin Pseudorotaxane-Like Supramolecules.

The purpose of this study was to design cyclodextrin (CyD)-based pseudorotaxane-like supramolecular complexes with various isoprenoid compounds, such as reduced coenzyme Q10 (R-CoQ10), squalene, tocotrienol, and teprenone, and to evaluate their pharmaceutical properties. Squalene, tocotrienol, and teprenone formed precipitates with ß-CyD and γ-CyD in aqueous solution, whereas R-CoQ10 formed precipitates with γ-CyD aqueous solution. The results of powder X-ray diffraction and (1)H-NMR analyses indicated that these precipitates are derived from pseudorotaxane-like supramolecular complexes. The photostability of teprenone was markedly improved by complexation with CyDs, especially in the γ-CyD system. In addition, the dispersion rates of teprenone in the γ-CyD system were higher than those in the ß-CyD system, compared with the corresponding physical mixtures. In conclusion, pharmaceutical properties such as photostability and dispersion rates of isoprenoid compounds were improved by the formation of pseudorotaxane-like supramolecular complexes with ß-CyD and/or γ-CyD.