Does Thermosensitive Liposomal Vinorelbine Improve End-Point Survival after Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumors in a Mouse Model?

Purpose To investigate the role of thermosensitive liposome-encapsulated vinorelbine (Thermo-Vin) in combined radiofrequency (RF) ablation of liver tumors. Materials and Methods Approval from the institutional animal care and use committee was obtained before this study. First, the anticancer efficacy of Thermo-Vin was assessed in vitro (H22 cells) for 72 hours at 37°C or 42°C. Next, 203 H22 liver adenocarcinomas were implanted in 191 mice for in vivo study. Tumors were randomized into seven groups: (a) no treatment, (b) treatment with RF ablation alone, (c) treatment with RF ablation followed by free vinorelbine (Free-Vin) at 30 minutes, (d) treatment with RF ablation followed by empty liposomes (Empty-Lip+RF), (e) treatment with RF ablation followed by Thermo-Vin (5 mg/kg), (f) treatment with RF ablation followed by Thermo-Vin (10 mg/kg), and (g) treatment with RF ablation followed by Thermo-Vin (20 mg/kg). Tumor destruction areas and pathologic changes were compared for different groups at 24 and 72 hours after treatment. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare end-point survival (tumor < 30 mm in diameter). Additionally, the effect of initial tumor size on long-term outcome was analyzed. Results In vitro, both Free-Vin and Thermo-Vin dramatically inhibited H22 cell viability at 24 hours. Likewise, in vivo, 10 mg/kg Thermo-Vin+RF ablation increased tumor destruction compared with RF ablation (P = .001). Intratumoral vinorelbine accumulation with Thermo-Vin+RF increased 15-fold compared with Free-Vin alone. Thermo-Vin substantially increased apoptosis at the coagulation margin and suppressed cellular proliferation in the residual tumor (P < .001). The Thermo-Vin+RF study arm also had better survival than the arm treated with RF ablation alone (mean, 37.6 days ± 20.1 vs 23.4 days ± 5.0; P = .001), the arm treated with Free-Vin+RF (23.3 days ± 1.2, P = .002), or the arm treated with Empty-Lip+RF (20.8 days ± 0.4, P < .001) in animals with medium-sized (10-12-mm) tumors. No significant difference in end-point survival was noted in the treatment arms with large or small tumors. Conclusion Thermo-Vin can effectively increase tumor destruction and improve animal survival. End-point survival is most affected in animals with medium-sized tumors, suggesting that combination therapy should be tailored to tumor size and the expected volume of ablation of the device used. (©) RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Preparation, release and pharmacokinetics of a risperidone elementary osmotic pump system.

Preparation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of risperidone elementary osmotic pump (RIS-EOP) formulations were investigated. A method for the preparation of RIS-EOP tablets was developed by modulating RIS solubility with citric acid. The influence of osmotic agents and the compositions of semipermeable membrane on drug release profiles was evaluated. The formulation of RIS-EOP was optimized by orthogonal design. The in vitro release profile of the optimum formulation achieved to deliver RIS at an approximate zero-order up to 12 h. The pharmacokinetic profiles of RIS-EOP were evaluated compared with immediate release tablets in beagle dogs. The mean tmax and mean residence time of RIS-EOP for RIS and its active metabolite, 9-hydroxyrisperidone, were remarkably longer, compared with immediate release tablets. These results corroborated prolonged release of RIS from EOP formulations. Moreover, drug plasma levels with lower fluctuations could be achieved with RIS-EOP tablets. These results suggested that increasing drug solubility by adding or reacting with alkali/acid might be used for the preparation of EOP tablets of certain poorly water-soluble drugs.

A novel oral preparation of hydroxysafflor yellow A base on a chitosan complex: a strategy to enhance the oral bioavailability.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), the main active pharmaceutical ingredient of the safflower plant (Carthamus tinctorius L.), is a hydrophilic drug with low oral bioavailability (BA). The objective of the present study was to improve the oral BA of HSYA by formulation design. The effect of several pharmaceutical excipients on enhancing BA, including Poloxamer 188 (P188), sodium caprate (SC), sodium deoxycholate, and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD), was investigated through animal models. Sodium caprate, with a relative BA of 284.2%, was able to improve the oral BA of HSYA. Furthermore, HSYA can bind with chitosan (CS) by Coulomb attraction and form a HSYA-CS complex. The preparation process was optimized, and the binding rate reached 99.4%. HSYA granules were prepared using a HSYA-CS complex and SC. The results of the pharmacokinetics showed that the relative BA of HSYA granules was 476%, much higher than HSYA/SC.

[Current status and prospect of translational medicine in nanotechnology].

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.

[A review on the influences of size and surface charge of liposome on its targeted drug delivery in vivo].

Liposomes can be cleared by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) when it is in the blood circulation in the body. And they can accumulate in the organs rich in RES in the body by passive targeting. Targeting of the liposomes is an important factor for its use as a drug carrier, and particle size as well as surface charge are important for its in vivo targeting. In this paper, studies on the influences of particle size and surface charge of the liposomes on cell binding and phagocytosis mechanism were reviewed. A comprehensive review on passive targeting effect of the particle size and surface charge of liposomes on blood, liver, spleen as well as tumor tissue was made. At last, an outlook for future research directions was made.

Epirubicin-encapsulated long-circulating thermosensitive liposome improves pharmacokinetics and antitumor therapeutic efficacy in animals.

In the present work, a long-circulating epirubicin hydrochloride (EPI)-containing thermosensitive liposome aiming at antitumor therapy, DPPC/MSPC/DSPG/DSPE-mPEG(2000) (EPI-LTSL), was developed and evaluated. Nonthermosensitive and traditional liposomes, HSPC/cholesterol/DSPG/DSPE-mPEG(2000) (EPI-NTSL) and HSPC/cholesterol (EPI-LIP), were also prepared at the same time for comparison. Temperature-dependent EPI release from loaded liposomes in vitro was characterized by the fluorescence method. Different liposome preparations were administered in rats by intravenous injection at the same dosage of 12 mg·kg(-1). EPI and internal standard daunorubicin hydrochloride (DAU) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and verified by LC tandem mass spectrometry. In the pharmacodynamics study, the EPI-LTSL was combined with local hyperthermia for target-specific delivery to the anesthetized and tumor-bearing mice. According to the in vitro results, more than 90% of loaded EPI was released from MSPC-containing liposome (EPI-LTSL) within 4 minutes at 43°C, while at 37°C, less than 5% was released beyond 60 minutes. However, less than 5% of drug was released at 43°C for the other two liposomes without MSPC (EPI-NTSL and EPI-LIP). The results of the pharmacokinetics study in rats showed that not only the circulation time of EPI was prolonged significantly, but also the concentration in vivo was promoted for EPI-LTSL, compared to EPI-NTSL and EPI-solution. The mean tumor inhibitory rate for EPI-LTSL, EPI-NTSL, and EPI-solution were 61.1, 39.6, and 43.1%, respectively.

[Pharmacokinetics of epirubicin hydrochloride long-circulating thermosensitive liposomes in rat plasma].

To develop and validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of epirubicin hydrochloride (EPI) in rat plasma, daunorubicin hydrochloride was used as internal standard. The plasma samples were deproteinated with methanol, and separation was performed on a reversed-phase CAPCELL PAK C18 column (3.0 mm x 50 mm, 3 microm). The mobile phase contained methanol-0.1% formic acid (80:20). Detection was carried out by multiple reaction monitoring on a HP1200-6410 QQQ LC/MS system. Different preparations of EPI solution, EPI-LIP (EPI-liposome) and EPI-LTSL (EPI-thermosensitive liposome) was administered in rats by i.v with the same dosage (12 mg kg(-1)). The pharmacokinetic model and parameters were fitted and calculated by the DAS ver2.0 software. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.01-50 microg mL(-1). The limit of quantification was 0.01 microg mL(-1). RSDs of intra- and interbatch precisions were all less than 11.9%. The average extract recovery was 89.3% and 92.1%, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of EPI in rats with all preparations were fitted to three compartments, which all fast distributed and slowly eliminated. The t1/2 alpha, t1/2 beta, t1/2 gamma, AUC(0-infinity), and MRT(0-infinity) of EPI-LTSL group were 7.5, 1.3, 12.6, 12.9, 3.7 times those of EPI solution group; and 1.6, 1.4, 12.3, 2.9, 2.6 times those of EPI-LIP group. Moreover, the CL of the latter two groups was about 13.4 times of the former EPI-LTSL group. EPI-LTSL can significantly improve AUC and prolong the circulation time of EPI in rat plasma.

Isobolographic analysis of the antinociceptive interactions between ketoprofen and paracetamol.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antinociceptive interaction between paracetamol and ketoprofen. The antinociceptive effect of oral administration of the drugs alone or in combination was evaluated using the mouse abdominal constriction test. The data were interpreted by isobolographic analysis to establish the nature of the interaction. The effective dose that produced 50% antinociception (ED(50,mix)) was calculated from the log dose-response curve of fixed-ratio combinations of paracetamol with ketoprofen. This ED(50,mix) was compared to the theoretical additive ED(50,add) by isobolographic analysis. The experimental ED(50,mix) was found to be significantly smaller than the theoretically calculated ED(50,add), indicating a synergistic antinociceptive interaction between ketoprofen and paracetamol. Pharmacokinetic studies were carried out with mice treated with combined ketoprofen (12 mg/kg) and paracetamol (36 mg/kg). Plasma levels of ketoprofen were not changed by concurrent paracetamol treatment, and similarly no statistically significant difference was observed between paracetamol alone and the combination with ketoprofen. The pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the combination of ketoprofen with paracetamol exerted a synergistic (supra-additive) interaction that was not associated with a pharmacokinetic interaction. The results of this study demonstrate significant synergism between ketoprofen and paracetamol.

[Optimizing the operating variables that affect the transfection experiment of antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide by gas-filled microbubbles].

To optimize the operating variables that affect the transfection of antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide (AS-ODNs) by insonated gas-filled lipid microbubbles, SF6-filled microbubbles were prepared by sonication-lyophilization method. An AS-ODNs sequence and a breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 were used to define the various operating variables determining the transfection efficiency of SF6-filled microbubbles. Three levels of mixing speed, different durations of mixing and various delay time before ultrasound were examined, separately. Transfection efficiency was detected by fluorescence microscopy. Transfection results with and without incubation of AS-ODNs and microbubbles before mixing cells were compared. From the results, there is no significant difference between the transinfection efficiency with or without incubation of AS-ODNs and microbubbles before mixing cells. AS-ODNs transfection efficiency showed an increasing trend with mixing speed and mixing duration, but there is a negative relationship with delay time before ultrasound. The optimum parameters for AS-ODNs transfection by SF6-filled microbubbles were found at a mixing speed of 40-50 r x min(-1) for 30-60 s with less than 60 s delay before ultrasound. For a successful transfection, long time of incubation with gene is essential for normal nonviral vectors such as liposomes or cationic lipid-polymer hybrids, because these vectors depend on endocytosis and membrane fusion to realize transfection. Unlike liposomes and cationic lipid-polymer hybrids, gas-filled lipid microbubbles depend on sonorporation effect to realize transfection. Therefore, the incubation of gene and microbubbles before mixing cells may not be necessary. Ultrasound-mediated AS-ODNs transfection enhanced by gas-filled lipid microbubbles represents an effective avenue for gene transfer.

Comparing transfection efficiency and safety for antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide between phospholipids-based microbubbles and liposomes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare transfection efficiency and safety for antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) between two type of phospholipids-based vectors. METHODS: An AS-ODNs sequence HA824 combined with luciferase reporter plasmid was used. Under low intensity ultrasound (US), a breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 was exposed to different concentration of microbubbles and liposomes. Transfection efficiency was detected by fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability was verified by propidium iodide assay. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the inhibitory effect of HA824 on HER-2 expression at mRNA level. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) scanning techniques was employed to observe the change of membrane pore size. RESULTS: AS-ODNs transfection efficiency showed an increasing tend with microbubble concentration, but not with liposome concentration. Maximum transfection efficiency with minimum cell viability was achieved under 2% microbubble concentration. Too strong sonoporation activity would enlarge membrane pores significantly and cause low cell viability. CONCLUSION: US-mediated AS-ODNs transfection enhanced by phospholipids-based microbubbles represents an effective and safe avenue.

[Echogenic phospholipids-based gas-filled microbubbles as delivery system of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides].

AIM: To investigate the feasibility of transfer antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) by the phospholipids-based gas-filled microbubbles (PGM) under ultrasound activation. METHODS: An antisense oligodeoxynucleotides sequence ZL combined with luciferase reporter plasmid was used. A breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 was exposed to different conditions to investigate the effects of such factors as ZL concentration, PGM concentration, mechanical index (MI) and ultrasound exposure duration on transfection efficiency and cell viability. The transfection efficiency and cell viability by other lipid vectors such as lipofectamine and liposome were also tested, whose results were comparied with that of PGM. Transfection efficiency was detected by fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability was verified by PI (propidium iodide) assay. RESULTS: Among the factors tested, ultrasound exposure duration, MI and PGM concentration had obvious impacts on transfection efficiency and cell viability. The results showed that the optimal ultrasound condition was the exposure to ultrasound at MI 1.0 for 30 s with 2% PGM concentration, which gave an overall transfection efficiency of 78% +/- 10%, increased nearly 18 folds over the transfection by PGM (4.0%) or lipofectamine (4.3%) without ultrasound. Under same ultrasound conditions, different vectors showed significant difference in transfection efficiency while there are similar results in cell viability. CONCLUSION: Under proper ultrasound conditions, PGM can markedly enhance AS-ODNs transfection efficiency.

[Comparison of sonoporation effect of liposomes and phospholipids-based microbubbles on cultured cell membrane].

AIM: To compare sonoporation effect of two phospholipids-based vectors-liposomes and microbubbles on cultured cell membrane. METHODS: A breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 was exposed to ultrasound alone, 2% or 5% liposome + ultrasound and 2% or 5% microbubble + ultrasound, separately. Immediately after the experiment and 24 h after ultrasound exposure, atomic-force microscopy (AFM) scanning was used to observe the membrane change of SK-BR-3 cells. RESULTS: After ultrasound exposure, normal SK-BR-3 cells more or less lost their natural shape, showing elliptic outline with obtuse curved boundary. In groups added with phospholipids-based microbubbles, more obtuse curved boundary of cells was observed. The membrane pores of SK-BR-3 cells had apparent changes after ultrasound exposure. With AFM technique, membrane pores under ultrasound alone or ultrasound with liposomes conditions were enlarged, the diameter of some pores exceeding 1 microm. But all the membrane pores in these conditions returned to normal appearance after 24 hours. In ultrasound with 2% microbubble condition, most membrane pores were about 1 - 3 microm in size and returned to normal appearance after 24 h. In ultrasound with 5% microbubble condition, however, pores of most cell membrane porosity was about 2 - 4 pm and did not totally return to normal appearance after 24 h. CONCLUSION: At 2% concentration, phospholipids-based microbubble could enhance ultrasonic sonoporation effect and produce reparable membrane pores on SK-BR-3 cells, which appeared to be a promising vehicle for drug and gene delivery.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of thienorphine-loaded PLGA nanoparticles.

Poly (d,l-lactic-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) have attracted considerable interest as new delivery vehicles for small molecules, with the potential to overcome issue such as poor drug solubility and cell permeability. However, their negative surface charge decreases bioavailability under oral administration. Recently, cationically modified PLGA-NPs has been introduced as novel carriers for oral delivery. In this study, our aim was to introduce and evaluate the physiochemical characteristics and bioadhesion of positively charged chitosan-coated PLGA-NPs (CS-PLGA-NPs), using thienorphine as a model drug. These results indicated that both CS-PLGA-NPs and PLGA-NPs had a narrow size distribution, averaging less than 130 nm. CS-PLGA-NPs was positively charged (+42.1 ± 0.4 mV), exhibiting the cationic nature of chitosan, whereas PLGA-NPs showed a negative surface charge (-2.01 ± 0.3 mV). CS-PLGA-NPs exhibited stronger bioadhesive potency than PLGA-NPs. Furthermore, the transport of thienorphine-CS-PLGA-NPs by Caco-2 cells was higher than thienorphine-PLGA-NPs or thienorphine solution. CS-PLGA-NPs were also found to significantly enhance cellular uptake compared with PLGA-NPs on Caco-2 cells. An evaluation of cytotoxicity showed no increase in toxicity in either kind of nanoparticles during the formulation process. The study proves that CS-PLGA-NPs can be used as a vector in oral drug delivery systems for thienorphine due to its positive surface charge and bioadhesive properties.

Preparation, characterization, and efficacy of thermosensitive liposomes containing paclitaxel.

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.

Preparation, characterization and in vivo observation of phospholipid-based gas-filled microbubbles containing hirudin.

The objective of this work was to prepare echogenic phospholipid-based gas-filled microbubbles (PGM) and investigate their physical characteristics, echogenicity and loading ability of hirudin under various NaCl concentrations. PGM were prepared by a sonication-lyophilization method. Hirudin was used as a model drug to evaluate the drug encapsulation efficiency of the PGM. PGM loaded with hirudin were prepared by dissolving lyophilized powder with hirudin solution. The morphology, particle size and microbubble concentration of PGM were measured. The hirudin encapsulation efficiency as a function of NaCl concentration was determined. The mean particle size and microbubble concentration of PGM were unchanged by the presence of hirudin for at least 60 min after preparation. Hirudin encapsulation quantity was proportional to the hirudin concentration until saturation occurred at high concentration, and the encapsulation efficiency had an inverse relationship. Hirudin encapsulation efficiency was affected by NaCl concentration. When NaCl concentration was increased from 10 mg mL(-1) to 20 mg mL(-1) in PGM solution, hirudin encapsulation efficiency decreased from 35.8 to 26.7%, and microbubble concentration decreased from 2.7 x 10(8) to 1.7 x 10(8) microbubbles per mL. The PGM were shown easily to be visible in in vivo rabbit liver. There was no difference in echogenicity between the loaded and unloaded bubbles. PGM prepared by the sonication-lyophilization method exhibited satisfactory physical characteristics and loading ability and are suitable for use in imaging and ultrasound-triggered delivery.

Property and contrast-enhancement effects of lipid ultrasound contrast agent: a preliminary experimental study.

This work investigated the influence of some factors on the property in vitro of a self-made lipid ultrasound (US) contrast agent (LCA) and evaluated the relationship of acoustic pressure and enhancement effect in normal rabbit kidney parenchyma. In the in vitro studies, filling gas, solvent and concentration of LCA solution were investigated. Morphologic characteristics, concentration and mean diameter of microbubbles were considered as indices. In the in vivo studies, contrast-tuned imaging (CnTi) technique was used to investigate the enhancement effects in kidney parenchyma under nine acoustic pressure levels. Among the samples saturated with different filling gases, perfluoropropane (C(3)F(8)) resulted in the highest concentration of microbubbles and air, the lowest. Microbubbles filled with C(3)F(8) or sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)) were quite stable and remained at a high level of concentration (above 2 x 10(9) microbubbles per mL) much longer than did air-filled microbubbles. Among the four solutions tested, 5% glucose solution and 0.9% saline solution showed higher initial concentrations and greater longevity than dextran 40 glucose solution (6%) or distilled water. The concentration of LCA solution had a positive correlation with the microbubble concentration. All microbubble samples under different test conditions remained shape-complete and no aggregation or fusion was observed. The mean diameter of microbubble samples was about 3.4 microm. Contrast intensity and longevity of CnTi enhancement in vivo showed an acoustic-pressure-dependent decrease. At 1 kPa, contrast intensity increased 224-fold (4.47/0.02) and the longevity of CnTi enhancement in the kidney parenchyma remained longer.

A novel thermosensitive in-situ gel of gabexate mesilate for treatment of traumatic pancreatitis: An experimental study.

Gabexate mesilate (GM) is a trypsin inhibitor, and mainly used for treatment of various acute pancreatitis, including traumatic pancreatitis (TP), edematous pancreatitis, and acute necrotizing pancreatitis. However, due to the characteristics of pharmacokinetics, the clinical application of GM still needs frequently intravenous administration to keep the blood drug concentration, which is difficult to manage. Specially, when the blood supply of pancreas is directly damaged, intravenous administration is difficult to exert the optimum therapy effect. To address it, a novel thermosensitive in-situ gel of gabexate mesilate (GMTI) was developed, and the optimum formulation of GMTI containing 20.6% (w/w) P-407 and 5.79% (w/w) P188 with different concentrations of GM was used as a gelling solvent. The effective drug concentration on trypsin inhibition was examined after treatment with different concentrations of GMTI in vitro, and GM served as a positive control. The security of GMTI was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and its curative effect on grade II pancreas injury was also evaluated by testing amylase (AMS), C-reactive protein (CRP) and trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP), and pathological analysis of the pancreas. The trypsin activity was slightly inhibited at 1.0 and 5.0 mg/mL in GM group and GMTI group, respectively (P<0.05 vs. P-407), and completely inhibited at 10.0 and 20.0 mg/mL (P<0.01 vs. P-407). After local injection of 10 mg/mL GMTI to rat leg muscular tissue, muscle fiber texture was normal, and there were no obvious red blood cells and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Furthermore, the expression of AMS, CRP and TAP was significantly increased in TP group as compared with control group (P<0.01), and significantly decreased in GM group as compared with TP group (P<0.01), and also slightly inhibited after 1.0 and 5.0 mg/mL GMTI treatment as compared with TP group (P<0.05), and significantly inhibited after 10.0 and 20.0 mg/mL GMTI treatment as compared with TP group (P<0.01). HE staining results demonstrated that pancreas cells were uniformly distributed in control group, and they were loosely arranged, partially dissolved, with deeply stained nuclei in TP group. Expectedly, after gradient GMTI treatment, pancreas cells were gradually restored to tight distribution, with slightly stained nuclei. This preliminary study indicated that GMTI could effectively inhibit pancreatic enzymes, and alleviate the severity of trauma-induced pancreatitis, and had a potential drug developing and clinic application value.

A novel subcutaneous infusion delivery system based on osmotic pump: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

An economical, convenient portable drug delivery system combining osmotic pump with subcutaneous infusion was developed, which was composed of three primary components: water chamber, osmotic pump chamber and support base. Ceftriaxone sodium (CRO) was selected as the model drug and osmotic pump tablets were prepared. The influence of osmotic agents on drug release profiles was evaluated. As the adjustment made by the osmotic agents was limited, the compositions of semipermeable membrane were investigated to determine significant associations of factors based on orthogonal design. The in vitro release profiles of the optimum formulation achieved to the predetermined value (15 ± 3 min for the initial release time T(i) and 5.75 ± 0.25 h for the extent release time T(e)). The pharmacokinetic profiles of this drug delivery system were evaluated in Beagle dogs. In vivo results demonstrated that the osmotic pump subcutaneous infusion administration was equivalent to intravenous injection administration in terms of bioavailability. Moreover, constant drug plasma levels with minimized fluctuations could be achieved with this osmotic pump subcutaneous infusion system, compared with intravenous injection.

Preparation, characterization, and pharmacodynamics of thermosensitive liposomes containing docetaxel.

A novel thermosensitive liposome (TL) containing docetaxel (DTX) was designed to enhance DTX-targeted delivery and antitumor effect. TL loading DTX (DTX-TL) were prepared by thin film hydration. The mean particle size of the liposomes was about 100 nm, and the drug entrapment efficiency was more than 95%. The phase transition temperature of liposomes was about 42 °C. In vitro drug release showed that drug released at 37 °C was obviously less than that at 42 °C. For in vivo experiments, the human breast tumor model was established by subcutaneous xenotransplantation on nude mice; liposomes and injection containing DTX were injected i.v. in nude mice, followed by exposure of the tumors to hyperthermia (HT) for 30 min after administration. The tumor inhibition ratio of DTX-TL group was significantly higher than the normal injection group. Combining TL with HT enhanced the delivery of DTX and thereby its antitumor effects. The liposomes reported in this paper could potentially produce viable clinical strategies for improved targeting and delivery of DTX for the treatment of breast cancer.

Development and characteristics of temperature-sensitive liposomes for vinorelbine bitartrate.

A novel liposome with temperature-sensitivity for vinorelbine bitartrate (VB) was designed to enhance VB targeted delivery and antitumor effect. Liposomes without drugs were prepared by thin film hydration, and then VB was entrapped into liposomes by pH gradient loading method. The mean particle size of the liposomes was about 100 nm, and the drug entrapment efficiency was more than 90%. Stability data indicated that the liposome was physically and chemically stable for at least 6 months at 4 °C. In vitro drug release study showed that drugs hardly released at 37 °C; while at 42 °C, drugs released quickly. For in vivo experiments, the lung tumor model was established by subcutaneous inoculation of cell suspension on mice, liposomes and free VB were injected i.v. in mice, followed by exposure the tumors to hyperthermia (HT) for 30 min after administration. The ratio of inhibition tumor of temperature-sensitive liposomes group was significantly higher than the normal injection group. Combining temperature-sensitive liposomes with HT enhanced the delivery of VB and, consequently, its antitumor effects. This liposome could potentially produce viable clinical strategies for improved targeting and delivery of VB for treatment of cancer.