Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Miyako Bidens pilosa in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated BV-2 Microglia.

Neuroinflammation is a fundamental feature in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and arises from the activation of astrocytes and microglial cells. Previously, we reported that Miyako Bidens pilosa extract (MBP) inhibited microglial activation and prolonged the life span in a human ALS-linked mutant superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1G93A) transgenic mouse model of ALS (G93A mice). Herein, we evaluated the effect of MBP on microglial activation in the spinal cord of G93A mice and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. The administration of MBP inhibited the upregulation of the M1-microglia/macrophage marker (interferon-γ receptor (IFN-γR)) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6) in G93A mice. However, MBP did not affect the increase in the M2-microglia/macrophage marker (IL-13R) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß and IL-10) in G93A mice. BV-2 cell exposure to MBP resulted in a decrease in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) reduction activity and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, without an increase in the number of ethidium homodimer-1-stained dead cells. Moreover, MBP suppressed the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) in BV-2 cells. These results suggest that the selective suppression of M1-related pro-inflammatory cytokines is involved in the therapeutic potential of MBP in ALS model mice.

Intranasal Administration of N-acetyl-L-cysteine Combined with Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Modified Polymer Nanomicelles as a Potential Therapeutic Approach for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Intranasal administration is a promising route for direct drug delivery to the brain; its combination with nanocarriers enhances delivery. We have previously shown that intranasal administration combined with PEG-PCL-Tat (a nanocarrier) efficiently delivers drugs to the brain and exhibits excellent therapeutic efficacy against brain diseases. We aimed to clarify whether intranasal administration combined with PEG-PCL-Tat represents a useful drug delivery system (DDS) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pharmacotherapy. We used N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) as a model drug with low transferability to the spinal cord and determined the physicochemical properties of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat. After intranasal administration of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat, we measured the survival duration of superoxide dismutase-1 G93A mutant transgenic mice (G93A mice), widely used in ALS studies, and quantitatively analyzed the tissue distribution of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat in ddY mice. The mean particle size and zeta potential of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat were 294 nm and + 9.29 mV, respectively. Treatment with repeated intranasal administration of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat considerably prolonged the median survival of G93A mice by 11.5 days compared with that of untreated G93A mice. Moreover, the highest distribution after a single administration of NAC/PEG-PCL-Tat was measured in the spinal cord. These results suggest that intranasal administration combined with PEG-PCL-Tat might represent a useful DDS for ALS therapeutics.

[Optimum Volume of Water Needed for the Paste State of Pediatric Powders: Considerations Based on Yield Values and Applications to Generic Medicine].

To clarify the volume of water required to paste pediatric powders, we herein established a standard for the powder paste state by measuring yield values when water was added to powders. The powders used in the present study were selected from 8 types including original and generic drugs. Tipepidine hibenzate is prescribed in the pediatric field in combination with ambroxol hydrochloride and l-carbocysteine. The volumes of water needed to achieve the paste state of ambroxol hydrochloride between the original and generic drugs were similar. However, the volumes of water needed for l-carbocysteine markedly differed between the original and generic drugs due to differences in their additives. The spreadability of the mixture when water was added to the powders was evaluated using a spread meter. Among the powders tested in the present study, the yield value to achieve a paste state with the addition of water was approximately 1000 dyne/cm2. The optimum volume of water estimated from this yield value using the linear proportional relationship for the amount of powder may be applied to the mixture of each pediatric power for dosage/body weight.

Mixtures of betamethasone butyrate propionate ointments and heparinoid oil-based cream: Physical stability evaluation.

Betamethasone butyrate propionate ointment (BBPO) is mainly used for adult patients in dermatology and is often prescribed as a mixture containing a base or moisturizing cream for various reasons. However, in the case of a moisturizing cream, since this formulation is composed of various ingredients, a physical change is expected to occur by mixing it with an ointment. Therefore, in the present study, the physical stability of a mixture of four BBPO formulations and heparinoid oily cream (HPOC) was examined. Layer separation was observed in all mixtures following centrifugation. The near-infrared (NIR) measurement showed a peak at 5200 cm-1 on the lower layer side, which strongly suggests the presence of water. The peak at 5200 cm-1 in the middle layer was hardly observed in the mixtures of two BBPO generic formulations and HPOC, thus suggesting that the separation was more advanced in those mixtures than in the others. These two mixtures separated into a semisolid layer (upper side) and a liquid layer (lower side) after 3 h of storage at 37 °C. The NIR measurement of each layer revealed that most of the semisolid layer was oil while the liquid layer was water. Furthermore, backscattered light measurements were conducted to monitor the behavior of the mixture's layer separation. An evaluation using model formulations revealed that the layer separation of the mixtures was due to the propylene glycol (PG) and surfactant content of the two generic BBPO formulations. Thus, these findings suggest that excipients need to be considered in selecting formulations for mixtures of skin preparations.

Enhancement of nose-to-brain delivery of hydrophilic macromolecules with stearate- or polyethylene glycol-modified arginine-rich peptide.

Recently, nose-to-brain delivery is a highly versatile route, which, in combination with novel drugs being developed for treating intractable CNS diseases, is a promising approach for the treatment of disorders. Furthermore, nano-sized drug carriers may improve nose-to-brain drug delivery by their capability to increase the transmucosal penetration of the drugs across nasal mucosal tissue barrier. However, there is still not enough information regarding mechanism of absorption pathway from nasal cavity to brain using nanocarriers. In this study, to investigate the nose-to-brain transport pathway using nanocarriers, the distribution in whole brain, nasal mucosa, and trigeminal nerve after intranasal administration of two kinds of nanocarriers which have hydrophobic or hydrophilic moiety. We used CHHRRRRHHC peptide (CH2R4H2C) as basic peptide carriers, and modified with stearic acid (STR) as a hydrophobic moiety (STR-CH2R4H2C) or polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based block copolymer (PEG-PCL) as hydrophilic moiety (PEG-PCL-CH2R4H2C). The nose-to-brain drug delivery can be improved by using STR-CH2R4H2C and PEG-PCL-CH2R4H2C as carriers. Specifically, hydrophobic STR-CH2R4H2C is more suitable for the transport of drugs targeting the forebrain, while PEG-PCL-modified CH2R4H2C is more suitable for transporting drugs targeting the hindbrain or whole brain tissue. In conclusion, the results of this study support the possibility that drug delivery pathways can be controlled depending on the properties of different carrier complexes.

Antagonism of NMDA receptors by butanesulfonyl-homospermine guanidine and neuroprotective effects in in vitro and in vivo.

The polyamine derivative BsHSPMG (butanesulfonyl-homospermine with guanidine group) was found to inhibit macroscopic currents strongly at heteromeric N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B) and Ca(2+)-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (homomeric glutamate receptor 1) receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes on voltage-clamp recording. The IC(50) values of BsHSPMG for NR1/NR2A, NR1/NR2B, NR1/NR2C, and NR1/NR2D receptors were 0.016, 0.021, 5.4, and 9.0 µM, respectively. BsHSPMG inhibited the activity of NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B receptors more strongly and did it for those of NR1/NR2C and NR1/NR2D receptors more weakly than a therapeutic drug of Alzheimer's disease, memantine. The inhibition by BsHSPMG was voltage-dependent, since it was prominent at -100 mV compared to that at -20 mV. Mutations including NR1 N616Q, E621Q, N650A, L655A, T807C, NR2B W559L, M562S, W607L, N616Q, and V620E, among others, reduced the inhibition by BsHSPMG, suggesting that BsHSPMG penetrates the channel pore of NMDA receptors deeply. The toxicity of BsHSPMG in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was much weaker than that of memantine. The effect of BsHSPMG was measured on the focal cerebral ischemia induced by occlusion (1 h) of the middle cerebral artery in mice. BsHSPMG applied before or after occlusion greatly reduced the volume of infarct in mice. These findings demonstrate that BsHSPMG penetrates the NMDA channel pore and exhibits neuroprotective effects against excitatory toxicity in mice.

[Adhesion loss of syrups in a metering glass which consists of a low surface free energy material].

We previously reported a strong positive correlation between syrup viscosity and the rate of syrup loss due to adhesion to a glass metering device. In this study, we examined differences in the surface free energies of metering devices made of different polymeric materials, since reducing adhesion loss to metering devices could improve the efficiency of drug preparation involving highly viscous syrups. Among metering devices made of glass only, glass with a silicone coating (SLC), polypropylene (PP), and polymethylpentene (PMP) the surface free energy of the glass-only metering device was the highest (49.2 mN/m). The adhesion loss obtained for highly viscous syrups in the PP and PMP metering devices was significantly lower than that of the glass metering device. Measurements of syrup contact angles suggested that in metering devices made of PP and PMP, which have low surface free energies, a decrease in the spreading wetting of syrups was a factor in reducing the rate of adhesion loss. Thus irrespective of the syrup viscosity being measured, metering devices produced from materials with low surface free energies can reduce the time required to prepare prescriptions without compromising the accuracy of drug preparation.

Neuroprotection by tosyl-polyamine derivatives through the inhibition of ionotropic glutamate receptors.

Tosyl-polyamine derivatives such as N-{4-[4-(guanidinobutylamino)-butylamino]butyl}-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide trihydrochroride (TsHSPMG) have been found to strongly inhibit macroscopic currents through heteromeric N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NR1/NR2A, NR1/NR2B) and Ca(2+)-permeable alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (homomeric glutamate receptor 1) receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes on voltage-clamp recording. In the present study, it was found that the inhibition of NMDA receptor activity induced by tosyl-polyamine derivatives was voltage-dependent. Some mutations located in the intracellular region of the channel pore, such as NR1 E621Q and NR2B W607L, reduced the inhibition by tosyl-polyamine derivatives, suggesting that tosyl-polyamine derivatives penetrate deeply into the channel pore of NMDA receptors. The neuroprotective effects of tosyl-polyamine derivatives against cell injury caused by NMDA were investigated in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Addition of 1 microM TsHSPMG to medium ablated the neurotoxicity induced by NMDA, and a similar effect was observed with 30 microM memantine. The neuroprotective effects of tosyl-polyamine derivatives on NMDA-induced seizures in mice were also assayed. Intracerebroventricular or intravenous injection of TsHSPMG (0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg) decreased the seizures induced by intraperitoneal injection of NMDA in mice. These findings indicate that tosyl-polyamine derivatives exhibit neuroprotective effects not only in primary cultured neurons but also in mice.

Imaging endogenous gene expression in brain cancer in vivo with 111In-peptide nucleic acid antisense radiopharmaceuticals and brain drug-targeting technology.

UNLABELLED: Imaging endogenous gene expression with sequence-specific antisense radiopharmaceuticals is possible if the antisense agent is enabled to traverse the biologic membrane barriers that separate the blood compartment from messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules in the cytoplasm of the target cell. The present studies were designed to image endogenous gene expression in brain cancer using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) antisense agents that were modified to allow for (a) chelation of the 111In radionuclide and (b) attachment to a brain targeting system, which delivers the PNA across both the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the tumor cell membrane. METHODS: PNAs were designed that were antisense to either the rat glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA or the rat caveolin-1alpha (CAV) mRNA. The PNA contained an amino-terminal diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid moiety to chelate 111In and a carboxyl-terminal epsilon-biotinyl lysine residue, which enabled attachment to the delivery system. The latter comprised streptavidin (SA) and the murine OX26 monoclonal antibody to the rat transferrin receptor (TfR), which were joined by a thiol-ether linker. Control PNAs were not conjugated to SA-OX26. Brain tumors developed after the intracerebral injection of rat RG2 glial cells in adult Fischer CD344 rats. GFAP and CAV gene expression in the tumor in vivo was monitored by confocal microscopy and Northern blotting with GFAP and CAV complementary DNAs. RESULTS: If the PNA was not targeted to the TfR, then no imaging of any brain structures was possible, owing to the absence of PNA transport across the BBB. Conjugation of the 111In-GFAP-PNA to the SA-OX26 delivery system did not image brain cancer, owing to the downregulation of the GFAP mRNA in brain glial tumors. In contrast, brain cancer was selectively imaged with the 111In-CAV-PNA conjugated to SA-OX26 owing to upregulation of CAV gene expression in brain cancer. CONCLUSION: Imaging endogenous gene expression in vivo with PNA antisense radiopharmaceuticals is possible if drug-targeting technology is used. Attachment of the PNA antisense agent to the targeting ligand enables the antisense radiopharmaceutical to traverse biologic membrane barriers and access intracellular target mRNA molecules.