Photo-Oxidative Degradation Mitigated the Developmental Toxicity of Polyamide Microplastics to Zebrafish Larvae by Modulating Macrophage-Triggered Proinflammatory Responses and Apoptosis.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and pose substantial threats to the water ecosystem. However, the impact of natural aging of MPs on their toxicity has rarely been considered. This study found that visible light irradiation with hydrogen peroxide at environmentally relevant concentration for 90 days significantly altered the physicochemical properties and mitigated the toxicity of polyamide (PA) fragments to infantile zebrafish. The size of PA particles was reduced from ∼8.13 to ∼6.37 µm, and nanoparticles were produced with a maximum yield of 5.03%. The end amino groups were volatilized, and abundant oxygen-containing groups (e.g., hydroxyl and carboxyl) and carbon-centered free radicals were generated, improving the hydrophilicity and colloidal stability of degraded MPs. Compared with pristine PA, the depuration of degraded MPs mediated by multixenobiotics resistance was much quicker, leading to markedly lower bioaccumulation in fish and weaker inhibition on musculoskeletal development. By integrating transcriptomics and transgenic zebrafish [Tg(lyz:EGFP)] tests, differences in macrophages-triggered proinflammatory effects, apoptosis via IL-17 signaling pathway, and antioxidant damages were identified as the underlying mechanisms for the attenuated toxicity of degraded MPs. This work highlights the importance of natural degradation on the toxicity of MPs, which has great implications for risk assessment of MPs.

In vitro inhalation cytotoxicity testing of therapeutic nanosystems for pulmonary infection.

Due to the increasing need of new treatment options against bacterial lung infections, novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are under development. Local bioavailability and less systemic exposure lead to the inhalation route of administration. Combining AMPs with nanocarriers (NCs) into nanosystems (NSs) might be a technique for improved results. An air-liquid interface (ALI) in vitro inhalation model was set up including a human alveolar lung cell line (A549) and an optimized exposure system (P.R.I.T.® ExpoCube®) to predict acute local lung toxicity. The approach including aerosol controls (cupper-II-sulfate and lactose) delivered lowest observable adverse effect levels (LOAELs). Different combinations of AMPs (AA139, M33) and NCs (polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), micelles and liposomes) were tested under ALI and submerged in vitro conditions. Depending on the nature of AMP and NCs, packing of AMPs into NSs reduced the AMP-related toxicity. Large differences were found between the LOAELs determined by submerged or ALI testing with the ALI approach indicating higher sensitivity of the ALI model. Since aerosol droplet exposure is in vivo relevant, it is assumed that ALI based results represents the more significant source than submerged testing for in vivo prediction of local acute lung toxicity. In accordance with the current state-of-the-art view, this study shows that ALI in vitro inhalation models are promising tools to further develop in vitro methods in the field of inhalation toxicology.

Response of bleached and symbiotic sea anemones to plastic microfiber exposure.

Microplastics are emerging contaminants in the marine environment. They enter the ocean in a variety of sizes and shapes, with plastic microfiber being the prevalent form in seawater and in the guts of biota. Most of the laboratory experiments on microplastics has been performed with spheres, so knowledge on the interactions of microfibers and marine organisms is limited. In this study we examined the ingestion of microfibers by the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida using three different types of polymers: nylon, polyester and polypropylene. The polymers were offered to both symbiotic (with algal symbionts) and bleached (without algal symbionts) anemones. The polymers were introduced either alone or mixed with brine shrimp homogenate. We observed a higher percentage of nylon ingestion compared to the other polymers when plastic was offered in the absence of shrimp. In contrast, we observed over 80% of the anemones taking up all types of polymers when the plastics were offered in the presence of shrimp. Retention time differed significantly between symbiotic and bleached anemones with faster egestion in symbiotic anemones. Our results suggest that ingestion of microfibers by sea anemones is dependent both on the type of polymers and on the presence of chemical cues of prey in seawater. The decreased ability of bleached anemones to reject plastic microfiber indicates that the susceptibility of anthozoans to plastic pollution is exacerbated by previous exposure to other stressors. This is particularly concerning given that coral reef ecosystems are facing increases in the frequency and intensity of bleaching events due to ocean warming.

Cationic polymers for non-viral gene delivery to human T cells.

The clinical success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy in treating multiple blood cancers has created a need for efficient methods of ex vivo gene delivery to primary human T cells for cell engineering. Here, we synthesize and evaluate a panel of cationic polymers for gene delivery to both cultured and primary human T cells. We show that a subset of comb- and sunflower-shaped pHEMA-g-pDMAEMA polymers can mediate transfection with efficiencies up to 50% in the Jurkat human T cell line with minimal concomitant toxicity (>90% viability). We then optimize primary human T cell transfection conditions including activation time, cell density, DNA dose, culture media, and cytokine treatment. We demonstrate transfection of both CD4+ and CD8+ primary human T cells with messenger RNA and plasmid DNA at efficiencies up to 25 and 18%, respectively, with similarly high viability.

Codelivery for Paclitaxel and Bcl-2 Conversion Gene by PHB-PDMAEMA Amphiphilic Cationic Copolymer for Effective Drug Resistant Cancer Therapy.

Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein's upregulated expression is a key reason for drug resistance leading to failure of chemotherapy. In this report, a series of biocompatible amphiphilic cationic poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB)-b-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) copolymer, comprising hydrophobic PHB block and cationic PDMAEMA block, is designed to codeliver hydrophobic chemotherapeutic paclitaxel and Bcl-2 converting gene Nur77/ΔDBD with enhanced stability, due to the micelle formation by hydrophobic PHB segment. This copolymer shows less toxicity but similar gene transfection efficiency to polyethyenimine (25k). More importantly, this codelivery approach by PHB-PDMAEMA leads to increased drug resistant HepG2/Bcl-2 cancer cell death, by increased expression of Nur77 proteins in the Bcl-2 present intracellular mitochondria. This work signifies for the first time that cationic amphiphilic PHB-b-PDMAEMA copolymers can be utilized for the drug and gene codelivery to drug resistant cancer cells with high expression of antiapoptosis Bcl-2 protein and the positive results are encouraging for the further design of codelivery platforms for combating drug resistant cancer cells.

Tumor Repression of VCaP Xenografts by a Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide.

Pyrrole-imidazole (Py-Im) polyamides are high affinity DNA-binding small molecules that can inhibit protein-DNA interactions. In VCaP cells, a human prostate cancer cell line overexpressing both AR and the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion, an androgen response element (ARE)-targeted Py-Im polyamide significantly downregulates AR driven gene expression. Polyamide exposure to VCaP cells reduced proliferation without causing DNA damage. Py-Im polyamide treatment also reduced tumor growth in a VCaP mouse xenograft model. In addition to the effects on AR regulated transcription, RNA-seq analysis revealed inhibition of topoisomerase-DNA binding as a potential mechanism that contributes to the antitumor effects of polyamides in cell culture and in xenografts. These studies support the therapeutic potential of Py-Im polyamides to target multiple aspects of transcriptional regulation in prostate cancers without genotoxic stress.

Polyamide Nanogels from Generally Recognized as Safe Components and Their Toxicity in Mouse Preimplantation Embryos.

Safe delivery systems that can not only encapsulate hydrophobic drug molecules, but also release them in response to specific triggers are important in several therapeutic and biomedical applications. In this paper, we have designed a nanogel based on molecules that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). We have shown that the resultant polymeric nanogels exhibit responsive molecular release and also show high in vitro cellular viability on HEK 293T, HeLa, MCF 7, and A549 cell lines. The toxicity of these nanogels was further evaluated with a highly sensitive assay using mouse preimplantation embryo development, where blastocysts were formed after 4 days of in vitro culture, and live pups were born when morulae/early blastocysts were transferred to the uteri of surrogate recipients. Our results indicate that these nanogels are nontoxic during mammalian development and do not alter normal growth or early embryo success rate.

A family of cationic polyamides for in vitro and in vivo gene transfection.

The purpose of this study is to develop biodegradable cationic polyamides for non-viral gene delivery and elucidate their structural effects on gene transfection activity. To this end, a group of novel cationic polyamides were synthesized by polycondensation reaction between different di-p-nitrophenyl esters and tertiary amine-containing primary diamines. These linear polyamides have flexible alkylene group (ethylene or propylene), protonable amino group and bioreducible disulfide linkage in the polyamide main chain. The alkylene group and disulfide linkage in these polyamides have a distinct effect on their gene delivery properties including buffering capacity, gene binding ability and intracellular gene release profile. Those cationic polyamides containing disulfide linkage and 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine (BAP) residue exhibited high buffering capacity (endosomal escape ability), high gene binding ability, and intracellular gene release ability, thus inducing fast gene nucleus translocation and robust gene transfection in vitro against different cell lines and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, the transfection efficiencies in vitro were comparable or higher than those of 25 kDa branched polyethylenimine and Lipofectamine 2000 transfection agent as positive controls. These cationic polyamides and their polyplexes were of low cytotoxicity when an optimal transfection efficacy was achieved. In vivo transfection tests showed that bioreducible BAP-based polyamides were applicable for intravenous gene delivery in a mouse model, leading to higher level of transgene expression in the liver as compared to 22 kDa linear polyethylenimine as a positive control. These cationic polyamides provide a useful platform to elucidate the relationship between chemical functionalities and gene transfection activity.

Targeted suppression of EVI1 oncogene expression by sequence-specific pyrrole-imidazole polyamide.

Human ectopic viral integration site 1 (EVI1) is an oncogenic transcription factor known to play a critical role in many aggressive forms of cancer. Its selective modulation is thought to alter the cancer-specific gene regulatory networks. Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides (PIPs) are a class of small DNA binders that can be designed to target any destined DNA sequence. Herein, we report a sequence-specific pyrrole-imidazole polyamide, PIP1, which can target specific base pairs of the REL/ELK1 binding site in the EVI1 minimal promoter. The designed PIP1 significantly inhibited EVI1 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Whole-transcriptome analysis confirmed that PIP1 affected a fraction of EVI1-mediated gene regulation. In vitro assays suggested that this polyamide can also effectively inhibit breast cancer cell migration. Taken together, these results suggest that EVI1-targeted PIP1 is an effective transcriptional regulator in cancer cells.

Replication stress by Py-Im polyamides induces a non-canonical ATR-dependent checkpoint response.

Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides targeted to the androgen response element were cytotoxic in multiple cell lines, independent of intact androgen receptor signaling. Polyamide treatment induced accumulation of S-phase cells and of PCNA replication/repair foci. Activation of a cell cycle checkpoint response was evidenced by autophosphorylation of ATR, the S-phase checkpoint kinase, and by recruitment of ATR and the ATR activators RPA, 9-1-1, and Rad17 to chromatin. Surprisingly, ATR activation was accompanied by only a slight increase in single-stranded DNA, and the ATR targets RPA2 and Chk1, a cell cycle checkpoint kinase, were not phosphorylated. However, ATR activation resulted in phosphorylation of the replicative helicase subunit MCM2, an ATR effector. Polyamide treatment also induced accumulation of monoubiquitinated FANCD2, which is recruited to stalled replication forks and interacts transiently with phospho-MCM2. This suggests that polyamides induce replication stress that ATR can counteract independently of Chk1 and that the FA/BRCA pathway may also be involved in the response to polyamides. In biochemical assays, polyamides inhibit DNA helicases, providing a plausible mechanism for S-phase inhibition.

Development of a liver-targeted siRNA delivery platform with a broad therapeutic window utilizing biodegradable polypeptide-based polymer conjugates.

The greatest challenge standing in the way of effective in vivo siRNA delivery is creating a delivery vehicle that mediates a high degree of efficacy with a broad therapeutic window. Key structure-activity relationships of a poly(amide) polymer conjugate siRNA delivery platform were explored to discover the optimized polymer parameters that yield the highest activity of mRNA knockdown in the liver. At the same time, the poly(amide) backbone of the polymers allowed for the metabolism and clearance of the polymer from the body very quickly, which was established using radiolabeled polymers to demonstrate the time course of biodistribution and excretion from the body. The fast degradation and clearance of the polymers provided for very low toxicity at efficacious doses, and the therapeutic window of this poly(amide)-based siRNA delivery platform was shown to be much broader than a comparable polymer platform. The results of this work illustrate that the poly(amide) platform has a promising future in the development of a siRNA-based drug approved for human use.

Animal toxicity of hairpin pyrrole-imidazole polyamides varies with the turn unit.

A hairpin pyrrole-imidazole polyamide (1) targeted to the androgen receptor consensus half-site was found to exert antitumor effects against prostate cancer xenografts. A previous animal study showed that 1, which has a chiral amine at the α-position of the γ-aminobutyric acid turn (γ-turn), did not exhibit toxicity at doses less than 10 mg/kg. In the same study, a polyamide with an acetamide at the ß-position of the γ-turn resulted in animal morbidity at 2.3 mg/kg. To identify structural motifs that cause animal toxicity, we synthesized polyamides 1-4 with variations at the α- and ß-positions in the γ-turn. Weight loss, histopathology, and serum chemistry were analyzed in mice post-treatment. While serum concentration was similar for all four polyamides after injection, dose-limiting liver toxicity was only observed for three polyamides. Polyamide 3, with an α-acetamide, caused no significant evidence of rodent toxicity and retains activity against LNCaP xenografts.

Stable gene transfection mediated by polysulfobetaine/PDMAEMA diblock copolymer in salted medium.

Cationic polyplexes would aggregate immediately after intravenous injection due to the plasma proteins and high ionic strength. A cationic polyplexes with long-term and salt stability was very important for a systemic gene therapy. In this research, a polysulfobetaine-b-polycation diblock copolymer composed of cationic block of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and zwtterionic block of poly(propylsulfonate dimethylammonium ethylmethacrylate) (PSPE) was conveniently synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization method to obtain a cationic polymers with long-term and salt stability. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis and transmission electron microscope indicated that copolymerization of PSPE did not compromise the DNA condensation ability of PDMAEMA, meanwhile exhibiting lower cytotoxicity. The effect of salt on the absorbance and particle size of PDMAEMA100/DNA and PDMAEMA100-PSPEy/DNA complexes was investigated, which showed that PSPE block could increase the resistance of polyplexes against salt-induced aggregation owing to the antielectrolyte effect. In comparison with PDMAEMA homopolymer, PDMAEMA100-PSPEy retained more stable gene transfection in a certain range of salt concentration. The expression of red fluorescence protein (RFP) was evaluated by small animal in vivo fluorescence imaging system and the results showed that the expression of RFP was much higher in the mice injected with PDMAEMA100-PSPE20/pDNA-RFP than with PDMAEMA/pDNA-RFP. Both in vitro and in vivo results suggested that PDMAEMA-PSPE diblock copolymer may be potentially used as a vector for systemic gene therapy.

Functional study of dextran-graft-poly((2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate) gene delivery vector for tumor therapy.

The obstacle of gene therapy is the shortage of efficient delivery system. The development of the gene delivery system with high transfection efficiency and low toxicity appears to be crucial. Recently, we reported that the dextran-graft-poly((2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate) (DPD) can be potentially used as efficient gene vector. Herein, DPD was systematically studied for its potential in tumor gene therapy. DPD was synthesized and characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis, particle size and zeta potential. The particle size and zeta potential of the DPD/enhanced green fluorescent protein (pEGFP-C1) plasmid complexes at various N/P ratios were 130-150 nm and about 40 mV, respectively. The results showed that DPD exhibit a higher transfection effect compared with Lipofectamine 2K (Lipo 2K), a commercialized vector. The possibility of DPD in gene therapy was evaluated using p53, a gene that has been wildly applied in the research of cancer gene therapy. DPD/pEGFP-C1-p53 complex was found to be able to inhibit tumor cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, the tumor growth was found to be restrained when DPD/pEGFP-C1-p53 complex was used in a xenograft MCF7 tumor model in vivo. These observations indicated that DPD/pEGFP-C1-p53 complex may be considered to be an efficient delivery system for tumor gene therapy.

Newly recognized occupational and environmental causes of chronic terminal airways and parenchymal lung disease.

With the introduction of new materials and changes in manufacturing practices, occupational health investigators continue to uncover associations between novel exposures and chronic forms of diffuse parenchymal lung disease and terminal airways disease. To discern exposure-disease relationships, clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for the potential toxicity of occupational and environmental exposures. This article details several newly recognized chronic parenchymal and terminal airways. Diseases related to exposure to indium, nylon flock, diacetyl used in the flavorings industry, nanoparticles, and the World Trade Center disaster are reviewed. Also reviewed are methods in worker surveillance and the potential use of biomarkers in the evaluation of exposure-disease relationships.

Low polydispersity (N-ethyl pyrrolidine methacrylamide-co-1-vinylimidazole) linear oligomers for gene therapy applications.

Nonviral methods for gene delivery are becoming ever more prevalent along with the need to design new vectors that are highly effective, stable in biological fluids, inexpensive, and facile to produce. Here, we synthesize our previously reported monomer N-ethyl pyrrolidine methacrylamide (EPA) and evaluate its effectiveness in gene vector applications when copolymerized with 1-vinylimidazole (VI). A range of these novel linear cationic copolymers were synthesized via free radical polymerization with low molecular weights (oligomers) and low polydispersities showing two pK(a) values as the two co-monomers are cationic. DNA-polymer polyplexes had average sizes between 100 and 250nm and zeta-potentials between 10 and 25mV, and a strong dependence of composition on the size on the zeta-potential was observed. The cytotoxicity of the homopolymers, oligomers, and polyplexes toward human fibroblasts and 3T3 mouse fibroblasts was evaluated using the MTT and AlamarBlue™ assays, proving that formulations could be made with toxicity as low as low molecular weight linear poly (dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA). The transfection capability of the polyplexes measured using the G-luciferase marker gene far superseded PDMAEMA when evaluated in biological conditions. Furthermore, blood compatibility studies showed that these new oligomers exhibit no significant hemolysis or platelet activation above PBS controls. These new EPA based oligomers with low toxicity and ease of scalability show high transfection abilities in serum conditions, and blood compatibility showing its potential for systemic gene delivery applications.

Single-dose pharmacokinetic and toxicity analysis of pyrrole-imidazole polyamides in mice.

PURPOSE: Pyrrole-imidazole (Py-Im) polyamides are programmable, sequence-specific DNA minor groove-binding ligands. Previous work in cell culture has shown that various polyamides can be used to modulate the transcriptional programs of oncogenic transcription factors. In this study, two hairpin polyamides with demonstrated activity against androgen receptor signaling in cell culture were administered to mice to characterize their pharmacokinetic properties. METHODS: Py-Im polyamides were administered intravenously by tail vein injection. Plasma, urine, and fecal samples were collected over a 24-h period. Liver, kidney, and lung samples were collected postmortem. Concentrations of the administered polyamide in the plasma, excretion, and tissue samples were measured using LC/MS/MS. The biodistribution data were analyzed by both non-compartmental and compartmental pharmacokinetic models. Animal toxicity experiments were also performed by monitoring weight loss after a single subcutaneous (SC) injection of either polyamide. RESULTS: The biodistribution profiles of both compounds exhibited rapid localization to the liver, kidneys, and lungs upon injection. Plasma distribution of the two compounds showed distinct differences in the rate of clearance, the volume of distribution, and the AUCs. These two compounds also have markedly different toxicities after SC injection in mice. CONCLUSIONS: The variations in pharmacokinetics and toxicity in vivo stem from a minor chemical modification that is also correlated with differing potency in cell culture. The results obtained in this study could provide a structural basis for further improvement of polyamide activity both in cell culture and in animal models.

Deposition gene transfection using bioconjugates of DNA and thermoresponsive cationic homopolymer.

A poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) (PDMAEMA) homopolymer with both thermoresponsive and cationic characteristics was applied to a vector for use in deposition transfection. PDMAEMA with a molecular weight of 2.5 × 10(5) g mol(-1) was synthesized by photoinduced radical polymerization. Polyplexes approximately 750 nm in size were formed by mixing PDMAEMA with luciferase-encoding plasmid DNA. The polyplexes had a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of approximately 30 °C. In addition, they exhibited excellent adsorption and durability on a polystyrene surface, as confirmed by a surface chemical compositional analysis. When HeLa cells and primary cells were cultured on a substrate coated with the polyplexes, high transgene expression and cell viability of more than 90% were obtained at low charge ratios (PDMAEMA/plasmid DNA ratio) ranging from 2 to 8. In addition, transgene expression was sustained for over 2 weeks post-transfection whereas decreased expression was observed 5 days post-transfection when the conventional solution-mediated transfection method was used. Thus, high and sustained transgene expression as well as high cell viability can be realized by using small amounts of PDMAEMA as a deposition transfection material.

Effects of a cationic PAMAM dendrimer on photosynthesis and ROS production of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers hold great promises for biomedicine. This study sought to examine the toxicity of generation 4 (G4) cationic PAMAM dendrimer to the green microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, using physiological and molecular biomarkers. Results revealed that the G4 dendrimer at 15 and 25 nM stimulated the photosynthetic process and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in algae. However, the over-production of ROS did not induce the expression of antioxidant enzyme genes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. In addition, genes encoding light-harvesting proteins (lhca and lhcb), a ferredoxin (fdx) and an oxygen-evolving enhancer protein (psb) involved in photosynthesis were repressed after treatment. Nevertheless, the expression of the lhcbm9 gene, encoding a major light harvesting polypeptide, was increased. These results suggest that the strong modulation of photosynthesis induced by the dendrimer could lead to elevated ROS levels in microalgae.

Transfection of immortalized keratinocytes by low toxic poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-based polymers.

Skin carcinoma are among the most spread diagnosed tumours in the world. In this study, we investigated the transfection of immortalized keratinocytes, used as an in vitro model for skin carcinoma, using antisense technology and poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)-based polymers, with original architecture and functionalities. We tested PDMAEMA polymers with different structures: linear, with two (DEA-PDMAEMA) or three (TEA-PDMAEMA) arms. The cytotoxicity of these polymers was assessed over a wide range of apparent M n (from 7600 to 64 600). At a N/P ratio of 7.38, cytotoxicity increases with the M n. Keratinocytes were transfected with a fluorescent oligonucleotide and then analyzed by flow cytometry. For the three architectures tested, the percentage of transfected cells and abundance of internalized oligonucleotide were closely related to the M n of the polymer. Confocal microscopy and FACS analyses showed a wide spread fine granular distribution of the oligonucleotide up to 3 days post-transfection. Then, we assessed the silencing efficiency of the polymers, targeting GFP in GFP expressing keratinocytes. The maximal silencing effect (±40%) was obtained using a DEA-PDMAEMA polymer (M n = 30 300). These results suggest that PDMAEMA-based polymers can be efficiently used to transfect immortalized keratinocytes and, thus, open new perspectives in the therapy of skin carcinoma.