Wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated liposomes incorporated with cardiolipin to improve neuronal survival in Alzheimer's disease treatment.

Curcumin (CRM) and nerve growth factor (NGF) were entrapped in liposomes (LIP) with surface wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to downregulate the phosphorylation of kinases in Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy. Cardiolipin (CL)-conjugated LIP carrying CRM (CRM-CL/LIP) and also carrying NGF (NGF-CL/LIP) were used with AD models of SK-N-MC cells and Wistar rats after an insult with ß-amyloid peptide (Aß). We found that CRM-CL/LIP inhibited the expression of phosphorylated p38 (p-p38), phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), and p-tau protein at serine 202 and prevented neurodegeneration of SK-N-MC cells. In addition, NGF-CL/LIP could enhance the quantities of p-neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 1 and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 for neuronal rescue. Moreover, WGA-grafted CRM-CL/LIP and WGA-grafted NGF-CL/LIP significantly improved the permeation of CRM and NGF across the blood-brain barrier, reduced Aß plaque deposition and the malondialdehyde level, and increased the percentage of normal neurons and cholinergic activity in the hippocampus of AD rats. Based on the marker expressions and in vivo evidence, current LIP carriers can be promising drug delivery systems to protect nervous tissue against Aß-induced apoptosis in the brain during the clinical management of AD.

Loading efficiency and surface conductance of heparin-modified poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles.

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) with surface modification of heparin were fabricated by microemulsion-diffusion method. These novel colloidal particles were stabilized by lecithin and Tween 80. The effects of lecithin on the loading of heparin onto PLGA NPs and on the surface conductance were analyzed. The electronic micrographs revealed that spherical colloids were prepared and the incorporation of heparin caused a slight coalescence of the particles. In addition, the average diameter of heparin-modified PLGA NPs was between 70 and 220 nm. An increase in the weight percentage of lecithin or in the concentration of heparin enlarged the average diameter. Based on constant amount of surfactants, the loading efficiency of heparin on the particle surfaces reached a maximum when the weight percentage of lecithin was 50%. Moreover, the surface conductance of heparin-modified PLGA NPs was improved by an increased weight percentage of lecithin. A high concentration of heparin in microemulsion also promoted the loading efficiency and surface conductance of heparin-modified PLGA NPs.

Effects of gel concentration, human fibronectin, and cation supplement on the tissue-engineered cartilage.

Cultivation of bovine knee chondrocytes (BKCs) in various cationic additives was studied using chitosan-gelatin scaffolds, whose surfaces were modified by human fibronectin (HFN). Here, the genipin-crosslinked scaffolds were fabricated by the freezing/lyophilization method with various concentrations of the precursory gels. The experimental results indicated that a lower freezing temperature led to higher moisture content, porosity, and specific surface area of a scaffold. The higher the precursor concentration, the larger the moisture content of a scaffold. A fast biodegradation of scaffold matrix was generated by a high porosity with BKCs. A higher concentration of HFN coated on scaffold surfaces yielded a faster rate of BKC attachment from the culture medium. The amounts of BKCs, glycosaminoglycans, and collagen over 28-day cultivation increased with the scaffold porosity, the coating concentration of HFN, the seeding density of BKCs, and the calcium concentration in medium.