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.

Polymer Nanoparticles Modified with Photo- and pH-Dual-Responsive Polypeptides for Enhanced and Targeted Cancer Therapy.

The cationic nature of cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) and their absence of cell selectivity restrains their applications in vivo. In this work, polymer nanoparticles (NPs) modified with photo- and pH-responsive polypeptides (PPPs) were successfully developed and respond to near-infrared (NIR) light illumination at the tumor site and a lowered tumor extracellular pH (pHe). In PPPs, the internalization function of CPPs (positively charged) is quenched by a pH-sensitive inhibitory peptide (negatively charged), which is linked via a photocleavable group. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was loaded into NPs by a double-emulsion technique. In vivo experiments included siRNA loading, cellular uptake, cell apoptosis, siRNA transfection, tumor targeting delivery, and the in vivo antitumor efficacy. Results showed that the prepared PPP-NPs could selectively accumulate at the tumor sites and internalized into the tumor cells by the NIR light illumination and the lowered pHe at the tumor site. These studies demonstrated that PPP-NPs are a promising carrier for future tumor gene delivery.

Thermo-Sensitive Liposome co-Loaded of Vincristine and Doxorubicin Based on Their Similar Physicochemical Properties had Synergism on Tumor Treatment.

PURPOSE: To develop vincristine (VCR) and doxorubicin (DOX) co-encapsulated thermo-sensitive liposomes (VD-TSL) against drug resistance, with increased tumor inhibition rate and decreased system toxicity, improving drug targeting efficiency upon mild hyperthermia (HT) in solid tumor. METHODS: Based on similar physicochemical properties, VCR and DOX were co-loaded in TSL with pH gradient active loading method and characterized. The time-dependent drug release profiles at 37 and 42°C were assessed by HPLC. Then we analysed the phospholipids in filtrate after ultrafiltration and studied VD-TSL stability in mimic in vivo conditions and long-time storage conditions (4°C and -20°C). Cytotoxic effect was studied on PANC and sw-620 using MTT. Intracellular drug delivery was studied by confocal microscopy on HT-1080. In vivo imaging of TSL pharmacokinetic and biodistribution was performed on MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice. And therapeutic efficacy on these xenograft models were followed under HT. RESULTS: VD-TSL had excellent particle distribution (about 90 nm), high entrapment efficiency (>95%), obvious thermo-sensitive property, and good stability. MTT proved VD-TSL had strongest cell lethality compared with other formulations. Confocal microscopy demonstrated specific accumulation of drugs in tumor cells. In vivo imaging proved the targeting efficiency of TSL under hyperthermia. Then therapeutic efficacy revealed synergism of VCR and DOX co-loaded in TSL, together with HT. CONCLUSION: VD-TSL could increase drug efficacy and decrease system toxicity, by making good use of synergism of VCR and DOX, as well as high targeting efficiency of TSL.

A novel accelerated in vitro release method to evaluate the release of thymopentin from PLGA microspheres.

A novel accelerated method of good correlations with "real-time" release to evaluate in vitro thymopentin release from poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microsphere was developed. Thymopentin-loaded microspheres were made from three types of PLGA, and peptide release was studied in various conditions. Incomplete release of peptide (<60%) from microspheres was found in accelerated testing with two typical release media. This problem was circumvented by adding organic solvents to the release media and varying the temperature in the media heating process. Release media containing three kinds of organic solvents at 50 °C were tested, respectively, and hydro-alcoholic solution was selected for further study. After the surfactant concentration (0.06%, W/V) and ethanol concentration (20%, V/V) were fixed, a gradient heating program, consisting of three stages and each stage with a different temperature, was introduced to enhance the correlations between the short- and long-term release. After adjusting the heating time of each stage, a good correlation (R(2) = 9896, formulation 8 K; R(2) = 0.9898, formulation 13 K; R(2) = 0.9886, formulation 28 K) between accelerated and "real-time" release was obtained. By optimizing the conditions as ethanol concentration and temperature gradients, this accelerated method may be appropriate for similar peptide formulations that not well correlate with "real-time" release.

[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.

Effects of formulation parameters on encapsulation efficiency and release behavior of thienorphine loaded PLGA microspheres.

To develop a long-acting injectable thienorphine biodegradable poly (d, l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microsphere for the therapy of opioid addiction, the effects of formulation parameters on encapsulation efficiency and release behavior were studied. The thienorphine loaded PLGA microspheres were prepared by o/w solvent evaporation method and characterized by HPLC, SEM, laser particle size analysis, residual solvent content and sterility testing. The microspheres were sterilized by gamma irradiation (2.5 kGy). The results indicated that the morphology of the thienorphine PLGA microspheres presented a spherical shape with smooth surface, the particle size was distributed from 30.19 ± 1.17 to 59.15 ± 0.67 µm and the drug encapsulation efficiency was influenced by drug/polymer ratio, homogeneous rotation speed, PVA concentration in the water phase and the polymer concentration in the oil phase. These changes were also reflected in drug release. The plasma drug concentration vs. time profiles were relatively smooth for about 25 days after injection of the thienorphine loaded PLGA microspheres to beagle dogs. In vitro and in vivo correlation was established.

[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.

In-vitro/in-vivo studies of the biodegradable poly-(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres of a novel luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonist for prostate cancer treatment.

The introduction of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs and their antagonists is revolutionizing the treatment of prostate cancer. In this study, poly(D,L-lactideco-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres containing a highly potent LHRH antagonist (LXT-101) of interest in the indication of prostate cancer were evaluated on release mechanisms in vitro and biological performance in vivo. LXT-101 microspheres were prepared by the water/oil/water double emulsion method and the solid/oil/oil method. The results showed that the mechanism of LXT-101 releasing from PLGA 14,000 microspheres was the cooperation of drug diffusion and polymer degradation. This clarified the relationship between the microsphere characterization and hormone level in vivo. The larger microspheres (33 µm) could inhibit the testosterone level to castration for a longer time (35 days) than the smaller microspheres (15 µm, 14 days). The formulation containing the hydrophilic additive (polyethylene glycol 6000) could suppress the testosterone level to castration for a longer time (> 35 days) than the formulation without polyethylene glycol (14 days). The appearance of testis, vesicular seminalis, and prostates changed after treatment. The weights of sexual organs decreased significantly. The in-vivo release of the LXT-101 PLGA 14,000 microspheres curve showed that in-vivo release started immediately after day 1 (22.7%) and was rapid during the first 5 days (40.2% release). The LXT-101 microspheres could be a promising drug delivery system candidate to treat sex hormone-dependent tumors and other related disorders.

Improving efficiency of adriamycin crossing blood brain barrier by combination of thermosensitive liposomes and hyperthermia.

Adriamycin (ADM)-encapsulated thermosensitive liposomes (ts-lip-ADM) and common liposomes (lip-ADM) were developed and evaluated. The encapsulation efficiency of the two liposomes were above 99%, and the average sizes of liposomes were about 120 nm. Temperature-dependent drug release from loaded liposomes in vitro was investigated: more than 90% of loaded ADM was released from ts-lip-ADM within 30 min at 42°C, while less than 3% was released from lip-ADM at 42°C beyond 120 min. An in vitro model of blood brain barrier (BBB) was established and evaluated by permeability and transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). The model was employed to study the permeability of liposomes in vitro. The permeability of ts-lip-ADM could be increased significantly after the temperature was raised to 42°C, which was about 10-16, 22-38, 38-45, 50-105 fold to that of ts-lip-ADM (37°C), lip-ADM (42°C), lip-ADM (37°C) and free ADM, respectively. C6 glioma-bearing mice model was developed and used to evaluate body distribution and anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. Mice were IV injected at a drug dose of 10 mg/kg. After administration the heads of mice were heated in water bath at 42°C for 30 min. The maximum brain concentration of ts-lip-ADM was 6.4, 3.7 fold compared with that of ADM solution and lip-ADM, respectively. The survival time of mice administered ts-lip-ADM (44 d) was remarkably longer than that of other three groups. This study indicates that ADM-encapsulated thermosensitive liposomes combined hyperthermia could enhance ADM delivery across BBB and prolong survival time of glioma-bearing mice.

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.

Effects of gamma-irradiation on PLGA microspheres loaded with thienorphine.

Ionizing radiation can be used as a drug sterilization technique, provided that the drug itself is not modified and that no toxic products are produced; moreover, if the irradiated product is a drug delivery system, its drug release characteristics must not be significantly altered by radiation. The aim of this work was to study the effects of sterilization by ionizing radiation on PLGA microspheres, containing thienorphine. Thienorphine PLGA microspheres were prepared by the O/W solvent evaporation method and characterized by HPLC, SEM and laser particle size analysis. Our experimental results showed that gamma-rays did not alter the drug content, and did not modify the kinetics of drug release from microspheres. Moreover, no significant changes in the shape and in the size distribution of microspheres were found after irradiation. In conclusion, the sterilization method is adequate because microspheres not underwent any change after exposition to gamma-irradiation.

Highly efficient and lowly toxic docetaxel nanoemulsions for intravenous injection to animals.

Hypersensitivity many occur with commercial docetaxel injections containing Tween 80 and ethanol. An alternative formulation of docetaxel, an oil-in-water nanoemulsion was prepared using the high-pressure homogenization method. It was composed of medium-chain triglyceride, oleic acid, egg lecithin, and poloxamer. These ingredients are known as safe agents for intravenous (i.v.) injection. The nanoemulsion had a small size of 169 nm, and a high surface charge with the zeta potential of -33.9 mV. It maintained well stable even under high centrifugation. Acute toxicity of i.v. injection, erythrocyte hemolysis experiment, and rabbit ear vein irritation test showed no toxicity for the docetaxel nanoemulsion. The docetaxel nanoemulsion led to a larger apparent distribution volume and area under curve than the docetaxel injection after i.v. administration to rats. The histopathological test of tumor further demonstrated the highly anticancer efficiency of the docetaxel nanoemulsion. Thus, the nanoemulsion is a promising delivery system for docetaxel with highly anticancer efficiency and low toxicity.

A novel preparative method for nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel with high drug loading and its evaluation both in vitro and in vivo.

We developed a novel preparative method for nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel with high drug loading, which was based on improved paclitaxel solubility in polyethylene glycol (PEG) and self-assembly of paclitaxel in PEG with albumin powders into nanoparticles. That is, paclitaxel and PEG were firstly dissolved in ethanol, which was subsequently evaporated under vacuum. The obtained liquid was then mixed with human serum albumin powders. Thereafter, the mixtures were added into phosphate-buffered saline and nab paclitaxel suspensions emerged after ultrasound. Nab paclitaxel was finally acquired after dialysis and freeze drying. The drug loading of about 15% (W/V) were realized in self-made nab paclitaxel, which was increased by approximately 50% compared to 10% (W/V) in Abraxane. Now this new preparative method has been authorized to obtain patent from China and Japan. The similar characteristics of self-made nab paclitaxel compared to Abraxane were observed in morphology, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release, X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, and circular dichroism spectra analysis. Consistent concentration-time curves in rats, biodistributions in mice, anti-tumor activities in mice, and histological transmutation in mice were also found between Abraxane and self-made nanoparticles. In a word, our novel preparative method for nab paclitaxel can significantly improve drug loading, obviously decrease product cost, and is considered to have potent practical value.

[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.

Development and Evaluation of Ropivacaine Loaded Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Microspheres with Low Burst Release.

BACKGROUND: The local anesthetic drugs, especially ropivacaine, were considered favorable analgesia for postoperative management because of their effective local pain relief and low adverse effects. However, the short half-life and the resulting in bolus doses lead to the indistinctive improvement of these drugs in postoperative pain relief. Therefore, the ropivacaine microspheres with sustained release and low initial burst release were anticipated. METHODS: Three methods including oil in water (O/W), water in oil in water (W/O/W), and solid in oil in water (S/O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation method were used to optimize the ropivacaine loaded PLGA microspheres. The microspheres were evaluated both in vitro and in rats. The in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) was also investigated. RESULTS: The microspheres prepared by O/W method showed more satisfactory properties and the microspheres used for evaluation were prepared by O/W method. The particle size, drug loading, encapsulation efficiency and burst release were 11.19±1.24 µm, 28.37±1.15%, 98.15±3.98%, and 10.96±5.37% for microspheres with PLGA of 12 kDa, and 6.64±0.61 µm, 19.62±0.89%, 92.74±4.21%, and 18.42±5.12% for microspheres with PLGA of 8 kDa, respectively. These microspheres were also injected into rats by subcutaneous, intramuscular and intraperitoneal route, respectively. It was indicated that the detectable concentration of ropivacaine could last for at least 20 days for both kinds of microspheres in spite of injection routes. The low burst releases at 1 d were also manifested in rats and they were 6.62%, 6.99%, 6.48% for the microspheres with PLGA of 12 kDa, and 4.72%, 4.33%, 4.48% for the microspheres with PLGA of 8 kDa by intraperitoneal, intramuscular and subcutaneous route, respectively. A linear relationship between the in vitro release and the in vivo adsorption of ropivacaine from microspheres was also established. CONCLUSION: The ropivacaine microspheres with sustained release and low burst release were acquired, which indicated that the postoperative pain relief might last longer and the side effects might get lower. Therefore, the ropivacaine microspheres prepared in this paper have great potential for clinical use.

An Accelerated Release Method of Risperidone Loaded PLGA Microspheres with Good IVIVC.

BACKGROUND: A long release period lasting several days or several weeks is always needed and thereby it is tedious and time consuming to screen formulations of such microspheres with so long release period and evaluate their release profiles in vitro with conventional long-term or "real-time" release method. So, an accelerated release testing of such system is necessary for formulation design as well as quality control purpose. The purpose of this study is to obtain an accelerated release method of risperidone loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres with good in vitro/in vivo correlation (IVIVC). METHODS: Two formulations of risperidone loaded PLGA microspheres used for evaluating IVIVC were prepared by O/W method. The accelerated release condition was optimized by investigating the effect of pH, osmotic pressure, temperature and ethanol concentration on the release of risperidone from microspheres and the in vitro accelerated release profiles of risperidone from PLGA microspheres were obtained under this optimized accelerated release condition. The plasma concentration of risperidone were also detected after subcutaneous injection of risperidone loaded microspheres to rats. The in vivo cumulative absorption profiles were then calculated using Wagner-Nelson model, Loo- Riegelman model and numerical convolution model, respectively. The correlation between in vitro accelerated release and in vivo cumulative absorption were finally evaluated with Least Square Method. RESULTS: It was shown that temperature and ethanol concentration significantly affected the release of risperidone from the microspheres while pH and osmotic pressure of release media slightly affected the release behavior of risperidone. The in vitro release of risperidone from microspheres were finally undergone in PBS (pH7.0, 300mosm) with 20% (V/V) ethanol at 45°C. The sustained and complete release of risperidone was observed in both formulations under the accelerated release condition although these two release profiles were dissimilar. The correlation coefficients (R2) of IVIVC were all above 0.95 and the slopes were all between 0.9564 and 1.1868 in spite of fitted model and microsphere formulation. CONCLUSION: An in vitro accelerated release method of risperidone microspheres with good IVIVC was established in this paper and this accelerated release method was supposed to have great potential in both in vivo performance prediction and quality control for risperidone loaded PLGA microspheres.

Development and Evaluation of High Bioavailable Sustained-Release Nimodipine Tablets Prepared with Monolithic Osmotic Pump Technology.

BACKGROUND: Frequent administration caused by short half-life and low bioavailability due to poor solubility and low dissolution rate limit the further application of poorly water-soluble nimodipine, although several new indications have been developed. To overcome these shortcomings, sophisticated technologies had to be used since the dose of nimodipine was not too low and the addition of solubilizers could not resolve the problem of poor release. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to obtain sustained and complete release of nimodipine with a simple and easily industrialized technology. METHODS: The expandable monolithic osmotic pump tablets containing nimodipine combined with poloxamer 188 and carboxymethylcellulose sodium were prepared. The factors affecting drug release including the amount of solubilizing agent, expanding agent, retarding agent in core tablet and porogenic agent in semipermeable film were optimized. The release behavior was investigated both in vitro and in beagle dogs. RESULTS: It was proved that the anticipant release of nimodipine could be realized in vitro. The sustained and complete release of nimodipine was also realized in beagles because the mean residence time of nimodipine from the osmotic pump system was longer and Cmax was lower than those from the sustained-release tablets in market while there was no difference in AUC(0-t) of the monolithic osmotic pump tablets and the sustained release tablets in market. CONCLUSION: It was reasonable to believe that the sustained and complete release of poorly watersoluble nimodipine could be realized by using simple expandable monolithic osmotic pump technology combined with surfactant.

Dual-modified liposome codelivery of doxorubicin and vincristine improve targeting and therapeutic efficacy of glioma.

Therapeutic outcome for the treatment of glioma was often limited due to drug resistance and low permeability of drug across the multiple physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the blood-tumor barrier (BTB). In order to overcome these hurdles, we designed T7 and DA7R dual peptides-modified liposomes (abbreviated as T7/DA7R-LS) to efficiently co-delivery doxorubicin (DOX) and vincristine (VCR) to glioma in this study. T7 is a seven-peptide ligand of transferrin receptors (TfR) capable of circumventing the BBB and then targeting glioma. DA7R is a d-peptide ligand of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR 2) overexpressed on angiogenesis, presenting excellent glioma-homing property. By combining the dual-targeting delivery effect, the dual-modified liposomes displayed higher glioma localization than that of single ligand-modified liposomes or free drug. After loading with DOX and VCR, T7/DA7R-LS showed the most favorable antiglioma effect in vivo. In conclusion, this dual-targeting, co-delivery strategy provides a potential method for improving brain drug delivery and antiglioma treatment efficacy.

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.

In vitro release and in vivo absorption in beagle dogs of meloxicam from Eudragit FS 30 D-coated pellets.

The objective of this study was to develop meloxicam-loaded colon-specific pellets coated with Eudragit FS 30 D and further evaluate their in vitro release and in vivo absorption in beagle dogs. Meloxicam-loaded cores (drug loading, 4.8%, w/w) were prepared by layering drug-binder (HPMC)-solubilizer (beta-cyclodextrin) solution onto nonpareils (710-850 microm) and then coated with a copolymer of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid (Eudragit FS 30 D). The obtained pellets with 15% (w/w) coating level had a spherical form and a smooth surface with coating thickness approximately 28 microm. The in vitro drug release from the pellets was pH-dependent with sufficient gastric resistance (pH 1.2: no release; pH 6.8: 6%; pH 7.0: 52%; pH 7.2: 100%; pH 7.4: 100%, after 3 h incubation). In vivo study was carried out using pentagastrin-pretreated beagle dogs. The onset of meloxicam absorption from the coated pellets with 15% (w/w) Eudragit FS 30 D (3.0+/-0.8 h) was significantly delayed (p<0.05) compared to that from the uncoated drug-layered cores (0.6+/-0.3 h). The area under the meloxicam plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-->96)(h) was not significantly different between the two preparations (p>0.05), although AUC(0-->96)(h) obtained after oral administration of coated pellets (142.5+/-59.6 microg h/ml) was lower than that obtained after administration of uncoated drug-layered cores (180.8+/-61.9 microg h/ml). These results suggested that meloxicam could be delivered to the colon with 15% (w/w) coating level of Eudragit FS 30 D and this polymer coating had no significant influence on the relative bioavailability of meloxicam of the pellets.