Bone-targeting drug delivery system of biomineral-binding liposomes loaded with icariin enhances the treatment for osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a bone-incapacitating malady and it is characterized by obvious bone mass loss and bone microarchitecture deterioration. Current treatments for osteoporosis have many limitations, including the non-obvious therapeutic effect and long-term safety issues. Icariin is a pharmacologically active flavonoid glycoside, which shows potential application in treatment of osteoporosis. But its clinical application is limited by the inherent disadvantages such as poor water solubility, first pass effect after oral administration, and low bioavailability. Moreover, due to lack of targeting ability, icariin cannot accumulate at the local diseased region to provide early protection from fractures. To solve the application problems of icariin and enhance its therapeutic effects on osteoporosis, this work aimed to design a targeting drug delivery system of biomineral-binding liposomes (BBL) mediated by pyrophosphate ions. RESULTS: Biomineral-binding liposomes enhanced the binding ability of liposomes with hydroxyapatite particles. It increased the serum level of alkaline phosphatase and reduced that of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b. Meanwhile, BBL increased the mechanical strength of femoral midshaft, preserving the trabecular bone microarchitecture. Moreover, BBL could initiate bone turnover/remodeling of rats with osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS: This drug targeting delivery system of BBL loading with icariin showed more therapeutic advantages than the free icariin for the treatment of osteoporosis, which may be a kind of valid candidate in future osteoporosis therapy.

Biomineral-binding liposomes with dual antibacterial effects for preventing and treating dental caries.

Dental caries is a chronic oral disease that results from the demineralization of dental hard tissues caused by the long-term interaction of various pathogenic factors in the human oral cavity. Although magnolol (Mag) and fluconazole (FLC) have shown promising antibacterial activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), their clinical application is limited due to hydrophobicity. In this study, we constructed biomineral-binding liposomes co-loaded with Mag and FLC (PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs) to overcome the hydrophobicity and achieve a dual antibacterial activity in the acidic microenvironment of caries. PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs were characterized by laser particle size analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ability of PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs to bind hydroxyapatite was assessed in vitro using fluorescence microscopy and HPLC, while the antibacterial activity was examined by measuring drug effects on the acidogenicity, acid resistance, biofilm formation and survival of C. albicans and S. mutans. The pharmacodynamics of PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs was also evaluated in vivo in a rat model of dental caries. Mag and FLC were released rapidly from PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs in a pH-sensitive manner, and they bound effectively to hydroxyapatite, leading to a better antibacterial effect on C. albicans and S. mutans compared to free drugs or liposomes loaded with a single drug. PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs improved the medicinal properties of Mag and FLC and provided a rapid, pH-sensitive release of both drugs in vitro. PPi-Mag/FLC-LPs displayed good antibacterial activity in vivo, showing promise as a dual-drug delivery system for the prevention and treatment of caries.

Enhanced Therapeutic Effect of RGD-Modified Polymeric Micelles Loaded With Low-Dose Methotrexate and Nimesulide on Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Angiogenesis plays an essential role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RGD peptide shows high affinity and selectivity for integrin αvß3, which is one of the most extensively examined target of angiogenesis. Nimesulide could improve the anti-rheumatic profile of methotrexate. But the clinical application was limited due to water-insolubility of both methotrexate and nimesulide and lacking targeting ability. Therefore, this study aimed to design a targeted drug delivery system of micelles mediated by RGD plus the passive targeting of micelles to solve the application problems of methotrexate and nimesulide (M/N), and thus enhance their combined therapeutic effect on RA. Methods: RGD was conjugated with NHS-PEG-PLA to form RGD-PEG-PLA for the preparation of RGD-modified drug-loaded micelles (R-M/N-PMs). The size and zeta potential of micelles were measured by dynamic light scattering. Morphology was detected by transmission electron microscopy. The inhibition effect of R-M/N-PMs on angiogenesis was assessed by the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. The real-time fluorescence imaging analysis was conducted to examine the in vivo distribution of the fluorescence-labeled R-M/N-PMs. Rats arthritis model induced by Freund's adjuvant was used to evaluate the in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy of R-M/N-PMs. Results: The in vitro study indicated successful development of R-M/N-PMs. R-M/N-PMs could markedly suppress the angiogenesis of chick embryos. The fluorescence-labeled R-M/N-PMs mainly accumulated in arthritic joints. RGD enhanced the targeting ability of micelles and thus promoted retention of micelles in arthritic joints. Moreover, R-M/N-PMs significantly alleviated the joint swelling while reducing bone erosion and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines. It helped to recover the bone microstructure of arthritic rats. Conclusion: Our results confirmed that the targeted delivery of the combination of a low dose of methotrexate and nimesulide mediated by RGD-modified polymeric micelles could enhance the therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis. These findings provide a promising potential for the clinical therapy of rheumatoid arthritis.

Preparation and Characterization of the Biological Compound Effervescent Granule of Calcium Acetate.

OBJECTIVE: Calcium acetate (Ca(CH3COO)2) is commonly used in calcium supplement for medicine, which is used as an auxiliary agent to treat osteoporosis. An effervescent granule is widely used in medical industry due to its palatability. The purpose of this study is to develop a new preparation of compound effervescent granule of the biological calcium acetate (Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule), overcoming the disadvantages of the previous other dosage forms of calcium and thus enhancing the therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: The biological Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule was prepared by the wet granulation method. The formulation was optimized by the orthogonal experiment. The effervescent base was comprised of various amounts of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate. Other ingredients were added for optimal performance of effervescent granule. The performed Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule was evaluated for the particle size, repose angle, pH value of solution, calcium acetate content and effervescence time. The in vivo effects of Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule on the bone microarchitecture were investigated via Micro-CT detection, and the serum calcium level was also investigated. RESULTS: The optimized formulation of the biological Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granules was composed of calcium acetate, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, PEG6000, aspartame, PVP ethanol solution, lactose and vitamin D. Our findings reveal that this biological Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule exhibited prominent effect on preventing the bone-mass loss and did better in enhancing the bone microarchitecture compared to the other calcium preparations. CONCLUSION: The biological Ca(CH3COO)2 effervescent granule is a novel dosage form among so many kinds of calcium preparations. It may perform better functions in the dairy calcium supplement.

Optimizing the formulation of procationic liposomes-protamine-DNA complexes by response surface methodology.

The procationic liposomes-protamine-DNA (PLPD) vectors we described here are non-viral vehicles for gene delivery comprised of polycation-condensed plasmid DNA and procationic liposomes made of phospholipids, cholesterol, and CHETA (Cholest-5-en-3beta-yl[2-[[4-[(carboxymethyl)dithio]-1-iminobutyl]amino]ethyl] carbamate, C36H61N3O4S2). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the formulation of PLPD. A three-factor, five-level RSM design was used for the optimization procedure, with the weight ratio of protamine/DNA (X1), the molar percent of CHETA (X2), and the weight ratio of CHETA/DNA (X3) in the procationic liposomes as the independent variables. PLPD size (Y1) and PLPD transfectivity (Y2) that was quantified as mU of beta-galactosidase per milligram of total protein were response variables. The simple factor experiment was utilized to define the experimental design region, and therefore the responses for the 15 formulations were obtained. Mathematical equations and response surface plots were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. The mathematical model predicted the optimized levels of X1, X2, and X3 through which the desired particle size and transfectivity were achieved. According to these levels, an optimized PLPD formulation was prepared, resulting in a particle size of 228.9 +/- 8.0 nm and transfectivity of 24.26 +/- 2.60 mU beta-galactosidase/mg protein.

Effect of a controlled-release drug delivery system made of oleanolic acid formulated into multivesicular liposomes on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

The aim of the present study was to develop a novel dosage form of multivesicular liposomes for oleanolic acid (OA) to overcome its poor solubility, prolong therapeutic drug levels in the blood, and enhance the antitumor effect on hepatocellular carcinoma. OA-encapsulated multivesicular liposomes (OA-MVLs) were prepared by a double-emulsion method, and the formulation was optimized by the central composite design. The morphology, particle size, and drug-loading efficiency of OA-MVLs were investigated. Furthermore, OA-MVLs were also characterized both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that OA-MVLs were spherical particles with an average particle size of 11.57 µm and an encapsulation efficiency of 82.3%±0.61%. OA-MVLs exhibited a sustained-release pattern in vitro, which was fitted to Ritger-Peppas equation. OA-MVLs inhibited the growth of human HepG2 cells which was confirmed by the MTT assay and fluorescence microscopy detection. The in vivo release of OA from OA-MVLs exhibited a sustained manner, indicating a longer circulation time compared to OA solution. The in vivo toxicity study indicated that medium-dose OA-MVLs exerted no toxic effect on the hosts. Importantly, OA-MVLs suppressed the growth of murine H22 hepatoma and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. In conclusion, the poorly soluble OA could be encapsulated into MVLs to form a novel controlled-release drug delivery system. The present study may hold promise for OA-MVLs as a new dosage form for sustained-release drug delivery in cancer therapy.

GX1-mediated anionic liposomes carrying adenoviral vectors for enhanced inhibition of gastric cancer vascular endothelial cells.

Gastric cancer is a highly lethal malignancy and its 5-year survival rate remains depressed in spite of multiple treatment options. Targeting drug delivery to tumor vasculature may be a promising strategy for gastric cancer therapy, for it can block the nutrition source of tumor and inhibit the metastasis and invasion in a certain extent. In present study, we have prepared the drug-targeting delivery system of peptide GX1-mediated anionic liposomes carrying adenoviral vectors (GX1-Ad5-AL), in which the tumor suppressor gene of PTEN was integrated into DNA of Ad5 and the GX1 peptide could play targeting role to vascular of gastric cancer. The inhibition ability of GX1-Ad5-AL to human gastric cancer cell lines (SGC-7901) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was evaluated by MTT assay. Further, the cell migration assay was carried out in transwell inserts and the cells uptaking of GX1-Ad5-AL was detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The experimental results indicated that the average cell proliferation inhibition rates resulted from the drug delivery system of GX1-Ad5-AL in SGC-7901 and HUVEC were 68.36% and 64.13%, respectively which were higher than that resulted from GX1 or Ad5-AL. Meanwhile, results of cell migration experiment demonstrated that GX1-Ad5-AL could significantly suppress the migration of gastric cancer cell of SGC-7901. Moreover, both the imaging from confocal laser scanning microscopy and the quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity showed that, GX1-Ad5-AL was more easily uptaken by SGC-7901 cells, as compared to Ad5-AL. Therefore, the formulation of GX1-Ad5-AL was effective for enhancing the inhibition effect and suppressing the migration of gastric cancer vascular endothelial cells.