A simple method for the synthesis of porous polymeric vesicles and their application as MR contrast agents.

Because of their low membrane permeability the use of polymeric vesicles in certain drug delivery and molecular imaging applications and as bioreactors is less than ideal. Here, we report a simple method to prepare porous polymeric vesicles that possess high membrane permeability. Specifically, porous vesicles were produced from the aqueous assembly of the diblock copolymer PEG-PBD, and the triblock copolymer PEG-PPO-PEG. It was found that PEG-PPO-PEG-doped polymersomes exhibited improved membrane permeability to molecules less than 5 kDa. Further, these porous vesicles retained molecules ≥10 kDa within their aqueous interiors with no significant leakage. To demonstrate its application, highly efficient magnetic resonance contrast agents were produced from porous polymersomes by encapsulating macromolecules labeled with gadolinium. Due to a fast water exchange rate with surrounding bulk water, these paramagnetic porous polymersomes exhibited higher r1 relaxivity compared with Gd-encapsulated vesicles with no pores. Due to their simplicity, the porous polymersomes prepared with this method are expected to have additional useful applications.

Biodistribution, Clearance, and Toxicology of Polymeric Micelles Loaded with 0.9 or 5 nm Gold Nanoparticles.

Long-circulating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have garnered a great deal of interest as both imaging and therapeutic agents. However, their protracted elimination and long-term persistence within many organ systems remains a concern for clinical translation. To improve the excretion of long-circulating nanoparticles, we prepared -80 nm biodegradable polymeric micelles with 0.9 nm or 5 nm AuNPs tightly packed within the hydrophobic core. These gold-loaded polymeric micelles (GPMs) were expected to allow for improved excretion of gold, compared with single large AuNPs, owing to the smaller size and larger surface-to-volume ratio of the individual AuNPs within the micelle. Following intravenous administration of GPMs, organs were harvested and examined for gold content using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for up to 3 months post-injection. While both GPM formulations showed significant clearance of gold over time, micelles containing 0.9 nm AuNPs showed a 72% and 67% reduction in gold content in the liver and spleen, respectively, between 1 day and 3 months post-injection, compared with a 38% and 35% reduction in mice receiving 5 nm GPMs. Furthermore, feces and urine analysis revealed approximately 7.5 and 100 times more gold, respectively, in mice that received 0.9 nm GPMs one day after injection. These findings suggest that the excretion profile of inorganic nanomaterials may be improved if clusters of small inorganic materials are used in favor of single solid particles.

The Nrf2 triterpenoid activator, CDDO-imidazolide, protects kidneys from ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by ischemia-reperfusion is a major clinical problem in both native and transplanted kidneys. We had previously shown that deficiency of Nrf2, a potent bZIP transcription factor that binds to the antioxidant response element, enhances susceptibility to experimental ischemic AKI. Here we further explored the role of Nrf2 in AKI by amplifying Nrf2 activation in vivo and in vitro with the synthetic triterpenoid CDDO-imidazolide. Mice treated with CDDO-imidazolide and undergoing experimental bilateral ischemic AKI had improved survival and renal function. Treated mice had improved renal histology with a decrease in tubular injury, as well as a decrease in proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production compared with vehicle-treated mice. In an exploration of protective mechanisms, we found an upregulation of Nrf2 target antioxidant genes in CDDO-imidazolide-treated mouse kidneys. Furthermore, Nrf2-deficient mice treated with CDDO-imidazolide had no significant improvement in mortality, renal function or histology, proinflammatory cytokine gene expression, and no significant increase in antioxidant gene expression. In vitro studies demonstrated that the renal epithelial cells were likely an important target of CDDO-imidazolide. Thus, activation of Nrf2 signaling with CDDO-imidazolide confers protection from AKI, and presents a new therapeutic opportunity for this common and serious condition.

Nanoparticles functionalized with collagenase exhibit improved tumor accumulation in a murine xenograft model.

Nanoparticles have garnered widespread interest for both the imaging and treatment of cancer due to their unique and tunable pharmacokinetics and their ability to carry a high payload of diverse compounds. However, despite these favorable attributes, the extent of tumor accumulation can be severely restricted due to the dense stroma surrounding the often-permeable blood vessel wall and high intratumoral pressure. In this study, we investigated whether modifying the surface of pegylated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with collagenase could improve the accumulation of nanoparticles within a murine tumor xenograft. It was determined that collagenase remains active after surface conjugation and the presence of collagenase has no measureable effect on cell proliferation in vitro. Following intravenous injection, the largest fractions of collagenase-labeled AuNPs were found in the liver and spleen. Histological analysis revealed no signs of toxicity in either of these organs. Blood chemistry revealed normal levels of liver enzymes, but a slightly elevated level of total bilirubin. Within the tumor, AuNPs labeled with collagenase exhibited a 35% increase in accumulation compared with unlabeled AuNPs. Therefore, these studies provide preliminary evidence that the functionalization of nanoparticles with collagenase represent an effective and safe approach to improve tumor accumulation.

Transcriptional analysis of infiltrating T cells in kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury reveals a pathophysiological role for CCR5.

Although T cells have been shown to play a direct role in kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that studying the transcriptional responses in kidney-infiltrating T cells would help elucidate novel therapeutic targets for kidney IRI. Unilateral renal pedicle clamping for 45 min was performed in male C57BL/6 mice, and CD3(+) T cells were isolated from the kidney and purified. Transcriptional activities of T cell were measured by array-based PCR compared between ischemic kidneys and contralateral nonischemic kidneys. Among total of 89 genes analyzed, 24, 22, 24, and 37 genes were significantly changed at 6 h, day 3, day 10, and day 28 after IRI. Genes associated with cytokines, chemokines, and costimulatory molecules were upregulated. Pathway analysis identified CC motif chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) as a candidate pathophysiological pathway. CCR5 upregulation was validated at the protein level, and CCR5 blockade improved renal function after kidney IRI. Using discovery techniques to identify transcriptional responses in purified kidney-infiltrating cells enabled the elucidation of novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets for IRI.

Blocking Fas ligand on leukocytes attenuates kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI), and T cells mediate the early phase of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway modulates the balance of T cell subsets in the peripheral circulation as well as multiple inflammatory responses, suggesting that FasL may mediate ischemic AKI. Here, we induced bilateral renal IRI in mice bearing a loss-of-function mutation of FasL (the gld mutation) and in wild-type mice. Compared with wild-type mice, serum creatinine was lower in gld mice (1.4 ± 0.9 mg/dl versus 2.6 ± 0.4) at 24 hours after IRI (P<0.05). In addition, gld mice had fewer TNF-α-producing T lymphocytes in the kidneys and renal lymph nodes. Furthermore, pharmacologic blockade of FasL protected the kidneys of wild-type mice from IRI. Analysis of bone marrow chimeric mice suggested that the pathogenic effect of FasL involves leukocytes; reconstitution of wild-type mice with gld splenocytes attenuated IRI. In contrast, reconstitution of gld mice with wild-type splenocytes enhanced IRI. These data demonstrate that FasL, particularly on leukocytes, mediates ischemic AKI.

Pyrophosphate-bridged complexes with picomolar toxicity.

Recently, we have observed the emergence of a new series of pyrophosphate-bridged coordination complexes. Such complexes have been prepared by overcoming the ready hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate moiety. To date, no exploration has been conducted on the cytotoxicity of such complexes. Three pyrophosphate-bridged complexes, namely {[Ni(phen)(2)](2)(mu-P(2)O(7))}.27H(2)O, {[Cu(phen)(H(2)O)](2)(mu-P(2)O(7))}.8H(2)O and {[Co(phen)(2)](2)(mu-P(2)O(7))}.6MeOH, (where phen is 1,10'-phenanthroline) were chosen for their comparative structural similarities and suitable aqueous solubility. Cytotoxicity studies in the adriamycin-resistant ovarian cancer cell line A2780/AD demonstrated highly significant efficacy, with values as low as 160pM for the cobalt complex at 72h. The underlying mechanism for such exceptional toxicity is investigated focusing on DNA interactions, topoisomerase I enzyme inhibition and oxidative stress (followed by intracellular glutathione levels). The role of hydrolysis in uptake and toxicity is also explored (followed by electronic absorption spectroscopy, (31)P NMR, and confocal microscopy) and the complexes are compared to cisplatin controls. Overall a clear picture of the extraordinary toxicity emerged. The results demonstrate a new class of prodrugs with significant potential for future development for the treatment of drug-resistant cancer cell lines.