Role of NADPH Oxidase-Induced Hypoxia-Induced Factor-1α Increase in Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption after 2-Hour Focal Ischemic Stroke in Rat.

We recently showed that inhibition of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) decreased acute ischemic stroke-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. However, factors that induce the upregulation of HIF-1α expression remain unclear. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase played a critical role in reperfusion-induced BBB damage after stroke. However, the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury during the acute ischemia stage remains unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury and the expression of HIF-1α after acute ischemic stroke. A sutured middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used to mimic ischemic stroke in rats. Our results show that the inhibition of NADPH oxidase by apocynin can significantly reduce the BBB damage caused by 2 h ischemic stroke accompanied by reducing the degradation of tight junction protein occludin. In addition, treatment with apocynin significantly decreased the upregulation of HIF-1α induced by 2 h MCAO. More importantly, apocynin could also inhibit the MMP-2 upregulation. Of note, HIF-1α was not colocalized with a bigger blood vessel. Taken together, our results showed that inhibition of NADPH oxidase-mediated HIF-1α upregulation reduced BBB damage accompanied by downregulating MMP-2 expression and occludin degradation after 2 h ischemia stroke. These results explored the mechanism of BBB damage after acute ischemic stroke and may help reduce the associated cerebral hemorrhage transformation after thrombolysis and endovascular treatment after ischemic stroke.

Dl-NBP (Dl-3-N-Butylphthalide) Treatment Promotes Neurological Functional Recovery Accompanied by the Upregulation of White Matter Integrity and HIF-1α/VEGF/Notch/Dll4 Expression.

Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (dl-NBP) was approved by the FDA of China for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Dl-NBP has been shown to promote neurological functional recovery and enhance white matter integrity using an endothelin-1-induced focal permanent cerebral ischemia model, which could mimic those patients who have no opportunity to receive either tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolysis or endovascular therapy. However, it is not clear whether dl-NBP could promote neurological functional recovery in a focal transient cerebral ischemia model, which could mimic those patients who have the opportunity to receive either tPA thrombolysis or endovascular therapy. In this study, using a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice, we aim to explore the effect of two-week dl-NBP treatment on neurological functional recovery after ischemic stroke as well as its underlying mechanism. Our results showed that dl-NBP treatment promoted functional recovery assessed by neurological scores and an adhesive remove test, and this improved the integrity of white matter after 60-min ischemia and 14-day reperfusion. In addition, dl-NBP increased the number of RECA-1 positive vessels and enhanced the expression of the tight junction protein occludin. More importantly, dl-NBP also promoted the expression of hypoxia-induced factor-1α, the vascular endothelial growth factor, Notch, and delta-like ligand 4. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that dl-NBP treatment could also promote functional recovery after focal transient ischemia stroke, and this recovery is associated with upregulated white matter integrity, microvessels, and the tight junction protein occludin. Our results suggested that, in future, dl-NBP may also be applied in clinic to promote functional recovery during the later phase of focal transient ischemic stroke.

Inhibition of HIF-1α Reduced Blood Brain Barrier Damage by Regulating MMP-2 and VEGF During Acute Cerebral Ischemia.

Increase of blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability after acute ischemia stroke is a predictor to intracerebral hemorrhage transformation (HT) for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolysis and post-endovascular treatment. Previous studies showed that 2-h ischemia induced damage of BBB integrity and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) made major contribution to this disruption. A recent study showed that blocking ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) alleviated ischemia-induced BBB injury by reducing hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) level. In this study, we sought to investigate the interaction of HIF-1α with MMP-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in BBB injury after acute ischemia stroke. Rat suture middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used to mimic ischemia condition. Our results showed that ischemia produced BBB damage and MMP-2/9 upregulation was colocalized with Rhodamine-dextran leakage. Pretreatment with YC-1, a HIF-1α inhibitor, alleviated 2-h ischemia-induced BBB injury significantly accompanied by decrease of MMP-2 upregulation. In addition, YC-1 also prevented VEGF-induced BBB damage. Of note, VEGF was shown to be colocalized with neurons but not astrocytes. Taken together, BBB damage was reduced by inhibition of interaction of HIF-1α with MMP-2 and VEGF during acute cerebral ischemia. These findings provide mechanisms underlying BBB damage after acute ischemia stroke and may help reduce thrombolysis- and post-endovascular treatment-related cerebral hemorrhage.

Nonionic block copolymers assemble on the surface of protein bionanoparticle.

Efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins to a target site remains a challenge due to rapid clearance from the body. Here, we selected tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a model protein system to investigate the interactions between the protein and a nonionic block copolymer as a possible protecting agent for the protein. By varying the temperature, we were able to obtain core-shell structures based on hydrophobic interactions among PO blocks and noncovalent interactions between TMV and EO blocks. The protein-polymer interactions were characterized by dynamic light scattering and isothermal titration calorimetry. This study establishes principles for the possible design of clinically useful protein delivery systems.

Systemic delivery of therapeutic small interfering RNA using a pH-triggered amphiphilic poly-L-lysine nanocarrier to suppress prostate cancer growth in mice.

Prostate cancer is associated with high mortality and new therapeutic strategies are necessary for improved patient outcome. The utilisation of potent, sequence-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) to facilitate down-regulation of complementary mRNA sequences in vitro and in vivo has stimulated the development of siRNA-based cancer therapies. However, the lack of an effective siRNA delivery system significantly retards clinical application. Amphiphilic polycations with 'stealth' capacity have previously been synthesised by PEGylation of poly-l-lysine-cholic acid (PLL-CA). The benzoic imine linker between PEG and PLL-CA was designed to be stable at physiological pH but cleavable at lower pHs, consistent with the extracellular environment of tumours and the interior of endosomes/lysosomes. The selective hydrolysis of the PEG linker at these targeted sites should provide enhanced cellular uptake and endosomal escape while simultaneously ensuring prolonged blood circulation times. In this study, physicochemical profiling demonstrated nano-complex formation between the PLL derivatives and siRNA (200-280 nm in diameter). At physiological pH only a slight cationic surface charge (<20 mV) was detected, due to the masking effect of the PEG. In contrast, significantly higher positive charges (∼20 to 30 mV and >40 mV) were detected upon hydrolysis of the PEG linker at acidic pHs (pH=6.8 and 5.5, respectively). The PEGylated complexes were stable in serum without significant aggregation or decomplexation of siRNA for up to 48 h. At the cellular level, PEG-PLLs were comparable with the commercial carrier INTERFRin, in terms of cellular uptake, endosomal escape and in vitro reporter gene knockdown. In vivo, utilising a mouse model grafted with prostate carcinoma, significant tumour suppression was achieved using PEGylated complexes without marked toxicity or undesirable immunological response, this was accompanied by a simultaneous reduction in target mRNA levels. In summary, the advantages of these vectors include: the in vitro and in vivo silencing efficiency, and the low toxicity and immunogenicity.

Nano self-assemblies based on cholate grafted poly-L-lysine enhanced the solubility of sterol-like drugs.

The physicochemical compatibility between amphiphilic polymers and hydrophobic drugs has been recognized as an important issue for improving the drug solubilisation in polymeric micelle formulations. In this work, poly-L-lysine (PLL) grafted by cholate pendants as the only hydrophobic moiety were synthesized in order to facilitate the solubilisation of sterol drugs. Results showed that micelles formed by cholate grafted PLL encapsulated significantly higher level of prednisolone and estradiol than palmitoylated PLL micelles, whereas the solubilisation capacity of non-sterol drug (griseofulvin) is inefficient for both polymers. This suggests that higher drug-polymer incorporation can be achieved by the inclusion of hydrophobic moieties with similar architecture as the drugs, i.e. 'drug-like' functional groups, which will be useful for the future design of colloidal systems for the encapsulation of specific drug.

Dually responsive injectable hydrogel prepared by in situ cross-linking of glycol chitosan and benzaldehyde-capped PEO-PPO-PEO.

Injectable hydrogels with pH and temperature triggered drug release capability were synthesized based on biocompatible glycol chitosan and benzaldehyde-capped poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO). Aqueous solutions of the above polymers formed hydrogel under physiological conditions, allowing a desirable injectability, through the formation covalent benzoic-imine bond with pH and temperature changes. Rheological characterization demonstrated that the gelation rate and the moduli of the hydrogels were able to be tuned with chemical composition as well as pH and temperature of the polymer solution. Both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs could be incorporated inside the hydrogel through the in situ gel forming process and undergo a controlled release by altering pH or temperature. In vivo tests proved the formation and biocompatibility of the hydrogel in rat model.

Preparation of multifunctional drug carrier for tumor-specific uptake and enhanced intracellular delivery through the conjugation of weak acid labile linker.

We demonstrate that multifuctional drug carriers, e.g., polymeric micelles, for tumor-specific uptake and intracellular delivery can be generated from the pH-dependent progressive hydrolysis of a novel benzoic-imine linker in the micelle-forming amphiphilic polymer. The linker, hence the micelle, is stable at physiological pH, partially hydrolyzes at the extracellular pH of the solid tumor, and completely hydrolyzes at the endosomal pH. Meanwhile, the surface property of the micelle converts from neutral to positively charged due to the generation of amino groups from the cleavage of the imine bond at tumor pH. The ionization on the surface facilitates the cellular uptake of the micelles through the electrostatic interaction between the micelle and the cell membrane. Subsequently, at the endosomal pH, with more complete cleavage of the polymer the micellar structure dissociates, and the system becomes very membrane-disruptive, inferring an enhanced intracellular delivery capability via the endosomal pathway.

pH-triggered reversible "stealth" polycationic micelles.

Amphiphilic polycations with a "stealth" cationic nature have been designed and synthesized by the PEGylation of polycationic amphiphile via a novel pH responsible benzoic imine linker. The linkage is stable in aqueous solution at physiological pH but cleaves in slight acidic conditions such as the extracellular environment of solid tumor and endosomes. The polymeric micelle formed from the amphiphilic "stealth" polycation contains a pH-switchable cationic surface driven by the reversible detachment/reattachment of the shielding PEG chains due to the cleavage/formation process of the imine linkage. At physiological pH, the micellar surface was shielded by the PEG corona, leading to lower cytotoxicity and less hemolysis, whereas in a mild acidic condition like in endosomes or solid tumors, the deshielding of the PEG chains exposed the positive charge on the micellar surface and retained the membrane disrupting ability. The amphiphilic "stealth" polycation is potentially useful as a drug targeting system toward tumors via endocytosis and trafficked through the endosomal pathway.

Programmable delivery of hydrophilic drug using dually responsive hydrogel cages.

Micro-capsules normally encapsulate therapeutic agents only inside their cavities. In this paper, we report on the synthesis of dually responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM)-co-acrylic acid (AA) hydrogel cages sub-micrometer in size and the use of these cages as drug carriers. The cavity structure of the cages can enhance volume phase transition compared to solid gel particles, thus favoring drug loading and release. TEM images and FT-IR spectra confirmed that the model drug isoniazid (INH) is located in two regions: within the shell and inside the cavity of the cages. The drugs residing in the shell can form hydrogen bonds with the cage matrix, while the drugs in the cavity are interaction free with the carrier. This difference from the residency of drugs exploited to a structure induced drug release which was programmable controlled by external pH and temperature. In vitro drug release studies showed that in a neutral medium (pH=7.4), major drugs were preserved within the shell, while in an acidic medium (pH=1.2), nearly all of the drugs were released due to the dissociation of hydrogen bonds.