Core-shell microencapsulation of curcumin in PLGA microparticles: programmed for application in ovarian cancer therapy.

In our study, we have established a novel liquid-driven co-flow focusing (LDCF) process to fabricate curcumin (CUR)-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (CPMs). LDCF-CPMs of size 20.26 ± 2.37 µm have high encapsulation efficiency (>70%) and were intended for application in ovarian cancer by intraperitoneal (IP) administration. LDCF-CPMs have smooth surface with narrow size distribution and a core-shell structured verified by confocal microscopy which can be precisely controlled by changing the flow rates of focusing, outer and inner phases. The LDCF-CPMs reveal the physiochemical stability with sustained release profile corresponding to 95% CUR release over a period of 14 days in an in vitro release medium. Moreover, LDCF-CPMs were testified for cytotoxicity against SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines and peritoneal delivery advantages by animal experiments. The pharmacokinetics of LDCF-CPMs in rats following IP injection shows slow systemic absorption with mean residence time (MRT) of 13.54 h in comparison with 9.82 and 6.74 h for SE-CPMs and free CUR, respectively. In addition, IP delivery of CUR can expose the ovarian tumour to higher concentration for a longer duration by programming the thickness of the shell. The study provides compelling evidence for LDCF-CPMs having high therapeutic opportunity in the treatment of peritoneal cancers, such as ovarian, that reside in the peritoneal cavity.

A phase 1 trial of the HDAC inhibitor AR-42 in patients with multiple myeloma and T- and B-cell lymphomas.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have proven activity in hematologic malignancies, and their FDA approval in multiple myeloma (MM) and T-cell lymphoma highlights the need for further development of this drug class. We investigated AR-42, an oral pan-HDACi, in a first-in-man phase 1 dose escalation clinical trial. Overall, treatment was well tolerated, no DLTs were evident, and the MTD was defined as 40 mg dosed three times weekly for three weeks of a 28-day cycle. One patient each with MM and mantle cell lymphoma demonstrated disease control for 19 and 27 months (ongoing), respectively. Treatment was associated with reduction of serum CD44, a transmembrane glycoprotein associated with steroid and immunomodulatory drug resistance in MM. Our findings indicate that AR-42 is safe and that further investigation of AR-42 in combination regimens for the treatment of patients with lymphoma and MM is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01129193.

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics Study of R- and S-Enantiomers of the Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, AR-42 (NSC 731438), in Rodents.

AR-42, a new orally bioavailable, potent, hydroxamate-tethered phenylbutyrate class I/IIB histone deacetylase inhibitor currently is under evaluation in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials and has demonstrated activity in both hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. This report focuses on the preclinical characterization of the pharmacokinetics of AR-42 in mice and rats. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay has been developed and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the more active stereoisomer, S-AR-42, when administered via intravenous and oral routes in rodents, including plasma, bone marrow, and spleen pharmacokinetics (PK) in CD2F1 mice and plasma PK in F344 rats. Oral bioavailability was estimated to be 26 and 100% in mice and rats, respectively. R-AR-42 was also evaluated intravenously in rats and was shown to display different pharmacokinetics with a much shorter terminal half-life compared to that of S-AR-42. Renal clearance was a minor elimination pathway for parental S-AR-42. Oral administration of S-AR-42 to tumor-bearing mice demonstrated high uptake and exposure of the parent drug in the lymphoid tissues, spleen, and bone marrow. This is the first report of the pharmacokinetics of this novel agent, which is now in early phase clinical trials.

Coaxial Electrospray of Curcumin-Loaded Microparticles for Sustained Drug Release.

Curcumin exhibits superior anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and analgesic activities without significant side effects. However, clinical dissemination of this natural medicine is limited by its low solubility and poor bio-availability. To overcome this limitation, we propose to encapsulate curcumin in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) by an improved coaxial electrospray (CES) process. This process is able to generate a stable cone-jet mode in a wide range of operation parameters in order to produce curcumin-loaded PLGA MPs with a clear core-shell structure and a designated size of several micrometers. In order to optimize the process outcome, the effects of primary operation parameters such as the applied electric voltages and the liquid flow rates are studied systemically. In vitro drug release experiments are also carried out for the CES-produced MPs in comparison with those by a single axial electrospray process. Our experimental results show that the CES process can be effectively controlled to encapsulate drugs of low aqueous solubility for high encapsulation efficiency and optimal drug release profiles.

Fenretinide Perturbs Focal Adhesion Kinase in Premalignant and Malignant Human Oral Keratinocytes. Fenretinide's Chemopreventive Mechanisms Include ECM Interactions.

The membrane-associated protein, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), modulates cell-extracellular matrix interactions and also conveys prosurvival and proliferative signals. Notably, increased intraepithelial FAK levels accompany transformation of premalignant oral intraepithelial neoplasia (OIN) to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). OIN chemoprevention is a patient-centric, optimal strategy to prevent OSCC's comorbidities and mortality. The cancer chemopreventive and synthetic vitamin A derivative, fenretinide, has demonstrated protein-binding capacities, for example, mTOR- and retinol-binding protein interactions. These studies used a continuum of human oral keratinocytes (normal-HPV E6/E7-transduced-OSCC) to assess potential fenretinide-FAK drug protein interactions and functional consequences on cellular growth regulation and motility. Molecular modeling studies demonstrated that fenretinide has approximately 200-fold greater binding affinity relative to the natural ligand (ATP) at FAK's kinase domain. Fenretinide also shows intermediate binding at FAK's FERM domain and interacts at the ATP-binding site of the closest FAK analogue, PYK2. Fenretinide significantly suppressed proliferation via induction of apoptosis and G2-M cell-cycle blockade. Fenretinide-treated cells also demonstrated F-actin disruption, significant inhibition of both directed migration and invasion of a synthetic basement membrane, and decreased phosphorylation of growth-promoting kinases. A commercially available FAK inhibitor did not suppress cell invasion. Notably, although FAK's FERM domain directs cell invasion, FAK inhibitors target the kinase domain. In addition, FAK-specific siRNA-treated cells showed an intermediate cell migration capacity; data which suggest cocontribution of the established migrating-enhancing PYK2. Our data imply that fenretinide is uniquely capable of disrupting FAK's and PYK2's prosurvival and mobility-enhancing effects and further extend fenretinide's chemopreventive contributions beyond induction of apoptosis and differentiation.

Oral administration of nano-emulsion curcumin in mice suppresses inflammatory-induced NFκB signaling and macrophage migration.

Despite the widespread use of curcumin for centuries in Eastern medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent, its molecular actions and therapeutic viability have only recently been explored. While curcumin does have potential therapeutic efficacy, both solubility and bioavailability must be improved before it can be more successfully translated to clinical care. We have previously reported a novel formulation of nano-emulsion curcumin (NEC) that achieves significantly greater plasma concentrations in mice after oral administration. Here, we confirm the immunosuppressive effects of NEC in vivo and further examine its molecular mechanisms to better understand therapeutic potential. Using transgenic mice harboring an NFκB-luciferase reporter gene, we demonstrate a novel application of this in vivo inflammatory model to test the efficacy of NEC administration by bioluminescent imaging and show that LPS-induced NFκB activity was suppressed with NEC compared to an equivalent amount of curcumin in aqueous suspension. Administration of NEC by oral gavage resulted in a reduction of blood monocytes, decreased levels of both TLR4 and RAGE expression, and inhibited secretion of MCP-1. Mechanistically, curcumin blocked LPS-induced phosphorylation of the p65 subunit of NFκB and IκBα in murine macrophages. In a mouse model of peritonitis, NEC significantly reduced macrophage recruitment, but not T-cell or B-cell levels. In addition, curcumin treatment of monocyte derived cell lines and primary human macrophages in vitro significantly inhibited cell migration. These data demonstrate that curcumin can suppress inflammation by inhibiting macrophage migration via NFκB and MCP-1 inhibition and establish that NEC is an effective therapeutic formulation to increase the bioavailability of curcumin in order to facilitate this response.

A high-throughput quantification method of curcuminoids and curcumin metabolites in human plasma via high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Curcuminoids, a mixture of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), have shown a variety of clinical benefits for several human chronic diseases including osteoarthritis, rheumatoarthritis, and type II diabetes. However, the oral bioavailability of curcumin is extremely low due to its avid metabolism to curcumin O-glucuronide (COG), curcumin O-sulfate (COS), tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), and other minor metabolites. This paper reports a unique liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to quantify curcumin, DMC, BDMC, COG, COS, and THC simultaneously in human plasma. These compounds were extracted with ethyl acetate from human plasma, separated on a BetaBasic-8 column, and monitored on a triple quadruple mass spectrometer coupled with API electrospray under a negative ion mode. The linearity of these respective curcuminoids and curcumin metabolites was shown in the range of 2-1000ng/mL with 85-115% accuracy and ≤20% precision in human plasma. This method was validated according to the US FDA GLP analytic criteria and applied to characterize the pharmacokinetics of curcumin, COG, and COS in human plasma after an oral dose of bioavailable curcumin (nanoemulsion curcumin).

Phase I study of GTI-2040, a ribonucleotide reductase antisense, with high dose cytarabine in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

We hypothesized that GTI-2040, a 20-mer oligonucleotide complementary to the R2 subunit mRNA of ribonucleotide reductase, combined with high dose cytarabine (HiDAC) would result in enhanced cytotoxicity by favoring Ara-CTP DNA incorporation. In a phase I dose escalation trial, adults (≥ 60 years) with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received daily HiDAC plus infusional GTI-2040. Using a novel assay, evidence of intracellular drug accumulation and target R2 down-regulation was observed. GTI-2040/HiDAC can be administered safely. However, with no complete remissions observed, alternative doses and schedules may need to be investigated to achieve clinical activity in older patients with AML.

Serum levels of intravitreal bevacizumab after vitrectomy, lensectomy and non-surgical controls.

PURPOSE: To determine serum level differences of intravitreally-placed bevacizumab after vitrectomy and lensectomy-vitrectomy and to compare these with non-operated eyes in a rabbit model. METHODS: Five Dutch-belted rabbits underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), five rabbits underwent pars plana lensectomy (PPL) and five rabbits served as non-surgical controls. Twelve days following the surgical procedures, each operated eye underwent an intravitreal injection consisting of 1.25 mg/0.05 mL bevacizumab. Serum levels from each rabbit were drawn on days 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and 35 and were measured with ELISA immunoassay. RESULTS: The average peak serum concentration (Cmax) was highest for the PPL group (11.33 µg ± 3.48 mL), and was similar between the PPV (5.35 µg ± 2.69 mL) and non-surgical control groups (5.35 µg ± 0.69 mL). The average time to maximal plasma concentration (Tmax) in days was earliest for the PPL group (2.8 ± 0.47), followed by the PPV (5.6 ± 0.84) and non-surgical control groups (6.4 ± 0.71). The PPL group had higher serum levels than the other two groups until day 7 that was significant only at day 2 (p < 0.0001). After day 4, there were no significant differences or trends between any of the three groups. The half-life (T1/2) was fastest for the PPL group (1.41 ± 0.21 d) followed by the PPV (2.80 ± 3.35 d) and non-surgical control groups (6.69 ± 10.4 d). CONCLUSIONS: Serum bevacizumab levels were initially elevated following lensectomy and vitrectomy compared to non-surgical eyes following intravitreal injection. The half-life of bevacizumab was prolonged in non-surgical eyes presumably due to a slower release from the vitreous cavity.

LC-MS/MS quantification of a neuropeptide fragment kisspeptin-10 (NSC 741805) and characterization of its decomposition product and pharmacokinetics in rats.

The kisspeptins are critical regulators of mammalian reproduction. Kisspeptin-10 ((45)YNWNSFGLRF-NH2(54), kisspeptin-112-121 or metastin 45-54, NSC 741805), an active fragment of kisspeptin, has been shown to be a potent stimulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and secretion of luteinizing hormone in both rodents and primates. This shorter peptide fragment may have clinical utility potential and it is important to characterize its pharmacokinetic property. Recently, the pharmacokinetics of both kisspeptin-54 and kisspeptin-10 were characterized in humans using a radioimmunoassay (RIA), which measures only the immunoreactive kisspeptin (kisspeptin-IR). In this study, a highly sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS assay was developed to quantify kisspeptin-10 levels in rat plasma. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 0.5 ng/mL, the within-day and between-day coefficient of variations (CVs) ranged from 5.2 to 15.4% and 1.3 to 14.2%, and the accuracy values ranged from 98 to 114% and 99 to 105%, respectively. With this method, stability studies demonstrated that kisspeptin-10 degraded rapidly with decomposition half-lives of 6.8 min, 2.9 min and 1.7 min at 4 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C, respectively. The principal decomposition product was characterized as the N-terminal tyrosine deleted kisspeptin-10 (46)NWDSFGLRF-NH2(54). Pharmacokinetic study in rats showed that low ng/mL kisspeptin-10 was detected in the first few minutes, and eliminated rapidly and became undetectable 30 min after intravenous (i.v.) bolus administration of 1.0 mg/kg kisspeptin-10.

Pharmacokinetics of phase I nevirapine metabolites following a single dose and at steady state.

Nevirapine is one of the most extensively prescribed antiretrovirals worldwide. The present analyses used data and specimens from two prior studies to characterize and compare plasma nevirapine phase I metabolite profiles following a single 200-mg oral dose of nevirapine in 10 HIV-negative African Americans and a steady-state 200-mg twice-daily dose in 10 HIV-infected Cambodians. Nevirapine was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The 2-, 3-, 8- and 12-hydroxy and 4-carboxy metabolites of nevirapine were assayed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartmental analysis. The metabolic index for each metabolite was defined as the ratio of the metabolite area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to the nevirapine AUC. Every metabolite concentration was much less than the corresponding nevirapine concentration. The predominant metabolite after single dose and at steady state was 12-hydroxynevirapine. From single dose to steady state, the metabolic index increased for 3-hydroxynevirapine (P < 0.01) but decreased for 2-hydroxynevirapine (P < 0.001). The 3-hydroxynevirapine metabolic index was correlated with nevirapine apparent clearance (P < 0.001). These findings are consistent with induction of CYP2B6 (3-hydroxy metabolite) and a possible inhibition of CYP3A (2-hydroxy metabolite), although these are preliminary data. There were no such changes in metabolic indexes for 12-hydroxynevirapine or 4-carboxynevirapine. Two subjects with the CYP2B6 *6*6 genetic polymorphism had metabolic indexes in the same range as other subjects. These results suggest that nevirapine metabolite profiles change over time under the influence of enzyme induction, enzyme inhibition, and host genetics. Further work is warranted to elucidate nevirapine biotransformation pathways and implications for drug efficacy and toxicity.

Curcumin down-regulates DNA methyltransferase 1 and plays an anti-leukemic role in acute myeloid leukemia.

Bioactive components from dietary supplements such as curcumin may represent attractive agents for cancer prevention or treatment. DNA methylation plays a critical role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development, and presents an excellent target for treatment of this disease. However, it remains largely unknown how curcumin, a component of the popular Indian spice turmeric, plays a role in DNA hypomethylation to reactivate silenced tumor suppressor genes and to present a potential treatment option for AML. Here we show that curcumin down-regulates DNMT1 expression in AML cell lines, both in vitro and in vivo, and in primary AML cells ex vivo. Mechanistically, curcumin reduced the expression of positive regulators of DNMT1, p65 and Sp1, which correlated with a reduction in binding of these transcription factors to the DNMT1 promoter in AML cell lines. This curcumin-mediated down-regulation of DNMT1 expression was concomitant with p15(INK4B) tumor suppressor gene reactivation, hypomethylation of the p15(INK4B) promoter, G1 cell cycle arrest, and induction of tumor cell apoptosis in vitro. In mice implanted with the human AML MV4-11 cell line, administration of curcumin resulted in remarkable suppression of AML tumor growth. Collectively, our data indicate that curcumin shows promise as a potential treatment for AML, and our findings provide a basis for future studies to test the clinical efficacy of curcumin - whether used as a single agent or as an adjuvant - for AML treatment.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of midazolam after intravenous and intramuscular administration in alpacas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of midazolam after IV and IM administration in alpacas. ANIMALS: 6 healthy alpacas. PROCEDURES: Midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) was administered IV or IM in a randomized crossover design. Twelve hours prior to administration, catheters were placed in 1 (IM trial) or both (IV trial) jugular veins for drug administration and blood sample collection for determination of serum midazolam concentrations. Blood samples were obtained at intervals up to 24 hours after IM and IV administration. Midazolam concentrations were determined by use of tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Maximum concentrations after IV administration (median, 1,394 ng/mL [range, 1,150 to 1,503 ng/mL]) and IM administration (411 ng/mL [217 to 675 ng/mL]) were measured at 3 minutes and at 5 to 30 minutes, respectively. Distribution half-life was 18.7 minutes (13 to 47 minutes) after IV administration and 41 minutes (30 to 80 minutes) after IM administration. Elimination half-life was 98 minutes (67 to 373 minutes) and 234 minutes (103 to 320 minutes) after IV and IM administration, respectively. Total clearance after IV administration was 11.3 mL/min/kg (6.7 to 13.9 mL/min/kg), and steady-state volume of distribution was 525 mL/kg (446 to 798 mL/kg). Bioavailability of midazolam after IM administration was 92%. Peak onset of sedation occurred at 0.4 minutes (IV) and 15 minutes (IM). Sedation was significantly greater after IV administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Midazolam was well absorbed after IM administration, had a short duration of action, and induced moderate levels of sedation in alpacas.

A phase I study of prolonged infusion of triapine in combination with fixed dose rate gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Prolonged exposure of cancer cells to triapine, an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase, followed by gemcitabine enhances gemcitabine activity in vitro. Fixed-dose-rate gemcitabine (FDR-G) has improved efficacy compared to standard-dose. We conducted a phase I trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and preliminary efficacy of prolonged triapine infusion followed by FDR-G. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Triapine was given as a 24-hour infusion, immediately followed by FDR-G (1000 mg/m(2) over 100-minute). Initially, this combination was administered days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle (Arm A, triapine starting dose 120 mg); but because of myelosuppression, it was changed to days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle (Arm B, starting dose of triapine 75 mg). Triapine steady-state concentrations (Css) and circulating ribonucleotide reductase M2-subunit (RRM2) were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were enrolled. The MTD was determined to be triapine 90 mg (24-hour infusion) immediately followed by gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) (100-minute infusion), every 2 weeks of a 4-week cycle. DLTs included grade 4 thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and neutropenia. The treatment was well tolerated with fatigue, nausea/vomiting, fever, transaminitis, and cytopenias being the most common toxicities. Among 30 evaluable patients, 1 had a partial response and 15 had stable disease. Triapine PK was similar, although more variable, compared to previous studies using doses normalized to body-surface-area. Steady decline in circulating levels of RRM2 may correlate with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: This combination was well tolerated and showed evidence of preliminary activity in this heavily pretreated patient population, including prior gemcitabine failure.

In vivo quantification of active decitabine-triphosphate metabolite: a novel pharmacoanalytical endpoint for optimization of hypomethylating therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

Decitabine (DAC) is used for treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Following cellular uptake, DAC is activated to DAC-triphosphate (TP) and incorporated into DNA. Once incorporated into the DNA, DAC-TP binds and inactivates DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), thereby leading to hypomethylation and re-expression of epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor genes and ultimately antileukemia activity. However, direct evidence of in vivo DAC-TP occurrence in DAC-treated patients has been difficult to demonstrate due to a lack of suitable validated analytical methodology. Thus, we developed and validated a nonradioactive sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS assay for quantification of DAC-TP. The assay is linear from 50 to 1,000 nM and from 1 to 10 µM and has a lower limit of quantitation of 50 nM and a coefficient of variation for both within- and between-day precision <20%. Following DAC treatment, we detected DAC-TP in parental and DAC-resistant AML cells (in vitro) and bone marrow (BM) and spleen of normal and leukemic mice (in vivo). Downregulation of DNMTs and correlation of DAC-TP concentration with proteins involved in mechanisms of DAC resistance were also demonstrated. The clinical applicability of this method was proven by measuring DAC-TP level in BM and blood mononuclear cells from DAC-treated AML patients. Higher levels are seemingly associated with clinical response. Monitoring the DAC-TP intracellular level may serve as a novel pharmacological endpoint for designing more effective DAC-based regimens.

Reactivation of RASSF1A in breast cancer cells by curcumin.

Reactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) involved in carcinogenesis by nontoxic bioactive food component represents a promising strategy for cancer chemoprevention. Recently, curcumin has been demonstrated to inhibit a bacterial DNA methyltransferase (M. Sss I) activity, induce global DNA hypomethylation in leukemia cells, and reactivate several hypermethylation silenced genes in lung and prostate cancer cells. Herein, we demonstrated that curcumin can enhance the mRNA and protein levels of ras-association domain family protein 1A (RASSF1A), 1 hypermethylation-silenced TSG, and decrease its promoter methylation in breast cancer cells. Mechanistic study demonstrated that curcumin can decrease DNA methylation activity of nuclear extract and downregulate the mRNA and protein levels of DNMT1 in MCF-7 cells, which may be associated with curcumin-induced disruption of NF-κB/Sp1 complex bound to the promoter region of DNMT1. Altogether, this study reveals a novel molecular mechanism of curcumin as a chemo-preventive agent for breast cancer through hypomethylation reactivation of RASSF1A.

Pharmacokinetics of protocatechuic acid in mouse and its quantification in human plasma using LC-tandem mass spectrometry.

Protocatechuic acid (PCA), a major microbial-mediated metabolite of anthocyanins, has significant anti-oxidative and anti-carcinogenic activities in vitro and in vivo; however, its pharmacokinetics remains largely unknown. In this report, a sensitive and rapid LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the measurement of PCA concentrations in both mouse and human plasma. This method showed a linearity of 1-1000ng/mL in both mouse and human plasma with a lower limit of quantification of 1ng/mL. The within-day and between-day coefficient of variation ranged from 1.18 to 11.8% and accuracy from 92 to 110%. The method was applied to characterize the pharmacokinetics of PCA in mice after oral administration of 50mg/kg PCA. PCA was absorbed rapidly with a half-life of 2.9min, reached a peak plasma level (C(max)) of 73.6µM at 5min, and remained detectable up to 8h with the initial elimination half-life of about 3min and a terminal half-life of 16min. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0→8h)) of PCA was 1456µMmin. The method was capable of detecting low ng/mL quantities of PCA in the plasma of patients with prostate cancer after an oral ingestion of 60g of black raspberry (BRB) powder. Because PCA is derived from the anthocyanins in BRB, our method provides a useful analytical tool to further investigate the metabolism of anthocyanins, and the pharmacology of PCA in future pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Triphala and its active constituent chebulinic acid are natural inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor-a mediated angiogenesis.

Triphala churna (THL) is a combination of three fruits that has been used for many years in India for the treatment of various diseases. There are now reports which indicate that THL can inhibit growth of malignant tumors in animals. However, the mechanisms by which THL mediates its anti-tumor actions are still being explored. Because vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) induced angiogenesis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cancer, we therefore investigated whether tumor inhibitory effects of THL or its active constituents are through suppression of VEGF actions. We herein report that THL and chebulinic (CI) present in THL can significantly and specifically inhibit VEGF induced angiogenesis by suppressing VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) phosphorylation. These results are of clinical significance as these inexpensive and non-toxic natural products can be used for the prevention and treatment of diseases where VEGF induced angiogenesis has an important role.

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for quantification of curcumin-O-glucuronide and curcumin in human plasma.

Curcumin is a widely used herbal medicine for various human diseases including inflammation and cancer. The demonstration and optimization of curcumin's activities in the clinical setting, however, have been compromised by its poor bioavailability and the lack of analytic methods to monitor its absorption. In this paper, we report the first validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for simultaneous quantification of curcumin and its major metabolite: curcumin-O-glucuronide (COG), in the linear range of 2.0-2000 ng/mL in human plasma. The intra-day and inter-day accuracies of curcumin and COG in human plasma were in the range of 91.3-111.5% and 82.7-109.2% and their co-efficiency of variations were in the range of 3.5-12.7% and 3.1-11.3%, respectively. This method was capable of detecting only COG in human plasma samples from two healthy volunteers after an oral ingestion of curcumin.

Synthetic microRNA cassette dosing: pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and bioactivity.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are deregulated in cancer and leukemia. Restoring aberrantly downregulated tumor suppressor miRs or antagonizing overexpressed oncogenic miRs in malignant cells by synthetic RNA oligonucleotides represents a potentially novel therapeutic approach in cancer and leukemia. However, given the complex networking and concurrent deregulation of miRs in malignant cells, an effective approach may require concurrent targeting of multiple miRs. Cassette dosing involves simultaneous administration of a mixture of oligonucleotides from the same or different structural classes. However, information on cassette dosing pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and bioactivity of synthetic miRs is lacking. In this study, three synthetic 2'-methoxyphosphorothioate-miRs (2'-MeOPSmiR16-1, 2'-MeOPSmiR29b and 2'-MeOPSantagomiR155) were administered iv to C57BL/6 mice as a mixture, each at 7.5 mg/kg. Analysis of concentrations of individual miR in plasma and major organ tissues (bone marrow, spleen, liver, brain, heart, kidney and lung) was performed. The mRNA and protein levels of miR's biotargets were monitored sequentially after dosing up to 24 h. Our results demonstrated that these synthetic miRs retain their different individual pharmacokinetic properties and all display three-compartmental pharmacokinetics. 2'-MeOPSmiR16-1 has the longest plasma gamma half-life of 2508 min and lowest total body clearance of 0.0054 L/min·kg, whereas 2'-MeOPSmiR29b has the shortest gamma half-life of 510.6 min and highest total body clearance of 0.042 L/min·kg. The tissue concentrations of all three 2'-MeOPS-modified miR(s)/antagomiR were measurable from 5 min to at least 24 h after dosing, indicating that these concurrently delivered oligonucleotides can reach organ tissues. Importantly, there were biological activities of the concurrently administered miRs which persisted, as shown by the downregulation of specific targets in tested tissues, albeit with variations. Brain was one of the most sensitive tissues with respect to downregulation of mRNA and protein levels of four measured biotargets (e.g., Bcl-2, Mcl-1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) despite its relatively low miR/antagomiRs levels. We conclude that cassette dosing is applicable to 2'-MeOPS-modified synthetic miRs that are tissue-deliverable and biofunctional without any additional formulation requirement. This study supports future exploration of miR-involved combination therapies.