Enhancing the tolerance of poly(isobutylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles with a modular surface design.

Polymer nanoparticles are designed as nanovehicles to carry drugs in the body in a controlled manner increasing the concentration of the biologically active substance in the diseased organs and cells. The safety and biocompatibility of these nanosystems are those of the many properties that nanoparticles must meet to be used in vivo. Here we show that the cytotoxicity profile of poly(isobutylcyanoacrylate) (PIBCA) nanoparticles is affected by the way the nanosystems were produced and by the design of their surface. It was found that the tolerance of PIBCA nanoparticles by cells could be improved up to 100-fold by coating their surface with polysaccharides and haemoglobin.

Hybrid polymer nanocapsules enhance in vitro delivery of azidothymidine-triphosphate to macrophages.

One of the main limitations in the use of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) such as azidothymidine (AZT) lies in their poor intracellular activation by cellular kinases into their active tri-phosphorylated form. Thus, the direct administration of triphosphate NRTIs like azidothymidine-triphosphate (AZT-TP), has been considered for bypassing this metabolic bottleneck, but these molecules do not diffuse intracellularly, due to their too hydrophilic character. Therefore, poly(iso-butylcyanoacrylate) (PIBCA) aqueous-cored nanocapsules have been tested as carriers to overcome the cellular delivery of AZT-TP. However, encapsulation of AZT-TP remained challenging because this molecule, due to its relatively low molecular weight, rapidly leaked out of the nanocapsules. In this study, we show that association of AZT-TP to a cationic polymer such as poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) allowed to reach high entrapment efficiency of AZT-TP in PIBCA nanocapsules (up to 90%) as well as gradual in vitro release. The resulting hybrid PIBCA/PEI nanocapsules efficiently delivered AZT-TP in vitro to macrophages: the cellular uptake was increased by 30-fold compared to the free molecule, reaching relevant cellular concentrations for therapeutic purposes.

Nanoencapsulation of a crystalline drug.

The aim of this work was to assess the influence of various formulation parameters on the incorporation of a poorly water-soluble crystalline drug into nanoparticles. For this purpose, the influence of the polymer (polylactic acid, polysebacic acid terminated with lithocholic acid, and polysebacic acid-co-lithocholic acid) as well as the effect of the dispersion medium (aqueous phases at different temperatures, saline medium and ethanol) on the encapsulation was investigated. 3H-labelled drug was used in order to determine the loading efficiency by liquid scintillation counting. The solubility of the drug in the various polymer materials was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solubility of the drug in the different dispersion media was then determined by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric measurements. The highest loading ratios were obtained using poly (lactic acid) (PLA). However, the drug solubility in the polymers, determined by DSC analysis, cannot be considered as predictive for encapsulation efficiency. The study of the influence of the liquid outer phase showed that the encapsulation efficiency increased when the drug solubility in the dispersion medium (before acetone evaporation) decreased. These experiments made it possible to propose a mechanism to account for the leakage of the crystalline drug during the nanoprecipitation process. So, when acetone is eliminated by evaporation, the drug solubility in the dispersion medium decreases, leading to the formation of crystals. During nanoparticles storage, the crystals continue to grow, the nanoparticles serving as drug reservoirs. These findings highlight the importance of using a polymer with a specific affinity for the drug, and a dispersion medium with the lowest drug solubility to achieve an efficient encapsulation of a crystalline drug.

Negative preclinical results with stealth nanospheres-encapsulated Doxorubicin in an orthotopic murine brain tumor model.

Previous results have shown that PEG-coated poly(hexadecylcyanoacrylate) (PEG-PHDCA) nanospheres displayed a significant accumulation within an orthotopic 9L gliosarcoma model, after i.v. administration to rats. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate in the same model the pre-clinical efficacy of this carrier when loaded with Doxorubicin, an anticancer drug which poorly distributes in the CNS. Free and nanospheres-encapsulated Doxorubicin were administered with a multiple dose treatment. Their maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and increase in life span were respectively assessed in healthy and intracranially 9L-bearing rats. A comparative biodistribution study of Doxorubicin-loaded and unloaded PEG-PHDCA nanospheres was also performed in the tumor-bearing group. The results showed that the cumulative MTD of nanoparticulate doxorubicin was 1.5 times higher than this of free Doxorubicin. Nevertheless, encapsulated Doxorubicin was unable to elicit a better therapeutic response in the 9L gliosarcoma. Biodistribution study revealed that the Doxorubicin-loaded nanospheres accumulated to a 2.5-fold lesser extent in the 9L tumor as compared to the unloaded nanospheres and that they were mainly localized in the lungs and the spleen. Such a typical profile indicated aggregation with plasma proteins as a consequence of the positive surface charge of these loaded particles; this ionic interaction resulting from drug encapsulation was mainly responsible for 9L treatment failure.

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres for the controlled release of oligonucleotide/polyethylenimine complexes.

In this article, microspheres able to induce the controlled release of oligonucleotide/polyethylenimine complexes are proposed. A model oligonucleotide (the oligothymidilate pdT16) was encapsulated within poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres alone or associated with polyethylenimine (PEI) at different nitrogen/phospate (N/P) ratios. Microspheres were prepared by the multiple emulsion-solvent evaporation technique and characterized for morphology, diameter, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics. The introduction of PEI in the internal aqueous phase resulted in the formation of a soluble complex with pdT16 and in a strong increase of the oligonucleotide encapsulation efficiency. PEI affected microsphere morphology inducing the formation of very porous particles yielding to an accelerated release of pdT16. When incubated with HeLa cells, microspheres encapsulating pdT16/PEI complexes allowed both a reduction of the complex toxicity and an improvement of the intracellular penetration of the released oligonucleotide. We conclude that biodegradable microspheres encapsulating oligonucleotides/PEI complexes have a great potential as controlled release system because they allow the sustained release of an oligonucleotide carrier that crosses biological membranes and locates in nucleus.

Enhancement of the solubility and efficacy of poorly water-soluble drugs by hydrophobically-modified polysaccharide derivatives.

PURPOSE: This work was intended to develop and evaluate a new polymeric system based on amphiphilic carboxymethylpullulans (CMP(49)C(8) and CMP(12)C(8)) that can spontaneously self-assemble in aqueous solutions and efficiently solubilize hydrophobic drugs. METHODS: The self-assembling properties of CMP(49)C(8) and CMP(12)C(8) were characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy and surface tension measurements. The solubilization of benzophenone and docetaxel was assessed from surface tension measurements, UV spectrometry and HPLC assays. The in vitro cytoxicity of CMP(49)C(8) solutions and the docetaxel commercial vehicle (Tween 80/Ethanol-water) were evaluated in the absence and in the presence of docetaxel. RESULTS: Compared to CMP(12)C(8), CMP(49)C(8) in aqueous solutions appeared to self-organize into monomolecular aggregates containing hydrophobic nanodomains, and to significantly increase the apparent solubility of benzophenone. Docetaxel solubility could also be improved in the presence of CMP(49)C(8) but to a lower extent due to the surface properties of the drug. Nevertheless, in vitro, the cytotoxicity studies revealed that against cancer cells, the CMP(49)C(8)-docetaxel formulation was equipotent to the commercial docetaxel one. Furthermore, in the absence of the drug, CMP(49)C(8) appeared less cytotoxic against macrophages than the Tween 80/Ethanol-water. CONCLUSIONS: CMP(49)C(8) is a good candidate for solubilizing hydrophobic drugs and could be applied to docetaxel formulations.

Analysis of plasma protein adsorption onto PEGylated nanoparticles by complementary methods: 2-DE, CE and Protein Lab-on-chip system.

The biodistribution of colloidal carriers after their administration in vivo depends on the adsorption of some plasma proteins and apolipoproteins on their surface. Poly(methoxypolyethyleneglycol cyanoacrylate-co-hexadecylcyanoacrylate) (PEG-PHDCA) nanoparticles have demonstrated their capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by a mechanism of endocytosis. In order to clarify this mechanism at the molecular level, proteins and especially apolipoproteins adsorbed at the surface of PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles were analyzed by complementary methods such as CE and Protein Lab-on-chip in comparison with 2-D PAGE as a method of reference. Thus, the ability of those methodologies to identify and quantify human and rat plasma protein adsorption onto PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles and conventional PHDCA nanoparticles was evaluated. The lower adsorption of proteins onto PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles comparatively to PHDCA nanoparticles was evidenced by 2-D PAGE and Protein Lab-on-chip methods. CE allowed the quantification of adsorbed proteins without the requirement of a desorption procedure but failed, in this context, to analyze complex mixtures of proteins. The Protein Lab-on-chip method appeared to be very useful to follow the kinetic of protein adsorption from serum onto nanoparticles; it was complementary to 2-D PAGE which allowed the identification (with a relative quantification) of the adsorbed proteins. The overall results suggest the implication of the apolipoprotein E in the mechanism of passage of PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles through the BBB.

Investigation of the degradation mechanisms of poly(malic acid) esters in vitro and their related cytotoxicities on J774 macrophages.

Poly(beta-malic acid) hydrophobic derivatives are promising polymers for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The objectives of the present work were to study the in vitro degradation profile of three PMLA hydrophobic derivatives and to evaluate their cytotoxicity before and after degradation. For this purpose, nanoparticles from poly(benzyl-malate) (PMLABe), poly(hexyl-malate) (PMLAHe), and poly(malic acid-co-benzyl-malate) (PMLAH/He) were prepared for degradation studies on standardized materials. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and 1H NMR indicated that degradation occurred by random hydrolysis of the polymer main chain for all three polymer derivatives. The presence of carboxyl groups on the side chain and their esterification with different alcohols varying hydrophilicities could affect the degradation rate. It was postulated that the degradation depended on the rate of diffusion of water into the core of the particles. The cytotoxicity of the polymer nanospheres as well as their degradation products were evaluated in vitro with J774 A1 murine macrophage-like cell line. The cytotoxicity depended on the degradation rate of the polymers and the amount of degradation products of low molecular weight produced.

Toxicity and antileishmanial activity of a new stable lipid suspension of amphotericin B.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the toxicity and the activity of a new lipid complex formulation of amphotericin B (AMB) (LC-AMB; dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine, dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol, and AMB) that can be produced by a simple process. Like other lipid formulations, this new complex reduced both the hemolytic activity of AMB (the concentration causing 50% hemolysis of human erythrocytes, >100 microg/ml) and its toxicity toward murine peritoneal macrophages (50% inhibitory concentration, >100 microg/ml at 24 h). The in vivo toxicity of the new formulation (50% lethal dose, >200 mg/kg of body weight for CD1 mice) was similar to those of other commercial lipid formulations of AMB. The complex was the most effective formulation against the DD8 strain of Leishmania donovani. It was unable to reverse the resistance of an AMB-resistant L. donovani strain. In vivo LC-AMB was less efficient than AmBisome against L. donovani.