scholarly journals Attenuation of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans virulence using curcumin-decorated nanophytosomes-mediated photo-sonoantimicrobial chemotherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Pourhajibagher ◽  
Abbas Bahador

AbstractThis study aimed to focus on the simultaneous use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (SACT), which is called photo-sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PSACT) to attenuate the virulence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Following the synthesis of Curcumin-decorated nanophytosomes (Cur-NPhs) as a novel photo-sonosensitizer, its particle size, polydispersity, ζ-potential surface morphology, physical stability, drug release, and entrapment efficiency were determined. In the Cur-NPhs-PSACT, the antimicrobial activities of Cur-NPhs against A. actinomycetemcomitans were investigated using cell viability, biofilm killing/degradation, metabolic activity, expression of quorum-sensing-associated qseB and qseC genes, and biofilm-associated rcpA gene under blue laser irradiation plus ultrasonic waves. Characterization tests showed the presence of a sphere-shaped vesicle and the self-closed structure of Cur-NPhs, resulting in a high drug-loading content and encapsulation efficiency. However, the antimicrobial effect of Cur-NPhs-PSACT was dose-dependent, PSACT using the high concentrations of Cur-NPhs (50 × 10–4 g/L) showed significant reductions (P < 0.05) in cell viability (13.6 log10 CFU/mL), biofilm killing/degradation (65%), metabolic activity (89.6%,), and mRNA levels of virulence determinant genes (qseB; 9.8-fold, qseC; 10.2-fold, and recA; 10.2-fold). This study concludes that the Cur-NPhs-PSACT had antimicrobial activities against A. actinomycetemcomitans by downregulating the expression of virulence genes, and may attenuate this bacterium that decreases periodontal disease severity in patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1351-1358
Author(s):  
Ifeanyi T. Nzekwe ◽  
Anselm C. Okere ◽  
Ifeanyi E. Okoye ◽  
Kokonne E. Ekere ◽  
Adaobi A. Ezenwa ◽  
...  

Purpose: To optimize erythromycin microparticles by in vitro bioassay methods based on its antibacterial activity. Methods: The microparticles were produced by high shear homogenization. The effects of different lipid-to-surfactant ratios were studied. The hydrodynamic size of the different batches was evaluated using dynamic light scattering while bioactive drug load per batch was assessed in agar using bioassay methods. The antimicrobial activities of selected batches were tested ex vivo by determination of reduction in bacteraemia following administration of the microparticles to infected animals. Results: All batches had particles with hydrodynamic sizes < 8.5 microns. Batch 7 with a 2: 5: 2.5 (drug: surfactant: stearic acid) ratio, represents the optimized batch with a hydrodynamic size of 2281 nm, a bioactive drug loading capacity (BLC) of 4.67 ± 0.70 % and bioactive drug entrapment  efficiency (BEE) of 10.51 %. The “microparticle MIC” against Staphylococcus aureus was 1.74 x 10-3 μg/ml. Despite containing lower amounts of erythromycin than the pure sample, the microparticles achieved comparable reduction in bacteraemia, with the optimized batch exhibiting lower variation in bacteraemia than the pure drug. Conclusion: Erythromycin microparticles have been successfully optimized with the aid of bioassay methods which has the advantage that only the bioactive drug concentration is factored in. This method eliminates problems posed by inadequate or non-discriminating chemical assay methods. Keywords: Microparticles, Erythromycin, Gastrointestinal, Bioavailability Antimicrobial, Bioactivity, Encapsulation


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Prashant Kesharwani ◽  
Shadab Md ◽  
Nabil A. Alhakamy ◽  
Khaled M. Hosny ◽  
Anzarul Haque

Azacitidine (AZA), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, is a commonly recognized drug used in clinical treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome and breast cancer. Due to higher aqueous solubility and negative log P of AZA causes poor cancer cell permeation and controlled release. The objective of the present study was to formulate and optimize AZA-loaded liposome (AZA-LIPO) for breast cancer chemotherapy by using Box Behnken design (BBD) and in vitro evaluation using MCF-7 cells. AZA-LIPO were prepared using a thin film hydration technique and characterization study was performed by using FTIR and DSC. The prepared formulations were optimized using BBD and the optimized formulation was further subjected for particle size, surface charges, polydispersity index (PDI), drug loading, entrapment efficiency, TEM, XRD, in-vitro drug release and hemolytic toxicity. The mean particle size of optimized AZA-LIPO was 127 nm. Entrapment efficiency and drug loading of AZA-LIPO was found to be 85.2% ± 0.5 and 6.82 ± 1.6%, respectively. Further, in vitro drug release study showed preliminary burst release in 2 h followed by a sustained release for 36 h in phosphate buffer at different pH (4.0, 5.5, and 7.4) as compared to free drug. Drug release was found to be pH dependent, as the pH was increased, the drug release rate was found to be low. Time-dependent cell viability assay exhibited significant higher cell viability and higher internalization than free AZA in MCF-7 cells. AZA-LIPO were more effective than the free AZA in reducing Bcl2 expression, while increasing pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-3 activity. The result showed that the formulated biocompatible AZA-LIPO nano-formulations may be used as an efficient anti-cancer drug delivery system for the treatment of breast cancer after establishing preclinical and clinical studies.


Author(s):  
Rajkumar Aland ◽  
Ganesan M ◽  
P. Rajeswara Rao ◽  
Bhikshapathi D. V. R. N.

The main objective for this investigation is to develop and optimize the solid lipid nanoparticles formulation of acitretin for the effective drug delivery. Acitretin loaded SLNs were prepared by hot homogenization followed by the ultrasonication using Taguchi’s orthogonal array with eight parameters that could affect the particle size and entrapment efficiency. Based on the results from the analyses of the responses obtained from Taguchi design, three different independent variables including surfactant concentration (%), lipid to drug ratio (w/w) and sonication time (s) were selected for further investigation using central composite design. The  lipid Dynasan-116, surfactant poloxomer-188 and co surfactant egg lecithin resulted in better percent drug loading and evaluated for particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release and stability. All parameters were found to be in an acceptable range. TEM analysis has demonstrated the presence of individual nanoparticles in spherical shape and the results were compatible with particle size measurements.  In vitro drug release of optimized SLN formulation (F2) was found to be 95.63 ± 1.52%, whereas pure drug release was 30.12 after 60 min and the major mechanism of drug release follows first order kinetics release data for optimized formulation (F2) with non-Fickian (anomalous) with a strong correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.94572) of Korsemeyer-Peppas model. The total drug content of acitretin gel formulation was found to 99.86 ± 0.012% and the diameter of gel formulation was 6.9 ± 0.021 cm and that of marketed gel was found to be 5.7 ± 0.06 cm, indicating better spreadability of SLN based gel formulation. The viscosity of gel formulation at 5 rpm was found to be 6.1 x 103 ± 0.4 x 103 cp. The release rate (flux) of acitretin across the membrane and excised skin differs significantly, which indicates about the barrier properties of skin. The flux value for SLN based gel formulation (182.754 ± 3.126 μg cm−2 h−1) was found to be higher than that for marketed gel (122.345 ± 4.786 μg cm−2 h−1). The higher flux and Kp values of SLN based gel suggest that it might be able to enter the skin easily as compared with marketed gel with an advantage of low interfacial tension of the emulsifier film that ensures an excellent contact to the skin. This topically oriented SLN based gel formulation could be useful in providing site-specific dermal treatment of psoriasis


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Fu ◽  
Liqiang Chen ◽  
Lifeng Miao ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

Background/Objective: Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) are a group of polyphenolic bioflavonoids, which possess a variety of biological functions and pharmacological properties. We studied the neuroprotective effects of GSP against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury and the potential mechanisms in mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells. Methods: OGD/R was conducted in N2a cells. Cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 and LDH release assay. Apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. Protein levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting. CHOP, GRP78 and caspase-12 mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR. JC-1 dying was used to detect mitochondrial membrane potential. ROS levels, activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes and ATP production were examined to evaluate mitochondrial function. Results: GSP increased cell viability after OGD/R injury in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, GSP inhibited cell apoptosis, reduced the mRNA levels of CHOP, GRP78 and caspase-12 (ER stressassociated genes), restored mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP generation, improved activities of endogenous anti-oxidant ability (T-AOC, GXH-Px, and SOD), and decreased ROS level. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that GSP can protect N2a cells from OGD/R insult. The mechanism of anti-apoptotic effects of GSP may involve attenuating ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1210
Author(s):  
Xieguo Yan ◽  
Shiqiang Wang ◽  
Kaoxiang Sun

Schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder, requires long-term treatment; however, large fluctuations in blood drug concentration increase the risk of adverse reactions. We prepared a long-term risperidone (RIS) implantation system that can stabilize RIS release and established in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation systems. Cumulative release, drug loading, and entrapment efficiency were used as evaluation indicators to evaluate the effects of different pore formers, polymer ratios, porogen concentrations, and oil–water ratios on a RIS implant (RIS-IM). We also built a mathematical model to identify the optimized formulation by stepwise regression. We also assessed the crystalline changes, residual solvents, solubility and stability after sterilization, in-vivo polymer degradation, pharmacokinetics, and tissue inflammation in the case of the optimized formulation. The surface of the optimized RIS microspheres was small and hollow with 134.4 ± 3.5 µm particle size, 1.60 SPAN, 46.7% ± 2.3% implant drug loading, and 93.4% entrapment efficiency. The in-vitro dissolution behavior of RIS-IM had zero-order kinetics and stable blood concentration; no lag time was released for over three months. Furthermore, the RIS-IM was not only non-irritating to tissues but also had good biocompatibility and product stability. Long-acting RIS-IMs with microspheres and film coatings can provide a new avenue for treating schizophrenia.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 904
Author(s):  
Irin Tanaudommongkon ◽  
Asama Tanaudommongkon ◽  
Xiaowei Dong

Most antiretroviral medications for human immunodeficiency virus treatment and prevention require high levels of patient adherence, such that medications need to be administered daily without missing doses. Here, a long-acting subcutaneous injection of lopinavir (LPV) in combination with ritonavir (RTV) using in situ self-assembly nanoparticles (ISNPs) was developed to potentially overcome adherence barriers. The ISNP approach can improve the pharmacokinetic profiles of the drugs. The ISNPs were characterized in terms of particle size, drug entrapment efficiency, drug loading, in vitro release study, and in vivo pharmacokinetic study. LPV/RTV ISNPs were 167.8 nm in size, with a polydispersity index of less than 0.35. The entrapment efficiency was over 98% for both LPV and RTV, with drug loadings of 25% LPV and 6.3% RTV. A slow release rate of LPV was observed at about 20% on day 5, followed by a sustained release beyond 14 days. RTV released faster than LPV in the first 5 days and slower than LPV thereafter. LPV trough concentration remained above 160 ng/mL and RTV trough concentration was above 50 ng/mL after 6 days with one subcutaneous injection. Overall, the ISNP-based LPV/RTV injection showed sustained release profiles in both in vitro and in vivo studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3309
Author(s):  
Kosuke Sako ◽  
Daisuke Sakai ◽  
Yoshihiko Nakamura ◽  
Erika Matsushita ◽  
Jordy Schol ◽  
...  

After the discovery of functionally superior Tie2-positive nucleus pulposus (NP) progenitor cells, new methods were needed to enable mass culture and cryopreservation to maintain these cells in an undifferentiated state with high cell yield. We used six types of EZSPHERE® dishes, which support spheroid-forming colony culture, and examined NP cell spheroid-formation ability, number, proliferation, and mRNA expression of ACAN, COL1A2, COL2A1, and ANGPT1. Six different types of cryopreservation solutions were examined for potential use in clinical cryopreservation by comparing the effects of exposure time during cryopreservation on cell viability, Tie2-positivity, and cell proliferation rates. The spheroid formation rate was 45.1% and the cell proliferation rate was 7.75 times using EZSPHERE® dishes. The mRNA levels for COL2A1 and ANGPT1 were also high. In cryopreservation, CryoStor10 (CS10) produced ≥90% cell viability and a high proliferation rate after thawing. CS10 had a high Tie2-positive rate of 12.6% after culturing for 5 days after thawing. These results suggest that EZSPHERE enabled colony formation in cell culture without the use of hydrogel products and that CS10 is the best cryopreservation medium for retaining the NP progenitor cell phenotype and viability. Together, these data provide useful information of NP cell-based therapeutics to the clinic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1400-1405
Author(s):  
Sisi Yi ◽  
Chen Feng ◽  
Xiaohua Hu

In recent years, the risk of ovarian cancer (OC) has become increasingly prevalent. Gemcitabine (GE) provides excellent inhibitory action on some solid tumors, but how it affects OC remains elusive. In the present research, we prepared GE nanoparticles (GEN) and analyzed OC cell viability under its intervention, hoping to conceive novel ideas for future clinical treatment of OC. Through experiments, we observed that the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of GEN were observably higher than those of GE alone, and the release rate presented a stable slow release state. Under GEN intervention, the viability of OC cells was decreased, the apoptosis rate was elevated, and the apoptosis-related proteins were activated, while CA-125 was suppressed. Therefore, we can see that GEN exert favorable inhibitory action on OC cell viability, whose mechanism may be achieved through activating apoptosis-related proteins and inhibiting CA-125, which may be a new scheme for OC treatment in the future.


INDIAN DRUGS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (02) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Avani Khristi ◽  
Lalit L. Jha ◽  
Abhay Dharamsi ◽  

The biodegradability of inhalable nanoparticles (NPs) is an important criterion in prevention of lung toxicity due to NPs which have been taken to cure the condition. Pulmonary inflammation may result due to non-biodegradation or insoluble polymers used to produce NPs. Biodegradable polymers are widely used for manufacturing safe drug-entrapped inhalable NPs for pulmonary delivery. Here in this study, for preparing ajwain essential oil loaded NPs for pulmonary delivery, biodegradable polymers chitosan, gelatin and alginic acid have been evaluated for suitability. Based on the results of trial batches prepared from each polymer, the responses particle size and entrapment efficiency were measured and compared. Out of the three polymers, chitosan was having very good entrapment efficiency, poly dispersive index, drug loading and zeta potential-favorable conditions for pulmonary delivery of essential oils. Further screening of most effective variables in manufacturing nano particles using chitosan, eight batches of nano particles have been prepared as per taguchi orthogonal 2 level array L8 experimental design (Design expert software, version 7.0) where two responses, particle size and entrapment efficiency, have been observed. Based on the results of eight batches, standard effects have been calculated and significant variables identified, for both particle size and entrapment efficiency, for further optimization under design of experiment.


Author(s):  
Larios-Cervantes Alexis Alberto ◽  
Chávez-Cortéz Elda Georgina ◽  
Martínez-Hernández Miryam ◽  
Talavera-Contreras Luis Gabriel ◽  
Espinoza-Guillen Adrian ◽  
...  

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