Methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl) chitosan for novel effective gene carriers

The objective of this study was to investigate the transfection efficiency of quaternized N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl) chitosan, TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS, using the plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein (pEGFP-C2) on human hepatoma cell lines (Huh7 cells), in comparison to quaternized chitosan (TM(43)-CS) and chitosan (CS). Factors affecting the transfection efficiency, such as the carrier/DNA weight ratio, the pH of the culture medium, and the presence of serum, have been investigated. The results revealed that TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS was able to condense with pDNA. As illustrated by the agarose gel electrophoresis, the complete complexes of TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS/DNA were formed at a weight ratio of above 0.5, whereas those of TM(43)-CS/DNA and CS/DNA were formed at a ratio of above 1. TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS showed superior transfection efficiency to TM(43)-CS and CS at all weight ratios tested. Higher transfection efficiency and gene expression were observed when the carrier/DNA weight ratios increased. The highest transfection efficiency was found at a weight ratio of 8. The results indicated that the improved gene transfection was due to the hydrophobic group (N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl) substitution on CS, which promoted the interaction and condensation with DNA, as well as N-quaternization, which increased the CS water solubility. During cytotoxicity studies, it was found that high concentrations of TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS and TM(43)-CS could decrease the Huh7 cell viability. In conclusion, this novel CS derivative, TM(47)-Bz(42)-CS, shows promising potential as a gene carrier by efficient DNA condensation and a mediated higher level of gene transfection in Huh7 cells.     

Incorporation of camptothecin into N-phthaloyl chitosan-g-mPEG self-assembly micellar system.

The capability of N-phthaloylchitosan-grafted poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether (mPEG)(PLC-g-mPEG) to enhance the aqueous solubility and stability of the lactone form of camptothecin (CPT) was investigated. PLC-g-mPEG formed a core-shell micellar structure after dialysis of the polymer solutions in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or dimethylformamide (DMF) against water, with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 28 microg/ml. CPT was loaded into the inner core of the micelles by dialysis method. The results showed an increase in the CPT-loading amount with an increasing concentration of CPT. The stability of drug-loaded micelles was studied by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), and their in vitro release behaviors were analyzed. Release of CPT from the micelles was sustained. When compared to the unprotected CPT, CPT-loaded PLC-g-mPEG micelles were able to prevent the hydrolysis of the lactone group of the drug. The kinetics of the CPT hydrolysis in human serum albumin (HSA) and fetal bovine serum (FBS) were pseudo-first order. The hydrolysis rate constants for CPT and CPT-loaded PLC-g-mPEG micelles in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4, were 7.4 x 10(-3) min(-1) and 9.1 x 10(-3) h(-1), parallel to an increase in half-life of CPT from 94 min to 76.15 h, respectively.     

Polymer design and incorporation methods for polymeric micelle carrier system containing water-insoluble anti-cancer agent camptothecin

A water-insoluble anti-cancer agent, camptothecin (CPT) was incorporated to a polymeric micelle carrier system forming from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartate) block copolymers. Incorporation efficiency and stability were analyzed in correlation with chemical structures of the inner core-forming hydrophobic blocks as well as with incorporation methods. Among three incorporation methods (dialysis, emulsion and evaporation methods), an evaporation method brought about much higher CPT yields with less aggregation than the other two methods. By the evaporation method, CPT was incorporated to polymeric micelles in considerably high yields and with high stability using block copolymers possessing high contents of benzyl and methylnaphtyl ester groups as hydrophobic moieties. This indicates importance of molecular design of the hydrophobic block chain to obtain targeting using polymeric micelle carriers as well as importance of the drug incorporation method.     

Enhanced antitumor effect of camptothecin loaded in long-circulating polymeric micelles.

A water-insoluble antitumor agent, camptothecin (CPT) was successfully incorporated into polymeric micelles formed from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(benzyl aspartate) block copolymers (CPT-loaded polymeric micelles). Antitumor effects and biodistribution of CPT-loaded micelles were evaluated in mice subcutaneously transplanted by colon 26 tumor cells. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited after a single i.v. injection of CPT-loaded polymeric micelles at doses of either 15 or 30 mg/kg. Efficacy of a single high-dose injection was comparable to low dose multiple injections. CPT loaded in polymeric micelles showed prolonged blood circulation and higher accumulation in tumors compared with CPT in solution. Polymeric micelle systems offer a stable and effective platform for cancer chemotherapy with CPT.     

Physicochemical properties of lipid emulsions formulated with high-load all-trans-retinoic acid

The objective of this study was to formulate high loading with good stability of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) lipid emulsion. Lipid emulsions loaded with ATRA were composed of lecithin, medium chain triglyceride and poloxamer-188 or polysorbate-80. The formulation factors in a particular type and amount of oil, emulsifier, and co-emulsifier on the physicochemical properties (i.e., particle size, size distribution, droplets surface charge, pH, percentage yield, drug release, and stability of lipid emulsions) were studied. The particle size of ATRA-loaded lipid emulsions was in the nano-size range of 124.4-378.2 nm with the narrow polydispersity index of 0.04-0.09, which decreased as the amount of co-emulsifiers was increased. The amount of ATRA released from lipid emulsions was operated using a dialysis bag. The receptor medium was ethanol:polysorbate-80:water (10:15:75), adjusted to pH 8.5. ATRA release kinetics in this study were found to follow zero-order kinetics. As the concentration of co-emulsifiers increased, the flux of ATRA released from the lipid emulsions increased. In stability studies, the higher the amount of co-emulsifiers added, the lower the crystallization of ATRA was found. The percentage yield of ATRA was retained at about 70-90% and 60-72% after storage for 60 days at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. These results show a successful incorporation of ATRA into lipid emulsions with high loading capacity and good stability.     

Effect of salt forms and molecular weight of chitosans on in vitro permeability enhancement in intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of molecular weight (MW) and salt forms of chitosans (aspartate; CS A, glutamate; CS G, lactate; CS L and hydrochloride, CS HCl) on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and permeability of Caco-2 cells monolayer, using fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4000 (FD-4) as the model compound for paracellular tight junction transport. Chitosan salts were prepared by spray-drying method. FTIR and solid-state (13)C NMR spectra showed the functional groups of salts in their molecular structures. Salt form, MW of chitosan, and amount of chitosan influenced the permeation-enhancing effects. These studies showed that chitosan salts appeared to increase cell permeability in a dose-dependent manner and caused relatively reversible effects only at the lower doses of 0.001-0.01% w/v. As the MW of chitosan increased from 20 to 460 kDa, the reduction in TEER significantly decreased in the following order: 20 < 45 < 200 < 460 kDa, observed in CS L and CS HCl. In CS A and CS G, the decrease in TEER was not significantly different in all MW because both chitosan salts showed rapid reduction in TEER within 20 min after the start of the experiment. Among chitosan salts, CS A was the most potent absorption enhancer in acidic (pH 6.2) environment. Cytotoxicity of chitosan salts was concentration dependent and varied slightly among the salt forms of chitosan used. CS HCl (MW 45 kDa) was the most toxic having an IC50 of 0.22 +/- 0.06 mg/mL. The ranking of chitosan salts cytotoxicity was CS HCl > CS L> CS G > CS A.     

Methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamyl) chitosan-coated electrospray OVA-loaded microparticles for oral vaccination

The purpose of this study was to prepare microparticles entrapping ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen to induce immune responses in mice following oral vaccination. In this study, calcium-alginate and calcium-yam-alginate microparticles were prepared by crosslinking alginate with calcium chloride solution using an electrospraying technique. 0.1% (w/v) of methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamyl) chitosan (TM₆₅CM₅₀CS) was used to coat microparticles entrapping an initial OVA of 20% w/w to polymer. The results indicated that the coated microparticles were spherical and had a smooth surface, with an average size of 1–3 μm, and were positively charged. In addition, the particles demonstrated a greater swelling and mucoadhesive properties than did uncoated microparticles. The in vitro release from the microparticles indicated that the coated microparticles resulted in more sustained release than uncoated microparticles. The cytotoxicity results showed that all of the formulations were safe. The in vivo oral administration demonstrated that at the same amount of 250 μg OVA, coated microparticles exhibited the highest in vivo adjuvant activity in both IgG and IgA immunogenicity.     

Cremophor RH40-PEG 400 microemulsions as transdermal drug delivery carrier for ketoprofen

The aim of this study was to prepare novel microemulsion for transdermal drug delivery of ketoprofen (KP). The microemulsion composed of ketoprofen as model drug, isopropyl myristate (IPM) as oil phase, surfactant mixture consisting of polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil (Cremophor RH40) as surfactant and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) as co-surfactant at the ratio 1:1, and water were prepared. The viscosity, droplet size, pH, conductivity of microemulsions, and skin permeation of KP through shed snake skin were evaluated. The particle size, pH, viscosity and conductivity of microemulsions were in the range of 114-210 nm, 6.3-6.8, 124-799 cPs and 1-45 μS/cm, respectively. The ratio of IPM, and surfactant mixture played the important role in the skin permeation of KP microemulsions. As the amount of surfactant mixture and IPM increased, the skin permeation of KP decreased. The formulation composed of 30% IPM, 45% surfactant mixture and 25% water showed the highest skin permeation flux. The incorporation of terpenes in the 2.5% KP microemulsions resulted in significant enhancement in skin permeation of KP. The rank order of enhancement ratio for skin permeation enhancement of terpenes was α-pinene > limonene > menthone. The results suggested that the novel microemulsion system containing IPM, water, Cremophor RH40:PEG400 and terpenes can be applied for using as a transdermal drug delivery carrier.     

Chitosan-based self-assembled nanocarriers coordinated to cisplatin for cancer treatment

Polymeric nanocarriers were prepared via a dialysis method using three chitosan derivatives, N-benzyl-N,O-succinyl chitosan (BSCT), N-naphthyl-N,O-succinyl chitosan (NSCT), and N-octyl-N-O-succinyl chitosan (OSCT) and were coordinated to cisplatin. The nanocarrier properties and cytotoxicity on the human carcinoma cells, HN22 (head and neck), were investigated. In addition, intracellular cisplatin accumulation, apoptosis induction and toxicity on renal cells were also evaluated. The findings revealed that the succinyl groups of the polymers were perfectly deprotonated and bound with cisplatin by co-ordinate bonds at pH 8.5. Among the derivatives, BSCT exhibited the highest cisplatin loading and release in simulated physiological medium. The cytotoxicities on HN22 cells of cisplatin-loaded BSCT nanocarriers were lower than that of free cisplatin, however, they presented a greater percentage of early apoptosis in HN22 cells and could decrease cisplatin induced renal cell death. In conclusion, the BSCT self-assembly nanocarrier might be a cisplatin carrier for sustained release, which provides prolonged antitumour treatment and reduced nephrotoxicity.

Polymeric nanocarriers were prepared using chitosan derivatives, and were coordinated to cisplatin.The nanocarrier properties and cytotoxicity on the human carcinoma cells, HN22, were investigated.     

Development of meloxicam-loaded electrospun polyvinyl alcohol mats as a transdermal therapeutic agent

This study reports on the use of electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber mats loaded with meloxicam (MX) as a transdermal drug delivery system. The amounts of MX loaded in the base PVA solution (10% w/v solution) were 2.5, 5, 10 and 20% weight, based on the dry weight of PVA (% wt). The average diameters of these fibers ranged from 121-185 nm. In all concentrations of MX loaded in spun PVA fiber mats, an amorphous nanodispersion of MX with PVA was obtained. Both the degree of swelling and the weight loss of the electrospun PVA mats were greater than those of the as-cast PVA films. The tensile strength of the as-spun fiber mats was lower than that of the as-cast PVA films, but the strain at the maximum of the as-spun fiber mats was about six times higher than that of the as-cast PVA films. The skin permeation flux of the MX permeated from MX-loaded as-spun PVA were significantly higher than from MX-loaded as-cast PVA films, and increased when the MX content in both MX-loaded as-spun PVA and MX-loaded as-cast PVA films was increased. Our research suggests a potential use for MX-loaded electrospun PVA mats as a transdermal drug delivery system.