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Andrianopoulou A, Sokolowski K, Wenzler E, Bulman ZP, Gemeinhart RA. Assessment of antibiotic release and antibacterial efficacy from pendant glutathione hydrogels using ex vivo porcine skin. J Control Release 2024; 365:936-949. [PMID: 38070603 PMCID: PMC10843833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) confer a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Local antibiotic delivery systems can provide controlled drug release directly to the site of infection to maximize efficacy and minimize systemic toxicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the antibacterial activity of antibiotic-loaded glutathione-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels (GSH-PEG) against ABSSSIs utilizing an ex vivo porcine dermal explant model. Vancomycin- or meropenem-loaded GSH-PEG hydrogels at 3 different dose levels were loaded over 1 h. Drug release was monitored in vitro under submerged conditions, by the Franz cell diffusion method, and ex vivo utilizing a porcine dermis model. Antibacterial activity was assessed ex vivo on porcine dermis explants inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates treated with vancomycin- or meropenem-loaded GSH-PEG hydrogels, respectively. Histological assessment of the explants was conducted to evaluate tissue integrity and viability in the context of the experimental conditions. A dose-dependent release was observed from vancomycin and meropenem hydrogels, with in vitro Franz cell diffusion data closely representing ex vivo vancomycin release, but not high dose meropenem release. High dose vancomycin-loaded hydrogels resulted in a >3 log10 clearance against all S. aureus isolates at 48 h. High dose meropenem-loaded hydrogels achieved 6.5, 4, and 2 log10 reductions in CFU/ml against susceptible, intermediate, and resistant P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. Our findings demonstrate the potential application of GSH-PEG hydrogels for flexible, local antibiotic delivery against bacterial skin infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karol Sokolowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eric Wenzler
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zackery P Bulman
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard A Gemeinhart
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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2
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Sun D, Li S, Huang H, Xu L. Neurotoxicity of melittin: Role of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system in synaptic plasticity dysfunction. Toxicology 2023; 497-498:153628. [PMID: 37678661 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Melittin (Mel), a main active peptide component of bee venom, has been proven to possess strong antitumor activity. Previous studies have shown that Mel caused severe cell membrane lysis and acted on the central nervous system (CNS). Here, this study was designed to investigate the effects of Mel on CNS and explore the potential mechanism. We confirmed the neurotoxic effect of melittin by in vivo and in vitro experiments. After subcutaneous administration of Mel (4 mg/kg, 8 mg/kg) for 14 days, the mice exhibited obvious depression-like behavior in a dose dependent manner. Besides, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) signaling pathway was mostly enriched in hippocampus. Consistently, we found that Mel distinctly inhibited the activity of OXPHOS complex I and induced oxidative stress injury. Moreover, Mel significantly induced synaptic plasticity dysfunction in hippocampus via BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway. Taken together, the neurotoxic effect of Mel was involved in impairing OXPHOS system and hippocampal synaptic plasticity. These novel findings provide new insights into fully understanding the health risks of Mel and are conducive to the development of Mel related drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Targets, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233000, China
| | - Haiqin Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Targets, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Lixing Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Molecular Drug Targets, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.
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3
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Chen QC, Liu L, Yu TY, Tang L, Yin ML, Zhu WH, Jiang XY, Wang HY. High-Level Expression and Purification of Melittin in Escherichia coli Using SUMO Fusion Partner. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10060-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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4
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Sikder S, Gote V, Alshamrani M, Sicotte J, Pal D. Long-term delivery of protein and peptide therapeutics for cancer therapies. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2019; 16:1113-1131. [DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2019.1662785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Sikder
- Division of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas, MO, USA
| | - Vrinda Gote
- Division of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas, MO, USA
| | - Meshal Alshamrani
- Division of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas, MO, USA
| | - Jeff Sicotte
- Division of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas, MO, USA
| | - Dhananjay Pal
- Division of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas, MO, USA
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5
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Ramirez L, Shekhtman A, Pande J. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Structural Characterization and Backbone Dynamics of Recombinant Bee Venom Melittin. Biochemistry 2018; 57:2775-2785. [PMID: 29668274 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in melittin and its variants as their therapeutic potential has become increasingly evident. Melittin is a 26-residue peptide and a toxic component of honey bee venom. The versatility of melittin in interacting with various biological substrates, such as membranes, glycosaminoglycans, and a variety of proteins, has inspired a slew of studies that aim to improve our understanding of the structural basis of such interactions. However, these studies have largely focused on melittin solutions at high concentrations (>1 mM), even though melittin is generally effective at lower (micromolar) concentrations. Here we present high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance studies in the lower-concentration regime using a novel method to produce isotope-labeled (15N and 13C) recombinant melittin. We provide residue-specific structural characterization of melittin in dilute aqueous solution and in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol/water mixtures, which mimic melittin structure-function and interactions in aqueous and membrane-like environments, respectively. We find that the cis-trans isomerization of Pro14 is key to changes in the secondary structure of melittin. Thus, this study provides residue-specific structural information about melittin in the free state and in a model of the substrate-bound state. These results, taken together with published work from other laboratories, reveal the peptide's structural versatility that resembles that of intrinsically disordered proteins and peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Ramirez
- Department of Chemistry , University at Albany, State University of New York , Albany , New York 12222 , United States
| | - Alexander Shekhtman
- Department of Chemistry , University at Albany, State University of New York , Albany , New York 12222 , United States
| | - Jayanti Pande
- Department of Chemistry , University at Albany, State University of New York , Albany , New York 12222 , United States
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6
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Serna N, Sánchez-García L, Unzueta U, Díaz R, Vázquez E, Mangues R, Villaverde A. Protein-Based Therapeutic Killing for Cancer Therapies. Trends Biotechnol 2017; 36:318-335. [PMID: 29246477 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of some high-incidence human diseases is based on therapeutic cell killing. In cancer this is mainly achieved by chemical drugs that are systemically administered to reach effective toxic doses. As an innovative alternative, cytotoxic proteins identified in nature can be adapted as precise therapeutic agents. For example, individual toxins and venom components, proapoptotic factors, and antimicrobial peptides from bacteria, animals, plants, and humans have been engineered as highly potent drugs. In addition to the intrinsic cytotoxic activities of these constructs, their biological fabrication by DNA recombination allows the recruitment, in single pharmacological entities, of diverse functions of clinical interest such as specific cell-surface receptor binding, self-activation, and self-assembling as nanoparticulate materials, with wide applicability in cell-targeted oncotherapy and theragnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naroa Serna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez-García
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ugutz Unzueta
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau and Josep Carreras Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Díaz
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Esther Vázquez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ramón Mangues
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau and Josep Carreras Research Institute, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
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7
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Rayahin JE, Buhrman JS, Gemeinhart RA. Melittin-glutathione S-transferase fusion protein exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and minimal toxicity. Eur J Pharm Sci 2014; 65:112-21. [PMID: 25240321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although potent, proteins often require chemical modification for therapeutic use. Immunogenicity, difficult synthesis, and scale-up of these modifications are all engineering obstacles that stand in the way of expanding the use of these therapeutics. Melittin, a peptide derived from bee venom, has been shown to modulate inflammation. Although potentially therapeutic, the native peptide causes cell lysis and toxicity significantly hindering therapeutic application. Based upon the knowledge of the pore formation mechanism, we examined the toxicity and therapeutic effect of a melittin fusion protein with glutathione-S-transferase. The fusion of melittin and glutathione S-transferase results in diminished toxicity of the peptide and retained anti-inflammatory properties at doses that exceed toxic concentration of native melittin. Our results suggest that fusion proteins, particularly those of glutathione-S-transferase, may be facile modifications to control protein activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie E Rayahin
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA
| | - Jason S Buhrman
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA
| | - Richard A Gemeinhart
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607-7052, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612-4319, USA.
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8
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Proteolytically activated anti-bacterial hydrogel microspheres. J Control Release 2013; 171:288-95. [PMID: 23816641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels are finding increased clinical utility as advances continue to exploit their favorable material properties. Hydrogels can be adapted for many applications, including surface coatings and drug delivery. Anti-infectious surfaces and delivery systems that actively destroy invading organisms are alternative ways to exploit the favorable material properties offered by hydrogels. Sterilization techniques are commonly employed to ensure the materials are non-infectious upon placement, but sterilization is not absolute and infections are still expected. Natural, anti-bacterial proteins have been discovered which have the potential to act as anti-infectious agents; however, the proteins are toxic and need localized release to have therapeutic efficacy without toxicity. In these studies, we explore the use of the glutathione s-transferase (GST) to anchor the bactericidal peptide, melittin, to the surface of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel microspheres. We show that therapeutic levels of protein can be anchored to the surface of the microspheres using the GST anchor. We compared the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant melittin released from PEGDA microspheres to melittin. We found that, when released by an activating enzyme, thrombin, recombinant melittin efficiently inhibits growth of the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes as effectively as melittin created by solid phase peptide synthesis. We conclude that a GST protein anchor can be used to immobilize functional protein to PEGDA microspheres and the protein will remain immobilized under physiological conditions until the protein is enzymatically released.
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