Cromolyn-crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles for the treatment of allergic rhinitis

Dopamine-loaded chitosan-coated solid lipid nanoparticles as a promise nanocarriers to the CNS

Dopamine is unable to access the central nervous system through the bloodstream. Only its precursor can do so, and with an effectiveness below 100% of the dose administered, as it is metabolized before crossing the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we describe a new solid lipid nanocarrier system designed and developed for dopamine. The nanoparticles were prepared by the melt-emulsification method and then coated with chitosan. The nanocarriers developed had a droplet size of about 250 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.2, a positive surface charge (+30 mV), and a percentage encapsulation efficiency of 36.3 ± 5.4. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy verified uniformity of particle size with spherical morphology. Various types of tests were performed to confirm that the nanoparticles designed are suitable for carrying dopamine through the blood-brain barrier. In vitro tests demonstrated the ability of these nanocarriers to pass through endothelial cell monolayers without affecting their integrity. This study shows that the formulation of dopamine in chitosan-coated solid lipid nanoparticles is a potentially viable formulation strategy to achieve the bioavailability of the drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the central nervous system.

A Supramolecular Assembly of EGCG for Long-Term Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a type-I hypersensitivity disease mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). Although antihistamines, glucocorticoids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, and other drugs are widely used to treat AR, the various adverse side effects of long-term use of these drugs should not be ignored. Therefore, more effective and safe natural alternative strategies are urgently needed. To this end, this study designed a nanosupramolecular delivery system composed of β-cyclodextrin supramolecular polymer (PCD), thiolated chitosan (TCS), and natural polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for intranasal topical continuous treatment of AR. The TCS/PCD@EGCG nanocarriers exhibited an excellent performance in terms of retention and permeability in the nasal mucosa and released the vast majority of EGCG responsively in the nasal microenvironment, thus resulting in the significantly high antibacterial and antioxidant capacities. According to the in vitro model, compared with free EGCG, TCS/PCD@EGCG inhibited mast cell activity and abnormal histamine secretion in a more long-term and sustained manner. According to the in vivo model, whether in the presence of continuous or intermittent administration, TCS/PCD@EGCG substantially inhibited the secretion of allergenic factors and inflammatory factors, mitigated the pathological changes of nasal mucosa, alleviated the symptoms of rhinitis in mice, and produced a satisfactory therapeutic effect on AR. In particular, the therapeutic effect of TCS/PCD@EGCG systems were even superior to that of budesonide during intermittent treatment. Therefore, the TCS/PCD@EGCG nanocarrier is a potential long-lasting antiallergic medicine for the treatment of AR.

Recent advances in understanding the effects of T lymphocytes on mucosal barrier function in allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a non-infectious chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa that affects T cells and their cytokines. T cells play significant roles in the development of allergic inflammatory diseases by orchestrating mechanisms underlying innate and adaptive immunity. Although many studies on allergic rhinitis have focused on helper T cells, molecular makeup, and pathogenesis-related transduction pathways, pathological mechanisms have not yet been completely explored. Recent studies have suggested that T cell status may play an important role in the interaction between T cells and the nasal mucosal barrier in allergic rhinitis. This study aimed to explore the interactions between T cells and nasal mucosal barriers in allergic rhinitis and to review the therapeutic modalities of pertinent biological agents involving T cells.

Effective Treatment of Haemophilus influenzae-Induced Bacterial Conjunctivitis by a Bioadhesive Nanoparticle Reticulate Structure

Ocular formulations should provide an effective antibiotic concentration at the site of infection to treat bacterial eye infections. However, tears and frequent blinking accelerate the drug clearance rate and limit drug residence time on the ocular surface. This study describes a biological adhesion reticulate structure (BNP/CA-PEG) consisting of antibiotic-loaded bioadhesion nanoparticles (BNP/CA), with an average 500-600 nm diameter, and eight-arm NH₂-PEG-NH₂ for local and extended ocular drug delivery. This retention-prolonging effect is a function of the Schiff base reaction between groups on the surface of BNP and amidogen on PEG. BNP/CA-PEG showed significantly higher adhesion properties and better treatment efficacy in an ocular rat model with conjunctivitis in comparison to non-adhesive nanoparticles, BNP, or free antibiotics. Both in vivo safety experiment and in vitro cytotoxicity test verified the biocompatibility and biosafety of the biological adhesion reticulate structure, indicating a promising translational prospect for further clinical use.

Untangling Mucosal Drug Delivery: Engineering, Designing, and Testing Nanoparticles to Overcome the Mucus Barrier

Mucus is a complex viscoelastic gel and acts as a barrier covering much of the soft tissue in the human body. High vascularization and accessibility have motivated drug delivery to various mucosal surfaces; however, these benefits are hindered by the mucus layer. To overcome the mucus barrier, many nanomedicines have been developed, with the goal of improving the efficacy and bioavailability of drug payloads. Two major nanoparticle-based strategies have emerged to facilitate mucosal drug delivery, namely, mucoadhesion and mucopenetration. Generally, mucoadhesive nanoparticles promote interactions with mucus for immobilization and sustained drug release, whereas mucopenetrating nanoparticles diffuse through the mucus and enhance drug uptake. The choice of strategy depends on many factors pertaining to the structural and compositional characteristics of the target mucus and mucosa. While there have been promising results in preclinical studies, mucus-nanoparticle interactions remain poorly understood, thus limiting effective clinical translation. This article reviews nanomedicines designed with mucoadhesive or mucopenetrating properties for mucosal delivery, explores the influence of site-dependent physiological variation among mucosal surfaces on efficacy, transport, and bioavailability, and discusses the techniques and models used to investigate mucus-nanoparticle interactions. The effects of non-homeostatic perturbations on protein corona formation, mucus composition, and nanoparticle performance are discussed in the context of mucosal delivery. The complexity of the mucosal barrier necessitates consideration of the interplay between nanoparticle design, tissue-specific differences in mucus structure and composition, and homeostatic or disease-related changes to the mucus barrier to develop effective nanomedicines for mucosal delivery.

Human Lactobacillus Biosurfactants as Natural Excipients for Nasal drug Delivery of Hydrocortisone

The inclusion of a chemical permeation enhancer in a dosage form is considered an effective approach to improve absorption across the nasal mucosa. Herein we evaluated the possibility of exploiting biosurfactants (BS) produced by Lactobacillus gasseri BC9 as innovative natural excipients to improve nasal delivery of hydrocortisone (HC). BC9-BS ability to improve HC solubility and the BS mucoadhesive potential were investigated using the surfactant at a concentration below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). In vitro diffusion studies through the biomimetic membrane PermeaPad® and the same synthetic barrier functionalized with a mucin layer were assessed to determine BC9-BS absorption enhancing properties in the absence and presence of the mucus layer. Lastly, the diffusion study was performed across the sheep nasal mucosa using BC9-BS at a concentration below the CMC. Results showed that BC9-BS was able to interact with the main component of the nasal mucosa, and that it allowed for a greater solubilization and also permeation of the drug when it was employed at a low concentration. Overall, it seems that BC9-BS could be a promising alternative to chemical surfactants in the nasal drug delivery field.

Chitosan nanoparticles facilitate improved intestinal permeation and oral pharmacokinetics of the mast cell stabiliser cromoglycate

Cromoglycate is a mast cell stabiliser typically administered via inhalation or intranasally for the treatment of allergy-based respiratory issues. Oral dosing of cromoglycate remains challenging due to its high solubility but low permeability across epithelial membranes in the gastrointestinal tract: effective formulation strategies are clearly needed. Here, we investigate and preclinically develop chitosan-cromoglycate complexes and associated nano/microparticle formulations with muco-adhesive and permeation enhancing capabilities to overcome the biopharmaceutical challenges for oral dosing.The synthesized complexes were optimized with respect to chitosan grade, particle size, and drug loading and demonstrated up to a 9.3-fold enhancement in permeability across a Caco-2 monolayer for chitosan-cromoglycate particles, compared to the pure drug. This increased intestinal permeability led to improved pharmacokinetic performance of cromoglycate, e.g. up to 1.82-fold increase in relative oral bioavailability when dosed to Sprague-Dawley rats in a fasted state. These findings confirm the potential for chitosan particles to serve as an effective oral delivery vehicle for cromoglycate, with additional formulation optimization presenting the opportunity to reduce dosing frequency for treatment of allergy-based respiratory ailments.

Advances in Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

Nanoparticles (NPs) have an outstanding position in pharmaceutical, biological, and medical disciplines. Polymeric NPs based on chitosan (CS) can act as excellent drug carriers because of some intrinsic beneficial properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, bioactivity, easy preparation, and targeting specificity. Drug transport and release from CS-based particulate systems depend on the extent of cross-linking, morphology, size, and density of the particulate system, as well as physicochemical properties of the drug. All these aspects have to be considered when developing new CS-based NPs as potential drug delivery systems. This comprehensive review is summarizing and discussing recent advances in CS-based NPs being developed and examined for drug delivery. From this point of view, an enhancement of CS properties by its modification is presented. An enhancement in drug delivery by CS NPs is discussed in detail focusing on (i) a brief summarization of basic characteristics of CS NPs, (ii) a categorization of preparation procedures used for CS NPs involving also recent improvements in production schemes of conventional as well as novel CS NPs, (iii) a categorization and evaluation of CS-based-nanocomposites involving their production schemes with organic polymers and inorganic material, and (iv) very recent implementations of CS NPs and nanocomposites in drug delivery.

Mucoadhesive and mucopenetrating chitosan nanoparticles for glycopeptide antibiotic administration

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) represents a useful strategy for peptide antibiotic delivery to mucosal membranes by either prolonging drug residence time at the target site (mucoadhesive NPs) or by enhancing diffusion across mucus layer to reach the underlying epithelium (mucopenetrating NPs). The purpose of this study was to design chitosan (CH) NPs and to evaluate their employment as mucoadhesive and/or mucopenetrating systems for vancomycin (VM) delivery. NPs were prepared by ionic gelation of CH with sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), sodium alginate (ALG), sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) or phytic acid (PA) and characterized in terms of size, zeta-potential, morphology, drug encapsulation efficiency, mucoadhesion and mucopenetrating ability. Moreover, in vitro tests were conducted to evaluate VM release and the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. NPs showed sizes ranged from 150 nm to 350 nm with good polydispersity index and positive zeta-potential. The selection of the suitable crosslinker allowed to modulate the mucoadhesive/mucopenetrating properties: CH/TPP NPs showed the best mucoadhesive ability, while CH/PA and CH/CMC NPs were characterized by an improved diffusion across the mucus layer. Further, NPs allowed a fast and complete release of VM, maintaining the antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria species.

Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with TGF-β1 Inhibit Cervical Cancer Cell Progression Through Down-Regulation of MicroRNA-155 and Activation of Tim-3 Pathway

Chemically modified chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) are capable of releasing their own substances to target cells or tissues, improving microenvironment and promoting wound healing. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism underlying chitosan NPs loaded with TGF-β1 participating in cervical cancer (CC) progression. TGF-β1-loaded-chitosan NPs were prepared and particle size distribution, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency of NPs were determined. MTT assay assessed the toxicity of NPs to macrophages. CC cells were co-cultured with TGF-β1-loaded chitosan NPs (experimental group) or pure chitosan NPs (control group) and cells were cultured alone to produce control group. After treatment, flow cytometry was conducted to detect apoptosis and cycle. Cancer cell migration was evaluated by Transwell assay, and miR-155 and Tim-3 expression was determined. At a ratio of 2:1 chitosan and TGF-β1, the particle size was102.65±11.98 nm, which was smallest, with high encapsulation rate of 81.26%, and low potential of 1.46±1.71. NP toxicity increased as concentration rose and relative cell proliferation rate was >80%, indicated as non-toxic. CC tissues had positive expression of CD163 and TGF-β1 (95%) (p < 0.05). Treatment with TGF-β1-loaded chitosan NPs induced increased apoptosis rate of 9.13±2.15%, reduced migration (67.65±9.91) and invaded cells (19.98±3.41), causing cell accumulation in the S phase when compared to the blank and control groups (p < 0.05). Besides, experimental group exhibited lower expression of miR-155 (0.39±0.59) and higher expression of Tim-3 (2.87± 0.51), which was higher than the blank group and control group. The optimal concentration ratio for producing TGF-β1-loaded chitosan NPs was 2:1, with less toxicity. The composite NPs suppressed malignant characteristics of CC cells through down-regulation of miR-155 and activation of Tim-3 signal pathway on the surface of macrophages, promoting secretion of macrophage inflammatory factors.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of an ionic sensitive in situ gel containing nanotransfersomes for aripiprazole nasal delivery

In the current study, a composite in-situ gel formulation containing aripiprazole (APZ) loaded transfersomes (TFS) was developed for the intranasal brain targeting of APZ. APZ loaded TFS were prepared by applying the film hydration method and optimized using an irregular factorial design. The prepared formulations were optimized based on different parameters including particle size, polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and release efficiency (RE). The optimized APZ-TFS were distributed in an ion-triggered deacetylated gellan gum solution (APZ-TFS-Gel) and evaluated in terms of pH, gelling time, rheological properties and in-vitro release study. The therapeutic efficacy of the best APZ-TFS-Gel was then tested in the mice model of schizophrenia induced by ketamine by evaluating various behavioral parameters. The optimized formulation showed the particle size of 72.12 ± 0.72 nm, the PdI of 0.19 ± 0.07, the zeta potential of -55.56 ± 1.9 mV, the EE of 97.06 ± 0.10%, and the RE of 70.84 ± 1.54%. The in-vivo results showed that compared with the other treatment groups, there was a considerable increase in swimming and climbing time and a decrease in locomotors activity and immobility time in the group receiving APZ-TFS-Gel. Thus, APZ-TFS-Gel was found to have desirable characteristics for therapeutic improvement.

Chitosan Hydrogel Doped with PEG-PLA Nanoparticles for the Local Delivery of miRNA-146a to Treat Allergic Rhinitis

To prepare a binary formulation delivering miRNA-146 and evaluate a nucleic acid nasal delivery system by investigating its pharmacodynamic effects in allergic rhinitis. The gel/NPs/miR-146a thermosensitive in situ chitosan hydrogel carrying a nucleic acid was prepared and evaluated for its characteristics, including temperature sensitivity, gel strength, mucosal adhesion and drug release profile. After nasal administration of the formulation to ovalbumin-sensitized rats, the treatment of allergic rhinitis was verified by assessing nasal symptoms, hematology, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry. Western Blot(WB) was used to analyze nasal inflammatory factors as well as miRNA-146-related factors, and the miR146 expression level was measured by PCR. Subsequently, the effects of the gel/NPs/miR-146a binary formulation were evaluated for the nasal delivery of nucleic acids in rhinitis therapy. The prepared binary formulation quickly formed a gel in the nasal cavity at a temperature of 34 °C with good mucosal adhesion, which delivered nucleic acids into the nasal mucosa stably and continuously. Gel/NPs/miR-146a was able to sustain the delivery of miRNA into the mucosa after nasal administration. When compared with the monolithic formulations, the gel/NPs/miR-146a binary formulation performed better regarding its nucleic acid delivery ability and pharmacodynamic effects. The gel/NPs/miR-146a binary preparation has a suitable nasal mucosal drug delivery ability and has a positive pharmacodynamic effect for the treatment of ovalbumin-induced rhinitis in rats. It can serve as a potential nucleic acid delivery platform for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Nanoparticles and its biomedical applications in health and diseases: special focus on drug delivery

Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that deals with nanosized particles possessing crucial research roles and application. Disciplines like chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, materials science, and health sciences provide an accumulated knowledge of nanotechnology. Nonetheless, it has vast submissions precisely in biology, electronics, and medicine. Aimed at drug delivery system, nanoparticles are based on the mechanism of entrapment of the drugs or biomolecules into the interior structure of the particles; another mechanism could be that the drugs or the biomolecules can be absorbed onto the exterior surfaces of the particles. Currently, nanoparticles (NPs) are used in the delivery of drugs, proteins, genes, vaccines, polypeptides, nucleic acids, etc. In recent years, various applications of the drug delivery system via NPs have encountered an enormous position sector like pharmaceutical, medical, biological, and others. Considering the impact of NPs in drug delivery systems, this review focuses on the detailed profile of NPs, its impact on biology and medicine, and their commercialization prospects.

Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Xiang Ju Tablets in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis via a Network Pharmacology Approach

In this study, allergic rhinitis (AR) disease targets and Xiang Ju tablet-associated targets were determined through the use of databases for the identification of putative therapeutic targets and then combined. After the production of a putative therapeutic target interaction network for Xiang Ju tablets against AR, topological analysis was used to determine the core targets of Xiang Ju tablets in AR treatment. For all putative therapeutic targets, analyses of biological function and pathway enrichment were performed to optimize the biological processes and key signaling pathways of Xiang Ju tablets in AR treatment. The top 5 therapeutic targets of Xiang Ju tablets in AR treatment were identified and included CXCL8, IL1B, IL6, IL10, and TNF. The biological processes, molecular functions, and cell composition related to the use of Xiang Ju tablets in AR treatment were predominantly associated with cytokine production, regulation of protein secretion, and regulation of peptide secretion; cytokine activity, cytokine receptor binding, and receptor ligand activity; and platelet alpha granule lumen, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, and platelet alpha granule. In addition, the top 64 key signaling pathways were identified.