Supramolecular nanofiber of indomethacin derivative confers highly cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selectivity and boosts anti-inflammatory efficacy

A supramolecular hydrogel eye-drop alleviates inflammation via clathrin-mediated endocytosis

The modulation of inflammation is effective to treat many ocular surface diseases. Thus the low bioavailability of common anti-inflammatory eye-drops urges the development of ocular drug delivery systems to extend the ocular retention and enhance the cellular uptake for improving anti-inflammatory effect of eye-drops. Here we covalently conjugate two molecules of clinically anti-inflammatory drug (i.e., dexamethasone) with a small peptide (i.e., Tyr-Glu-Asn-Pro-Thr-Tyr) to generate an anti-inflammatory hydrogel eye-drop. With a self-assembled ability, the designed supramolecular hydrogel achieves gel-sol-gel transition by varying shearing forces which increases the pre-corneal retention of drug. The fluorescent imaging reveals the efficient cellular uptake of designed conjugate via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. A rodent model of endotoxin-induced uveitis verifies that the supramolecular hydrogel eye-drop suppresses inflammation responses without ocular irritation. As a rational approach to design anti-inflammatory drugs as eye-drops, this work overcomes the frequent instillation of clinical eye-drops and further improves the bioavailability of anti-inflammatory drugs, which may provide an effective and household way to fight ocular surface inflammation.

Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals the toxic effects of antimony on the earthworm

Antimony (Sb) poses a significant ecological threat. This study combines biochemical, pathological, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses to assess the short-term (14-day) toxic impact of two Sb levels (25 mg/kg and 125 mg/kg) on earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Higher Sb concentration caused severe intestinal damage, elevated metallothionein (MT) levels, and reduced antioxidant capacity. Metabolome analysis identifies 404 and 1698 significantly differential metabolites in the two groups. Metabolites such as S(-)-cathinone, N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine, serotonin, 4-hydroxymandelonitrile, and 5-fluoropentylindole contributed to the metabolic responses to Sb stress. Transcriptome analysis shows increased chitin synthesis as a protective response, impacting amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism for cell wall synthesis and damage repair. Integrated analysis indicated that 5 metabolite-gene pairs were found in two Sb levels and 11 enriched pathways were related to signal transduction, carbohydrate metabolism, immune system, amino acid metabolism, digestive system, and nervous system. Therefore, the integration of multiomics approaches enhanced our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of Sb in E. fetida.

Computational Molecular Docking and Simulation-Based Assessment of Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn Phytochemicals

The leaves, flowers, seeds, and bark of the Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn plant have been pharmacologically evaluated to signify the medicinal importance traditionally described for various ailments. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory potentials of 26 natural compounds using AutoDock 4.2 and Molecular Dynamics (MDS) performed with the GROMACS tool. SwissADME evaluated ADME (adsorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) parameters. Arb_E and Beta-sito, natural compounds of the plant, showed significant levels of binding affinity against COX-1, COX-2, PDE4, PDE7, IL-17A, IL-17D, TNF-α, IL-1β, prostaglandin E2, and prostaglandin F synthase. The control drug celecoxib exhibited a binding energy of -9.29 kcal/mol, and among the tested compounds, Arb_E was the most significant (docking energy: -10.26 kcal/mol). Beta_sito was also observed with high and considerable docking energy of -8.86 kcal/mol with the COX-2 receptor. COX-2 simulation in the presence of Arb_E and control drug celecoxib, RMSD ranged from 0.15 to 0.25 nm, showing stability until the end of the simulation. Also, MM-PBSA analysis showed that Arb_E bound to COX-2 exhibited the lowest binding energy of -277.602 kJ/mol. Arb_E and Beta_sito showed interesting ADME physico-chemical and drug-like characteristics with significant drug-like effects. Therefore, the studied natural compounds could be potential anti-inflammatory molecules and need further in vitro/in vivo experimentation to develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs.