Probing the micellar properties of Quinacrine 2HCl and its binding with surfactants and human serum albumin

Overstretching alveolar epithelial type II cells decreases surfactant secretion via actin polymerization and intracellular trafficking alteration

Pulmonary surfactant is essential for maintaining proper lung function. Alveolar epithelial type II (AE2) cells secrete surfactants via lamellar bodies (LBs). In tidal loading during each breath, the physiological cyclic stretching of AE2 cells promotes surfactant secretion. Excessive stretching inhibits surfactant secretion, which is considered to contribute to the development of lung damage. However, its precise mechanism remains unknown. This study tested whether actin polymerization and intracellular transport are required for pulmonary surfactant secretion and the association of actin polymerization and transport in identical human AE2-derived A549 cells using live-cell imaging, not in the bulk cells population. We found that overstretching approximately doubled actin polymerization into filaments (F-actin) and suppressed LB secretion by half in the fluorescent area ratio, compared with physiological stretching (F-actin: 1.495 vs 0.643 (P < 0.01); LB: 0.739 vs 0.332 (P < 0.01)). An inhibitor of actin polymerization increased LB secretion. Intracellular tracking using fluorescent particles revealed that cyclic stretching shifted the particle motion perpendicularly to the direction of stretching according to the orientation of the F-actin (proportion of perpendicular axis motion prior particle: 0h 40.12 % vs 2h 63.13 % (P < 0.01)), and particle motion was restricted over time in the cells subjected to overstretching, indicating that overstretching regulates intracellular transport dynamics (proportion of stop motion particle: 0h 1.01 % vs 2h 11.04 % (P < 0.01)). These findings suggest that overstretching changes secretion through the cytoskeleton: overstretching AE2 cells inhibits pulmonary surfactant secretion, at least through accelerating actin polymerization and decreasing intracellular trafficking, and the change in actin orientation would modulate intracellular trafficking.

Antimalarial Quinacrine and Chloroquine Lose Their Activity by Decreasing Cationic Amphiphilic Structure with a Slight Decrease in pH

Quinacrine (QC) and chloroquine (CQ) have antimicrobial and antiviral activities as well as antimalarial activity, although the mechanisms remain unknown. QC increased the antimicrobial activity against yeast exponentially with a pH-dependent increase in the cationic amphiphilic drug (CAD) structure. CAD-QC localized in the yeast membranes and induced glucose starvation by noncompetitively inhibiting glucose uptake as antipsychotic chlorpromazine (CPZ) did. An exponential increase in antimicrobial activity with pH-dependent CAD formation was also observed for CQ, indicating that the CAD structure is crucial for its pharmacological activity. A decrease in CAD structure with a slight decrease in pH from 7.4 greatly reduced their effects; namely, these drugs would inefficiently act on falciparum malaria and COVID-19 pneumonia patients with acidosis, resulting in resistance. The decrease in CAD structure at physiological pH was not observed for quinine, primaquine, or mefloquine. Therefore, restoring the normal blood pH or using pH-insensitive quinoline drugs might be effective for these infectious diseases with acidosis.

Solubilization and Thermodynamic Attributes of Nickel Phenanthroline Complex in Micellar Media of Sodium 2-Ethyl Hexyl Sulfate and Sodium Bis(2-ethyl hexyl) Sulfosuccinate

Micellar solubilization and physicochemical behaviour of [Ni(phen)3]F2 EtOH · MeOH · 8 H2O complex in sodium 2-ethylhexyl sulfate and sodium bis(2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate is addressed in this paper. The interactions of surfactants in the solution of nickel complex were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy and electrical conductivity. The extent of solubilization in terms of partitioning and binding parameters was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, whereas conductivity data were employed to calculate critical micellar concentration and other thermodynamic parameters of micellization. The value of critical micellar concentration increased in both surfactants due to structure breaking effect of nickel complex. The complex showed significant antioxidant radical scavenging and hemolytic activities, without any substantial cytotoxic activity against 3T3 cell line.

Hetero-association models of non-covalent molecular complexation

The present review discusses the current state-of-the-art in building models enabling the description of non-covalent equilibrium complexation of different types of molecules in solution, which results in the formation of supramolecular structures different in length and composition (hetero-association or supramolecular multicomponent co-polymerisation). The description is focused on standard physical and chemical quantities such as experimental observables and equilibrium parameters of interaction (equilibrium constants and concentrations). The major partial cases of the hetero-association models, such as finite and indefinite isodesmic and cooperative complexations, and Benesi-Hildebrand and Langmuir adsorption models are considered. Future challenges in the development of the hetero-association models are provided.

Thermosensitive Liposomal Codelivery of HSA-Paclitaxel and HSA-Ellagic Acid Complexes for Enhanced Drug Perfusion and Efficacy Against Pancreatic Cancer

Fibrotic stroma and tumor-promoting pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), critical characters in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) microenvironment, promote a tumor-facilitating environment that simultaneously prevents drug penetration into tumor foci and stimulates tumor growth. Nab-PTX, a human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticle of paclitaxel (PTX), indicates enhanced matrix penetration in PDA probably due to its small size in vivo and high affinity of HSA with secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), overexpressed in the PDA stroma. However, this HSA nanoparticle shows poor drug blood retention because of its weak colloidal stability in vivo, thus resulting in insufficient drug accumulation within tumor. Encapsulating HSA nanoparticles into the internal aqueous phase of ordinary liposomes improves their blood retention and the following tumor accumulation, but the large 200 nm size and shielding of HSA in the interior might make it difficult for this hybrid nanomedicine to penetrate the fibrotic PDA matrix and promote bioavailability of the payload. In our current work, we prepared ∼9 nm HSA complexes with an antitumor drug (PTX) and an anti-PSC drug (ellagic acid, EA), and these two HSA-drug complexes were further coencapsulated into thermosensitive liposomes (TSLs). This nanomedicine was named TSL/HSA-PE. The use of TSL/HSA-PE could improve drug blood retention, and upon reaching locally heated tumors, these TSLs can rapidly release their payloads (HSA-drug complexes) to facilitate their further tumor accumulation and matrix penetration. With superior tumor accumulation, impressive matrix penetration, and simultaneous action upon tumor cells and PSCs to disrupt PSCs-PDA interaction, TSL/HSA-PE treatment combined with heat exhibited strong tumor growth inhibition and apoptosis in vivo.

Partitioning of reactive yellow 86 between aqueous and micellar media studied by differential absorption spectroscopy

The present study describes the partitioning of a reactive dye, reactive yellow 86, between aqueous and micellar media of a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB), as well as an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS). In a systematic investigation, we have recorded the UV–vis absorption spectra of the dye as a function of surfactant’s concentration above and below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Absorption spectra display a red shift in the case of CTAB and a hypochromic shift upon using SDS. The partition coefficient (Kx) was calculated using differential absorption data, and the value of free energy of partition (ΔGp) was calculated using this Kx value. The results revealed that the dye is solubilized in CTAB micelles to a greater extent than in SDS micelles.

Thermodynamic Solution Properties of Benzalkonium Chloride in Aqueous and Ethanolic Media and its Interactions with Organized Assemblies of Anionic Surfactant Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate and Amino Acids

This manuscript reports the physicochemical behaviour of antimicrobial cationic surfactant benzalkonium chloride (BAC) as well as its interaction with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate in term of mixed micelle. Surface activity of pure BAC was studied by measuring the surface parameters i. e. surface pressure (Π), surface excess concentration (Γ), area per molecule and standard Gibbs free energy of adsorption (ΔGads). The electrical conductivity was measured to calculate the thermodynamic parameters like free energy of micellization, ΔGm, enthalpy of micellization, ΔHm and entropy of micellization, ΔSm. The interaction of the drug with sodium dodecyl sulfate was studied, in term of mixed micelle, by electrical conductivity and UV/Visible spectroscopy. Spectroscopic method helps to calculate the partition coefficient (Kx) and free energy of partition, while the conductivity method is helpful to calculate thermodynamic parameters of their interaction. The effect of different amino acids on CMC of BAC has also been studied.

Thermodynamic and spectroscopic investigation of interactions between reactive red 223 and reactive orange 122 anionic dyes and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) cationic surfactant in aqueous solution

The present study describes the conductometric and spectroscopic study of the interaction of reactive anionic dyes, namely, reactive red 223 and reactive orange 122 with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). In a systematic investigation, the electrical conductivity data was used to calculate various thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and the entropy (ΔS) of solubilization. The trend of change in these thermodynamic quantities indicates toward the entropy driven solubilization process. Moreover, the results from spectroscopic data reveal high degree of solubilization, with strong interactions observed in the cases of both dyes and the CTAB. The spontaneous nature of solubilization and binding was evident from the observed negative values of free energies (ΔG_p and ΔG_b).