Cobratoxin inhibits pain-evoked discharge of neurons in thalamic parafascicular nucleus in rats: involvement of cholinergic and serotonergic systems

Dual-Drug Delivery by Anisotropic and Uniform Hybrid Nanostructures: A Comparative Study of the Function and Substrate-Drug Interaction Properties

By utilizing nanoparticles to upload and interact with several pharmaceuticals in varying methods, the primary obstacles associated with loading two or more medications or cargos with different characteristics may be addressed. Therefore, it is feasible to evaluate the benefits provided by co-delivery systems utilizing nanoparticles by investigating the properties and functions of the commonly used structures, such as multi- or simultaneous-stage controlled release, synergic effect, enhanced targetability, and internalization. However, due to the unique surface or core features of each hybrid design, the eventual drug-carrier interactions, release, and penetration processes may vary. Our review article focused on the drug's loading, binding interactions, release, physiochemical, and surface functionalization features, as well as the varying internalization and cytotoxicity of each structure that may aid in the selection of an appropriate design. This was achieved by comparing the actions of uniform-surfaced hybrid particles (such as core-shell particles) to those of anisotropic, asymmetrical hybrid particles (such as Janus, multicompartment, or patchy particles). Information is provided on the use of homogeneous or heterogeneous particles with specified characteristics for the simultaneous delivery of various cargos, possibly enhancing the efficacy of treatment techniques for illnesses such as cancer.

pH-sensitive dual drug loaded janus nanoparticles by oral delivery for multimodal analgesia

Background

Based on the concept of “multimodal analgesia”, a novel dual drug delivery system was designed to achieve synergistic analgesia between najanajaatra venom protein (αCT) and resveratrol (Res). In order to meet the joint loading of two drugs with different physicochemical properties without affecting each other, an oral Janus nanoparticle (JNP) with a unique cavity structure and synergistic drug delivery was constructed using an improved double emulsion solvent evaporation method, and combined with low-molecular-weight chitosan/sodium alginate and PLGA to achieve its pH-responsive.

Results

The synthesized αCT/Res-JNPs are homogeneous in shape, with a two-compartment structure, approximately 230 nm in size, and zeta potential of 23.6 mV. Drug release assayed in vitro show that JNP was stable in simulated gastric juice (pH = 1.2) but was released in phosphate buffer saline (pH = 7.4). After intragastric administration in rats, PK evaluation showed that αCT/Res-JNPs could significantly improve the oral bioavailability, and the simultaneous encapsulation of the two drugs had no significant interaction on PK parameters. An obvious synergistic analgesic effects of αCT/Res-JNPs was confirmed in a spinal cord injury and acute pain model. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and single-pass intestinal perfusion model provided strong evidence that αCT/Res-JNPs could pass through intestinal epithelial cells, and the endocytosis pathway was mainly involved in the mediation and pinocytosis of reticulin. The concentrations of αCT and Res from αCT/Res-JNP in lymphatic transport were only about 8.72% and 6.08% of their blood concentrations at 1 h, respectively, which indicated that lymphatic transport in the form of JNP has limited advantages in improving the oral bioavailability of Res and αCT. Cellular uptake efficiency at 4 h was about 10–15% in Caco-2 cell lines for αCT/Res-JNP, but was reduced to 7% in Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture models due to the hindrance by the mucus layers. Approximately 12–17% of αCT/Res-JNP were transported across Caco-2/HT29-MTX/Raji monolayers. The cumulative absorption of JNP in three cell models was higher than that of free drug.

Conclusions

This study investigated the contribution of Janus nanoparticles in oral absorption, and provide a new perspective for oral administration and analgesic treatment of dual drug delivery system containing peptide drugs.

Graphic Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-021-00974-6.

Detection and confirmation of α-cobratoxin in equine plasma by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

α-Cobratoxin (CTX) is a large peptide (71 amino acids) with strong analgesic effect and may be misused in sports such as horse racing. To prevent such misuse, a sensitive method is required for detection and confirmation of the toxin in equine samples. CTX was extracted from equine plasma using an optimized mixed-mode solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure. Extracted CTX was reduced with dithiothreitol and alkylated with iodoacetamide, and then was digested by trypsin at 56°C for 30min. The digest was analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and tryptic peptides T2 (³CFITPDITSK¹²) and T4 (²⁴TWCDAFCSIR³³) were monitored for detection and confirmation of CTX. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05ng/mL for CTX in plasma, and the limit of confirmation (LOC) 0.2ng/mL. Unlike small peptides consisting of the 20 canonical amino acids, CTX was stable in equine plasma at ambient temperature for at least 24h. The developed analytical method was successfully applied to analysis of incurred plasma samples; CTX was detected in plasma collected 15min through 36h post subcutaneous administration of CTX (2.0mg dose) to a research horse, and confirmed 30min through 24h. Additionally, an approach named "reliable targeted SEQUEST search" has been proposed for assessing the specificity of T2 at product ion spectrum level for confirmation of CTX. T2 is uniquely specific for CTX, as evaluated with this approach and BLAST search. Furthermore, the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a mobile phase additive on electrospray (ESI) response of T2 and T4, background noise level and signal to noise ratio (S/N) was examined; DMSO increased signal intensity of T2 and T4 by a factor of less than 2. It is the first report that DMSO raised background noise level and did not improve S/N for the peptides, to the authors' knowledge. The developed analytical method may be applicable for analysis of CTX in plasma from other species such as greyhound dogs or even human beings.

A single-label fluorescent derivatization method for quantitative determination of neurotoxin in vivo by capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Neurotoxin (NT), a short-chain α-neurotoxin, is the main neurotoxic protein identified from the venom of Naja naja atra. As an effective drug for the analgesis of advanced cancer patients, NT lasts longer than morphine and does not cause addiction. However, achieving a sensitive and high-resolution measurement of NT is difficult because of the extra-low content of NT in vivo. Therefore, developing a novel method to quantify NT is essential to study its pharmacokinetics in vivo. Although NT contains four primary amine groups that could react with the thiourea in fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), we developed a simple and reproducible single-label fluorescent derivatization method for NT which is related to the reaction of N-terminal α-amino of NT alone under optimized derivatization conditions. Furthermore, neurotoxin labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (NT-FITC) was prepared by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a purity value higher than 99.29% and identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. Finally, NT-FITC could be detected at 0.8 nmol L(-1) in rat plasma using capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). In this paper, the established method robustly and reliably quantified NT labelled with FITC via intravenous and intramuscular administrations in vivo. In addition, this work fully demonstrated the pharmacokinetic characteristics of NT in vivo, which could reduce the risk of drug accumulation, optimize therapies, and provide sufficient evidence for the rational use of NT in clinical and research laboratories.

Pain management via local anesthetics and responsive hydrogels

Acute and chronic pain control is a significant clinical challenge that has been largely unmet. Local anesthetics are widely used for the control of post-operative pain and in the therapy of acute and chronic pain. While a variety of approaches are currently used to prolong the duration of action of local anesthetics, an optimal strategy to achieve neural blockage for several hours to days with minimal toxicity has yet to be identified. Several drug delivery systems such as liposomes, microparticles and nanoparticles have been investigated as local anesthetic delivery vehicles to achieve prolonged anesthesia. Recently, injectable responsive hydrogels raise significant interest for the localized delivery of anesthetic molecules. This paper discusses the potential of injectable hydrogels to prolong the action of local anesthetics.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit is involved in the cobratoxin-induced antinociception in an animal model of neuropathic pain

In this study we report that cobratoxin (CbTX), a long-chain postsynaptic α-neurotoxin isolated from the Thailand cobra, Naja naja kaouthia, has antinociceptive effect in rats with neuropathic pain. The neuropathic pain model was established in rats with partial sciatic nerve ligature (PSNL) method. The pain response was examined behaviorally with mechanical paw withdrawal and thermal paw withdrawal method. Different doses (0.56, 1.12 and 4.50 μg/kg) of CbTX were injected intrathecally. Injection of CbTX resulted in a significant dose-dependent antinociception as evidenced by increased mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency. CbTX also induces a significant dose-dependent inhibition of pain-evoked unit discharges of thalamic parafascicular neurons. Both the behavioral mechanical and thermal antinociception and the inhibition of pain-evoked discharges of neurons in thalamic parafascicular nucleus in PSNL model could be mimicked by PUN282987, selective α7 nicotinic AChR (α7 nAChR) agonist and reversed by methyllycaconitine (MLA) selective α7 nAChR antagonist. In summary, these results suggested that AChR α7 subunit was involved in the antinociceptive action of CbTX for neuropathic pain and might be the candidate target for analgesic drug design.

Antinociceptive activity and pathway of the pallanalgesin isolated from venom of Agkistrodon halys (Pallas)

CONTEXT

Venom of Agkstrodon halys (Pallas) is a traditional Chinese medicine for the control of severe pain, but its analgesic mechanism is not clear.

OBJECTIVE

To isolate the analgesic fraction from the venom, evaluate the profile of its action on pain using preclinical nociceptive tests and determine the involvement of neurotransmitters in its action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Venom was separated with SPXL resin, and further purified by Superdex 75 and Superdex 30 resin. Its biochemical characteristics were analyzed including molecular weight (MW), isoelectric point (pI) and amino acid sequence. Animal pain models were applied including the hot plate test, acetic acid-induced writhing test, formalin test, Randall-Selitto pressure test, antagonistic test, spinalized rats test and intracerebral injection test. The endogenous neuropeptides leucine-enkephalin, β-endorphin and P substance were determined by HPLC in the tissues of brain and spinal cord.

RESULTS

An analgesic protein named pallanalgesin (MW 16.6 kDa, pI 8.8) was obtained from the venom of A. halys. It had significant antinociceptive activity in different animal pain models of thermal, chemical and mechanical stimulation. It effects both central and peripheral nerve systems, and it is related to opiate receptors and monoamines rather than acetylcholine receptors. Pallanalgesin could modulate the levels of neuropeptides in the brain and spinal cord, which contributes to the recovery of nerve injury and pain control.

CONCLUSION

As a novel analgesic, pallanalgesin has been found to explain the function of the venom of A. halys on severe pain control in traditional uses, and can be used as a new analgesic in the future.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of orally administrated denatured naja naja atra venom on murine rheumatoid arthritis models

To investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the denatured Naja Naja atra venom (NNAV) in rheumatoid arthritis-associated models, the denatured NNAV (heat treated; 30, 90, 270 μg/kg), the native NNAV (untreated with heat; 90 μg/kg), and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside (TWP, 15 mg/kg) were administrated orally either prophylactically or therapeutically. We measured time of licking the affected paw in formaldehyde-induced inflammatory model, paw volume in egg-white-induced inflammation, and granuloma weight in formalin-soaked filter paper-induced granuloma. For adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats, paw edema, mechanical withdrawal threshold, serum levels of TNF-α and IL-10, and histopathological changes of the affected paw were assessed. We found that the denatured NNAV (90, 270 μg/kg) significantly reduced time of licking paw, paw volume, and granuloma weight in above inflammatory models and also attenuated paw edema, mechanical hyperalgesia, and histopathology changes in AIA rats. Additionally, the increase in serum TNF-α and the decrease in serum IL-10 in AIA rats were reversed by the denatured NNAV. Although the native NNAV and TWP rendered the similar pharmacological actions on the above four models with less potency than that of the denatured NNAV, these findings demonstrate that oral administration of the denatured NNAV produces antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities on rheumatoid arthritis.

Alpha-cobratoxin inhibits T-type calcium currents through muscarinic M4 receptor and Gο-protein βγ subunits-dependent protein kinase A pathway in dorsal root ganglion neurons

The long-chain neurotoxic protein, alpha-cobratoxin (α-CTx), has been shown to have analgesic effects. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of α-CTx on T-type calcium channel currents (T-currents) and elucidated the relevant mechanisms in mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Our results showed that α-CTx reversibly inhibited T-currents in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect was blocked by the selective muscarinic M4 receptor antagonist tropicamide, while methyllycaconitine, a specific antagonist for the α7 subtype of nicotinic receptor had no effect. siRNA targeting the M4 receptor in small DRG neurons abolished α-CTx-induced T-current inhibition. Intracellular application of GDP-β-S or a selective antibody against the G(o)α-protein, as well as pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin, abolished the inhibitory effects of α-CTx. The M4 receptor-mediated response was blocked by dialyzing cells with QEHA peptide or anti-G(β) antibody. Pretreatment of the cells with protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 or intracellular application of PKI 6-22 abolished α-CTx-induced T-current inhibition in small DRG neurons, whereas inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or PKC elicited no such effects. In addition, α-CTx significantly increased PKA activity in DRG neurons, whereas pretreatment of the cells with tropicamide abolished this effect. In summary, our results suggest that activation of muscarinic M4 receptor by α-CTx inhibits T-currents via the G(βγ) of G(o)-protein and PKA-dependent pathway. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'.

Activation of M3 muscarinic receptors inhibits T-type Ca(2+) channel currents via pertussis toxin-sensitive novel protein kinase C pathway in small dorsal root ganglion neurons

Cobrotoxin (CbT), a short-chain postsynaptic α-neurotoxin, has been reported to play a role in analgesia. However, to date, the detailed mechanisms still remain unknown. In the present study, we identify a novel functional role of CbT in modulating T-type Ca(2+) channel currents (T-currents) in small dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons as well as pain behaviors in mice. We found that CbT inhibited T-currents in a dose-dependent manner. CbT at 1μM reversibly inhibited T-currents by ~26.3%. This inhibitory effect was abolished by the non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) antagonist atropine, or the selective M3 mAChR antagonist 4-DAMP, while naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist had no effect. Intracellular infusion of GDP-β-S or pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin (PTX) completely blocked the inhibitory effects of CbT. Using depolarizing prepulse, we found the absence of direct binding between G-protein βγ subunits and T-type Ca(2+) channels in CbT-induced T-current inhibition. CbT responses were abolished by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 (but not the inactive analog U73343). The classical and novel protein kinase C (nPKC) antagonist chelerythrine chlorid or GF109203X abolished CbT responses, whereas the classical PKC antagonist Ro31-8820 or inhibition of PKA elicited no such effects. Intrathecal administration of CbT (5μg/kg) produced antinociceptive effects in mechanical, thermal, and inflammatory pain models. Moreover, CbT-induced antinociception could be abrogated by 4-DAMP. Taken together, these results suggest that CbT acting through M3 mAChR inhibits T-currents via a PTX-sensitive nPKC pathway in small DRG neurons, which could contribute to its analgesic effects in mice.

The effect of dopamine on pain-related neurons in the parafascicular nucleus of rats

Dopamine (DA) regulates pain perception in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the mechanism of the action of DA in pain-related neurons of the parafascicular nucleus (Pf) is not clear. The present study aimed to determine the effect of DA and its receptor antagonist, droperidol on the pain-evoked responses of the pain-excited neurons (PEN) and pain-inhibited neurons (PIN) in the Pf of rats and to analyze the mechanisms underlying this effect. The trains of electric impulses applied to the sciatic nerve were used as noxious stimulation. The discharges of PEN and PIN in the Pf were recorded by using a glass microelectrode. The results showed that, in the Pf, intra-Pf microinjection of DA (5 microg/0.5 microl) increased the frequency of noxious stimulation-induced discharges of the PEN and decreased the frequency of those of the PIN, while the intra-Pf administration of droperidol (0.15 microg/0.5 microl) produced an opposite effect. On the basis of the above-mentioned findings, we could conclude that DA and its receptors in the Pf are involved in the modulation of the nociceptive response by regulating the discharges of PEN and PIN.