Solid Lipid Nanoparticles of Dronedarone Hydrochloride for Oral Delivery: Optimization, In Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Uptake Studies

The influence of amphiphilic quaternary ammonium palmitoyl glycol chitosan (GCPQ) polymer composition on oil-loaded nanocapsule architecture

HYPOTHESIS

Predicting the exact nature of the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules into supramolecular structures is of utmost importance for a variety of applications, but this is a challenge for nanotechnology. The amphiphilic drug delivery polymer-N-palmitoyl-N-monomethyl-N,N-dimethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-6-O-glycolchitosan (GCPQ) self-assembles in aqueous media to form nanoparticles.

EXPERIMENT

This work aimed to develop a systematic predictive mathematical model on the eventual nature of oil-loaded GCPQ-nanoparticles and to determine the main independent variables that affect their nanoarchitecture following self-assembly. GCPQ polymers were produced with varying degree of palmitoylation (DP, 5.7-23.8 mol%), degree of quaternization (DQ, 7.2-22.7 mol%), and molecular weight (MW, 11.2-44.2 kDa) and their critical hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (cHLB) optimized to produce oil-loaded nanocapsules.

FINDINGS

Non-linear mathematical models (Particle size (nm) = 466.05 - 5.64DP - 6.52DQ + 0.13DQ2 - 0.03 MW2 - 14.48cHLB + 0.48cHLB2) were derived to predict the nanoparticle sizes (R2 = 0.998, R2adj = 0.995). Smaller nanoparticle sizes (148-157 nm) were obtained at high DP, DQ, and cHLB values, in which DP was the main independent variable responsible for nanoparticle size. Single or multiple-oil cores with small particles stabilizing polymer shells could be observed depending on the oil volume. Nanoparticle architectures, especially the nature of the oil-core(s), were driven by the DP, DQ, cHLB, and oil concentration. Here, we have developed a predictive model that may be applied to understand the nanoarchitecture of oil-loaded GCPQ-nanoparticles.

Lymphatic targeting of cilnidipine by designing and developing a nanostructured lipid carrier drug delivery system

OBJECTIVE

The objective of current research is to design, develop, and optimize a cilnidipine (CLN) nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC)-based drug delivery system for the effective treatment of hypertension (HT).

SIGNIFICANCE

Oral administration of CLN-loaded NLC (CLN NLC) containing glyceryl monostearate (GMS) as a solid and isopropyl myristate (IPM) as a liquid lipid may show remarkable lymphatic uptake through payer patches.

METHODS

The emulsification probe sonication technique was used followed by optimization using 32 factorial designs.

RESULTS

The optimized batch showed a mean particle size of 115.4 ± 0.22 nm with encapsulation efficiency of 98.32 ± 0.23%, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.342 ± 0.03, and zeta potential (ZP, ζ) was -60.5 ± 0.24 which indicate excellent physical stability. In vitro studies showed a controlled release of CLN NLCs. Pharmacokinetics studies determined the Cmax of NLCs (373.47 ± 15.1) indicates 2.3-fold enhancement compared with plain drug (160.64 ± 7.63). Pharmacodynamic studies indicated that CLN NLCs were maintaining systolic blood pressure in a controlled manner without any signs of side effects.

CONCLUSION

CLN NLCs significantly improved lymphatic delivery and proved to be effective in the treatment and management of HT. It has been proved that CLN NLCs are found to be better than any traditional CLN dosage form due to enhancement in solubility, absorption, bioavailability, intestinal permeability, avoidance of first-pass metabolism, P-glycoprotein efflux and reduction in dose-related side effects, achievement of controlled and sustained release action.

Unlocking the Potential of Bilosomes and Modified Bilosomes: a Comprehensive Journey into Advanced Drug Delivery Trends

Vesicular drug delivery systems have revolutionized the pharmaceutical field, offering a promising path for achieving targeted and sustained drug delivery. The oral, transdermal, and ocular routes of administration offer optimal ease in attaining desired therapeutic outcomes. However, conventional treatment strategies are all plagued with several challenges, such as poor skin permeability, ocular barriers, and gastrointestinal (GIT) degradation leading to vesicular disruption with the release of the encapsulated drug before reaching the targeted site of action. In recent years, bilosomes-stabilized nanovesicles containing bile salts have received considerable attention due to their versatility and adaptability for diverse applications. These bilayered vesicles enhance the solubility of lipophilic drugs and improve formulation stability in the gastrointestinal tract. They exhibit ultra-deformable properties, improving stratum corneum permeability, making them ideal candidates for oral and transdermal drug delivery. In addition, bilosomes find utility in topical drug delivery, making them applicable for ocular administration. Over the past decade, extensive research has highlighted bilosomes' potential as superior vesicular carriers surpassing liposomes and niosomes. Advances in this field have led to the development of modified bilosomes, such as probilosomes and surface-modified bilosomes, further enhancing their capabilities and therapeutic potential. Thus, the present review provides a comprehensive summary of bilosomes, modified bilosomes, surface modifications with their mechanism of action, formulation components, preparation methods, patents, and a wide array of recent pharmaceutical applications in oral, transdermal, and ocular drug delivery. The enhanced properties of bilosomes offer promising prospects for targeted and effective drug delivery, providing potential solutions for addressing various therapeutic challenges.

Solid lipid nanoparticles, an effective carrier for classical antifungal drugs

Solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are an innovative group of nanosystems used to deliver medicine to their respective targets with better efficiency and bioavailability in contrast to classical formulations. SLNs are less noxious, have fewer adverse effects, have more biocompatibility, and have easy biodegradability. Lipophilic, hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs can be loaded into SLNs, to enhance their physical and chemical stability in critical environments. Certain antifungal agents used in different treatments are poorly soluble medications, biologicals, proteins etc. incorporated in SLNs to enhance their therapeutic outcome, increase their bioavailability and target specificity. SLNs-based antifungal agents are currently helpful against vicious drug-resistant fungal infections. This review covers the importance of SLNs in drug delivery of classical antifungal drugs, historical background, preparation, physicochemical characteristic, structure and sizes of SLNs, composition, drug entrapment efficacy, clinical evaluations and uses, challenges, antifungal drug resistance, strategies to overcome limitations, novel antifungal agents currently in clinical trials with special emphasis on fungal infections.

Ion-Triggered In Situ Gelling Intranasal Spray of Dronedarone Hydrochloride Nanocarriers: In Vitro Optimization and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Appraisal

The current study aims to develop niosomal nanocarriers for intranasal delivery of dronedarone hydrochloride to ameliorate its limited bioavailability. Niosomes were prepared by ethanol injection method and optimized using 3² full factorial experimental design. Both Span® type (X1) and Span®: cholesterol ratio (X2) were set as independent variables. Vesicle size (Y1), polydispersity index (Y2), zeta potential (Y3), and entrapment efficiency (Y4) were set as responses. The optimal formula was further incorporated into an ion-sensitive in situ gelling polymer for intranasal delivery. Optimal formula (N7), which is composed of Span® 80: cholesterol (1:1), was of the least vesicle size (121.27 ± 13.31 nm), least polydispersity index (0.43 ± 0.073), highest zeta potential (-22.23 ± 2.84 mV) and highest entrapment efficiency (73.44 ± 2.8%). About 75.86% and 60.29% of dronedarone hydrochloride were released from N7 dispersion and in situ gel, respectively, within 12 h, compared to only 13.3% released from a drug-free suspension. In vivo pharmacokinetic study on male New Zealand rabbits resulted in significantly higher Cmax, AUC0-72, and AUC0-∞ of intranasal niosomal in situ gel compared to oral suspension. Almost twofold amplification of relative bioavailability was obtained after intranasal administration of niosomal in situ gel (195.7%) compared to oral suspension.

Clove Oil Endorsed Transdermal Flux of Dronedarone Hydrochloride Loaded Bilosomal Nanogel: Factorial Design, In vitro Evaluation and Ex vivo Permeation

The goal of this study was to develop a bilosomal gel formulation to enhance transdermal permeability of dronedarone hyrdrochloride (DRN) which suffers from poor oral absorption and limited bioavailability. To overcome this obstacle, bilosomes were successfully prepared using 2³ full-factorial design. Span®40, cholesterol, sodium deoxycholate (bile salt), clove oil (permeability enhancer), and either Tween® 60 or Tween® 80 (edge activator) were used in bilosome preparation by ethanol injection method. In this design, independent variables were X1, edge activator type; X2, edge activator amount (mg); and X3, permeability enhancer concentration (% w/v). Optimal formula (B2) of the highest desirability of (0.776) demonstrated minimum vesicle size (VS) of 312.4 ± 24.42 nm, maximum absolute value of zeta potential (ZP) - 36.17 ± 2.57 mV, maximum entrapment efficiency (EE %) of 80.95 ± 3.01%, maximum deformability Index (DI) of 8.24 ± 1.26 g and maximum drug flux after 12 h (J₁₂) of 21.23 ± 1.54 µg/cm² h upon ex vivo permeation study. After 12 h, 70.29 ± 6.46% of DRN was released from B2. TEM identification of B2 showed spherical shaped nanosized vesicles which were physically stable for 3 months at different temperatures. B2 was incorporated into carboxymethylcellulose gel base for easiness of dermal application. B2 gel demonstrated good physical properties, non-Newtonian psuedoplastic flow, and enhanced release (57.0 ± 8.68% of DRN compared to only 13.3 ± 1.2% released from drug suspension after 12 h) and enhanced skin permeation.

Lysosome-Targeted Biosensor for the Super-Resolution Imaging of Lysosome-Mitochondrion Interaction

Background: The interaction between lysosomes and mitochondria includes not only mitophagy but also mitochondrion–lysosome contact (MLC) that enables the two organelles to exchange materials and information. In our study, we synthesised a biosensor with fluorescence characteristics that can image lysosomes for structured illumination microscopy and, in turn, examined morphological changes in mitochondria and the phenomenon of MLC under pathological conditions.

Methods: After designing and synthesising the biosensor, dubbed CNN, we performed an assay with a Cell Counting Kit-8 to detect CNN’s toxicity in relation to H9C2 cardiomyocytes. We next analysed the co-localisation of CNN and the commercial lysosomal probe LTG in cells, qualitatively analysed the imaging characteristics of CNN in different cells (i.e. H9C2, HeLa and HepG2 cells) via structured illumination microscopy and observed how CNN entered cells at different temperatures and levels of endocytosis. Last, we treated the H9C2 cells with mannitol or glucose to observe the morphological changes of mitochondria and their positions relative to lysosomes.

Results: After we endocytosed CNN, a lysosome-targeted biosensor with a wide, stable pH response range, into cells in an energy-dependent manner. SIM also revealed that conditions in high glucose induced stress in lysosomes and changed the morphology of mitochondria from elongated strips to round spheres.

Conclusion: CNN is a new tool for tracking lysosomes in living cells, both physiologically and pathologically, and showcases new options for the design of similar biosensors.

Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Strategies to Address Intestinal Cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 Metabolism towards Personalized Medicine

Drug dosing in clinical practice, which determines optimal efficacy, toxicity or ineffectiveness, is critical to patients' outcomes. However, many orally administered therapeutic drugs are susceptible to biotransformation by a group of important oxidative enzymes, known as cytochrome P450s (CYPs). In particular, CYP3A4 is a low specificity isoenzyme of the CYPs family, which contributes to the metabolism of approximately 50% of all marketed drugs. Induction or inhibition of CYP3A4 activity results in the varied oral bioavailability and unwanted drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-herb interactions. This review explores the need for addressing intestinal CYP3A4 metabolism and investigates the opportunities to incorporate lipid-based oral drug delivery to enable precise dosing. A variety of lipid- and lipid-polymer hybrid-nanoparticles are highlighted to improve drug bioavailability. These drug carriers are designed to target different intestinal regions, including (1) local saturation or inhibition of CYP3A4 activity at duodenum and proximal jejunum; (2) CYP3A4 bypass via lymphatic absorption; (3) pH-responsive drug release or vitamin-B12 targeted cellular uptake in the distal intestine. Exploitation of lipidic nanosystems not only revives drugs removed from clinical practice due to serious drug-drug interactions, but also provide alternative approaches to reduce pharmacokinetic variability.

Development and Optimization of Mirabegron Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as an Oral Drug Delivery for Overactive Bladder

BACKGROUND

Mirabegron (MBN), a β-3 adrenergic agent, is used in the treatment of overactive bladder. MBN has alow water solubility, high first-pass metabolism, and low bioavailability, consequently having poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

OBJECTIVE

The present study is intended to formulate Mirabegron-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (MBN-SLN) coated with PEG-400 to bypass hepatic first-pass metabolism and to improve its oral bioavailability.

METHODS

MBN-SLNs were developed using glyceryl monostearate by pre-emulsion-ultrasonication method, which was then optimized applying Box-Behnken Design. The optimized batch of MBN-SLN was selected for surface-modification with PEG-400 (MBN-PEG-SLN) and characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy, DSC, and XRD. Bioavailability studies were conducted in Wistar rats after oral administration of plain MBN dispersion, MBN-SLN, and MBN-PEG-SLN.

RESULTS

Stable MBN-SLNs and MBN-PEG-SLN of the optimized batch having a mean particle size of 162.7 nm and 149.9 nm; zeta potential of -39.1 mV and -30.9 mV; % entrapment of 89.90% and 90.12%, respectively, were developed. The results of the in vitro drug release studies demonstrated a significant slow release of MBN from MBN-SLN (69.38%) and MBN-PEG-SLN (61.33%) as compared to the dispersion of pure drug (92.10%). The relative bioavailability, as a result of the in vivo studies, of MBN from MBN-PEG-SLN increased by 2-fold, based on the Cmax values, in comparison with the plain MBN dispersion.

CONCLUSION

Thus, the study established that the oral bioavailability of MBN could be improved by the administration of MBN-PEG-SLN. The obtained results indicate SLNs as a potential drug delivery system for improving the bioavailability of poorly bioavailable drugs such as MBN by abating the first-pass metabolism.