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Feng L, Lu WH, Li QY, Zhang HY, Xu LR, Zang WQ, Guo WT, Li YF, Zheng WJ, Geng YX, Li Q, Liu YH. Curcuma Longa Induces the Transcription Factor FOXP3 to Downregulate Human Chemokine CCR5 Expression and Inhibit HIV-1 Infection. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2023; 51:1189-1209. [PMID: 37314412 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x23500544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
HIV mutations occur frequently despite the substantial success of combination antiretroviral therapy, which significantly impairs HIV progression. Failure to develop specific vaccines, the occurrence of drug-resistant strains, and the high incidence of adverse effects due to combination antiviral therapy regimens call for novel and safer antivirals. Natural products are an important source of new anti-infective agents. For instance, curcumin inhibits HIV and inflammation in cell culture assays. Curcumin, the principal constituent of the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. (turmeric), is known as a strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent with different pharmacological effects. This work aims to assess curcumin's inhibitory effects on HIV in vitro and to explore the underpinning mechanism, focusing on CCR5 and the transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3). First, curcumin and the RT inhibitor zidovudine (AZT) were evaluated for their inhibitory properties. HIV-1 pseudovirus infectivity was determined by green fluorescence and luciferase activity measurements in HEK293T cells. AZT was used as a positive control that inhibited HIV-1 pseudoviruses dose-dependently, with IC50 values in the nanomolar range. Then, a molecular docking analysis was carried out to assess the binding affinities of curcumin for CCR5 and HIV-1 RNase H/RT. The anti-HIV activity assay showed that curcumin inhibited HIV-1 infection, and the molecular docking analysis revealed equilibrium dissociation constants of [Formula: see text]9.8[Formula: see text]kcal/mol and [Formula: see text]9.3[Formula: see text]kcal/mol between curcumin and CCR5 and HIV-1 RNase H/RT, respectively. To examine curcumin's anti-HIV effect and its mechanism in vitro, cell cytotoxicity, transcriptome sequencing, and CCR5 and FOXP3 amounts were assessed at different concentrations of curcumin. In addition, human CCR5 promoter deletion constructs and the FOXP3 expression plasmid pRP-FOXP3 (with an EGFP tag) were generated. Whether FOXP3 DNA binding to the CCR5 promoter was blunted by curcumin was examined using transfection assays employing truncated CCR5 gene promoter constructs, a luciferase reporter assay, and a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Furthermore, micromolar concentrations of curcumin inactivated the nuclear transcription factor FOXP3, which resulted in decreased expression of CCR5 in Jurkat cells. Moreover, curcumin inhibited PI3K-AKT activation and its downstream target FOXP3. These findings provide mechanistic evidence encouraging further assessment of curcumin as a dietary agent used to reduce the virulence of CCR5-tropic HIV-1. Curcumin-mediated FOXP3 degradation was also reflected in its functions, namely, CCR5 promoter transactivation and HIV-1 virion production. Furthermore, curcumin inhibition of CCR5 and HIV-1 might constitute a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing HIV progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Feng
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Wu-Hao Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450052, P. R. China
| | - Qing-Ya Li
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Hai-Yan Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Li-Ran Xu
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Qiao Zang
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Tao Guo
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong Province 523808, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Fang Li
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Jin Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Xuan Geng
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Han Liu
- Department of Pathogenic Organism Biology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450046, P. R. China
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Guzmán-Mejía F, Godínez-Victoria M, Molotla-Torres DE, Drago-Serrano ME. Lactoferrin as a Component of Pharmaceutical Preparations: An Experimental Focus. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:214. [PMID: 37259362 PMCID: PMC9961256 DOI: 10.3390/ph16020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lactoferrin is an 80 kDa monomeric glycoprotein that exhibits multitask activities. Lactoferrin properties are of interest in the pharmaceutical field for the design of products with therapeutic potential, including nanoparticles and liposomes, among many others. In antimicrobial preparations, lactoferrin has been included either as a main bioactive component or as an enhancer of the activity and potency of first-line antibiotics. In some proposals based on nanoparticles, lactoferrin has been included in delivery systems to transport and protect drugs from enzymatic degradation in the intestine, favoring the bioavailability for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Moreover, nanoparticles loaded with lactoferrin have been formulated as delivery systems to transport drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, which cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the central nervous system. This manuscript is focused on pharmaceutical products either containing lactoferrin as the bioactive component or formulated with lactoferrin as the carrier considering its interaction with receptors expressed in tissues as targets of drugs delivered via parenteral or mucosal administration. We hope that this manuscript provides insights about the therapeutic possibilities of pharmaceutical Lf preparations with a sustainable approach that contributes to decreasing the resistance of antimicrobials and enhancing the bioavailability of first-line drugs for intestinal chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Guzmán-Mejía
- Unidad Xochimilco, Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México CP 04960, Mexico
| | - Marycarmen Godínez-Victoria
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México CP 11340, Mexico
| | - Daniel Efrain Molotla-Torres
- Unidad Xochimilco, Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México CP 04960, Mexico
| | - Maria Elisa Drago-Serrano
- Unidad Xochimilco, Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México CP 04960, Mexico
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Dong H, Hong X, He Y, Bao Z, Zhang Y, Shen S, Wang G, Zhang J, Mo R. A carrier-free metal-organic hybrid nanoassembly with combination anti-viral and hepato-protective activity for hepatitis B treatment. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:4356-4366. [PMID: 35786722 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00407k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis B represents a major global public health burden, which is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) with a high infection rate. Although several anti-HBV drugs have been developed for clinical treatment of hepatitis B, the current therapeutic strategies still suffer from undeniable adverse effects, insufficient efficacy after systemic administration and chronic inflammation. Here, we develop a carrier-free metal-organic hybrid nanoassembly that is co-loaded with tenofovir (TFV), an anti-viral agent and phosphorylated glycyrrhetinic acid (GAP), an anti-inflammatory compound (TFV/GAP/NA) to enhance the anti-HBV effect and alleviate the inflammatory response for hepatitis B treatment. The nanoassembly is easily prepared through the ionic interactions between the anionic phosphonate/phosphate groups from TFV/GAP and the zirconium cation, which has a stable nanostructure and a high drug-loading capacity. The nanoassembly prolongs the circulation time with reduced drug leakage in the blood and elevates drug accumulation in the liver after intravascular administration. After internalization mediated by the GAP ligand-GA receptor interaction, TFV/GAP/NA disassembles by the phosphatase-triggered degradation of the phosphate ester bonds in GAP and releases TFV, GAP and GA within the HBV-positive hepatocytes. The released TFV interferes with the HBV polymerase to inhibit the viral DNA replication, while the released GAP and GA suppress the pro-inflammatory protein expression. In mouse models, treatment with TFV/GAP/NA inhibits HBV production and alleviates inflammation-mediated liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiaodan Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yingjiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zhengxiang Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Shiyang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Guangji Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jingwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Ran Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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das Neves J, Notario-Pérez F, Sarmento B. Women-specific routes of administration for drugs: A critical overview. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113865. [PMID: 34280514 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The woman's body presents a number of unique anatomical features that can constitute valuable routes for the administration of drugs, either for local or systemic action. These are associated with genitalia (vaginal, endocervical, intrauterine, intrafallopian and intraovarian routes), changes occurring during pregnancy (extra-amniotic, intra-amniotic and intraplacental routes) and the female breast (breast intraductal route). While the vaginal administration of drug products is common, other routes have limited clinical application and are fairly unknown even for scientists involved in drug delivery science. Understanding the possibilities and limitations of women-specific routes is of key importance for the development of new preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that will ultimately contribute to the advancement of women's health. This article provides an overview on women-specific routes for the administration of drugs, focusing on aspects such as biological features pertaining to drug delivery, relevance in current clinical practice, available drug dosage forms/delivery systems and administration techniques, as well as recent trends in the field.
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