Pro-Inflammatory Implications of 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Treatment

Therapeutic potential of procathepsin L-inhibiting and progesterone-entrapping dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles in treating experimental sepsis

The pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial infections and resultant sepsis are partly attributed to dysregulated inflammatory responses sustained by some late-acting mediators including the procathepsin-L (pCTS-L). It was entirely unknown whether any compounds of the U.S. Drug Collection could suppress pCTS-L-induced inflammation, and pharmacologically be exploited into possible therapies. Here, we demonstrated that a macrophage cell-based screening of a U.S. Drug Collection of 1360 compounds resulted in the identification of progesterone (PRO) as an inhibitor of pCTS-L-mediated production of several chemokines [e.g., Epithelial Neutrophil-Activating Peptide (ENA-78), Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) or MCP-3] and cytokines [e.g., Interleukin-10 (IL-10) or Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)] in primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In vivo, these PRO-entrapping 2,6-dimethal-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) nanoparticles (containing 1.35 mg/kg PRO and 14.65 mg/kg DM-β-CD) significantly increased animal survival in both male (from 30% to 70%, n = 20, P = 0.041) and female (from 50% to 80%, n = 30, P = 0.026) mice even when they were initially administered at 24 h post the onset of sepsis. This protective effect was associated with a reduction of sepsis-triggered accumulation of three surrogate biomarkers [e.g., Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) by 40%; Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-2 (MIP-2) by 45%; and Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor I (sTNFRI) by 80%]. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) analysis revealed a strong interaction between PRO and pCTS-L (KD = 78.2 ± 33.7 nM), which was paralleled with a positive correlation between serum PRO concentration and serum pCTS-L level (ρ = 0.56, P = 0.0009) or disease severity (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, SOFA; ρ = 0.64, P = 0.0001) score in septic patients. Our observations support a promising opportunity to explore DM-β-CD nanoparticles entrapping lipophilic drugs as possible therapies for clinical sepsis.

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inhibits the development of triple negative breast cancer by enhancing antitumor immunity

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is regarded as one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) has been used as a therapeutic agent for Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NPC). However, the exact actions and mechanisms of HP-β-CD on TNBC are not fully understood. To examine the influence of HP-β-CD on the proliferation and migration of TNBC cell lines, particularly 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells, a range of assays, including MTT, scratch, cell cycle, and clonal formation assays, were performed. Furthermore, the effectiveness of HP-β-CD in the treatment of TNBC was assessed in vivo using a 4T1 tumor-bearing BALB/c mouse model. We demonstrated the anti-proliferation and anti-migration effect of HP-β-CD on TNBC both in vitro and in vivo. High cholesterol diet can attenuate HP-β-CD-inhibited TNBC growth. Mechanistically, HP-β-CD reduced tumor cholesterol levels by increasing ABCA1 and ABCG1-mediated cholesterol reverse transport. HP-β-CD promoted the infiltration of T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and improved exhaustion of CD8+ T cells via reducing immunological checkpoint molecules expression. Additionally, HP-β-CD inhibited the recruitment of tumor associated macrophages to the TME via reducing CCL2-p38MAPK-NF-κB axis. HP-β-CD also inhibited the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of TNBC cells mediated by the TGF-β signaling pathway. In summary, our study suggests that HP-β-CD effectively inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC, highlighting HP-β-CD may hold promise as a potential antitumor drug.

Conditioned medium of human menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells protects against cell inflammation and apoptosis of Npc1KO N2a cells

Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the NPC1 gene. This gene encodes a transmembrane protein found in lysosomes. This disease characterized by hepatosplenomegaly, neurological impairments and premature death. Recent preclinical studies have shown promising results in using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to alleviate the symptoms of NPC1. One type of MSCs, known as human menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs), has attracted attention due to its accessibility, abundant supply, and strong proliferation and regeneration capabilities. However, it remains uncertain whether the conditioned medium of MenSCs (MenSCs-CM) can effectively relieve the symptoms of NPC1. To investigate this further, we employed the CRISPR-Cas9 technique to successfully create a Npc1 gene knockout N2a cell line (Npc1KO N2a). Sanger sequencing confirmed the occurrence of Npc1 gene mutation in these cells, while western blotting revealed a lack of NPC1 protein expression. Filipin staining provided visual evidence of unesterified cholesterol accumulation in Npc1KO N2a cells. Moreover, Npc1KO N2a cells exhibited significantly decreased viability, increased inflammation, and heightened cell apoptosis. Notably, our study demonstrated that the viability of Npc1KO N2a cells was most significantly improved after being cultured by 36 h-collected MenSCs-CM for 0.5 days. Additionally, MenSCs-CM exhibited the ability to effectively reduce inflammation, counteract cell apoptosis, and ameliorate unesterified cholesterol accumulation in Npc1KO N2a cells. This groundbreaking finding establishes, for the first time, the protective effect of MenSCs-CM on N2a cells with Npc1 gene deletion. These findings suggest that the potential of MenSCs-CM as a beneficial therapeutic approach for NPC1 and other neurodegenerative diseases.

2-Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Treatment Induces Modest Immune Activation in Healthy Rhesus Macaques

Experimental simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of Asian macaques is an excellent model for HIV disease progression and therapeutic development. Recent coformulations of nucleoside analogs and an integrase inhibitor have been used for parenteral antiretroviral (ARV) administration in SIV-infected macaques, successfully resulting in undetectable plasma SIV RNA. In a cohort of SIVmac239-infected macaques, we recently observed that administration of coformulated ARVs resulted in an unexpected increase in plasma levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), associated with stimulation of myeloid cells. We hypothesized that the coformulation solubilizing agent Kleptose (2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin [HPβCD]) may induce inflammation with myeloid cell activation and the release of sCD14. Herein, we stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy macaques with HPβCD from different commercial sources and evaluated inflammatory cytokine production in vitro. Treatment of PBMCs resulted in increased sCD14 release and myeloid cell interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production-with stimulation varying significantly by HPβCD source-and destabilized lymphocyte CCR5 surface expression. We further treated healthy macaques with Kleptose alone. In vivo, we observed modestly increased myeloid cell activation in response to Kleptose treatment without significant perturbation of the immunological transcriptome or epigenome. Our results demonstrate a need for vehicle-only controls and highlight immunological perturbations that can occur when using HPβCD in pharmaceutical coformulations. IMPORTANCE SIV infection of nonhuman primates is the principal model system for assessing HIV disease progression and therapeutic development. HPβCD has recently been incorporated as a solubilizing agent in coformulations of ARVs in SIV-infected nonhuman primates. Although HPβCD has historically been considered inert, recent findings suggest that HPβCD may contribute to inflammation. Herein, we investigate the contribution of HPβCD to healthy macaque inflammation in vitro and in vivo. We observe that HPβCD causes an induction of sCD14 and IL-1β from myeloid cells in vitro and demonstrate that HPβCD stimulatory capacity varies by commercial source. In vivo, we observe modest myeloid cell activation in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens absent systemic immune activation. From our findings, it is unclear whether HPβCD stimulation may improve or diminish immune reconstitution in ARV-treated lentiviral infections. Our results demonstrate a need for vehicle-only controls and highlight immunological perturbations that can occur when using HPβCD in pharmaceutical coformulations.

Improved oral nutraceutical-based intervention for the management of obesity: pterostilbene-loaded chitosan nanoparticles

Aim: To formulate and assess the oral anti-obesity effect of polymeric-based pterostilbene (PS)-loaded nanoparticles. Methods: Pterostilbene-hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex loaded in chitosan nanoparticles (PS/HPβCD-NPs) were prepared and characterized in vitro. Cytotoxicity, pharmacokinetics and anti-obesity effects were assessed on Caco-2 cell line and high-fat-diet-induced obesity rat model, respectively. In vivo assessment included histological examination, protein and gene expression of obesity biomarkers in adipose tissues. Results: Safe PS/HPβCD-NPs were successfully prepared with improved bioavailability compared with free PS. PS/HPβCD-NPs showed an improved anti-obesity effect, as supported by histological examination, lipid profile, UCP1 gene expression and protein expression of SIRT1, COX2, IL-6 and leptin. Conclusion: Orally administered PS nanoparticles represent a new and promising anti-obesity strategy owing to the sustainable weight loss and minimal side effects; this may be of great socio-economic impact.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin Treatment Does Not Induce Atherosclerotic Lesion Regression in Western-Type Diet-Fed Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (2HPβCD) is able to bind and solubilize unesterified cholesterol and may therefore be able to reverse the deposition of cholesterol in macrophages within the aortic vessel wall, a hallmark of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, conflicting results regarding the potential of 2HPβCD to induce regression of established atherosclerotic lesions have been described. In the current study, we therefore also investigated the ability of 2HPβCD to stimulate cholesterol removal from macrophage foam cells in vitro and induce the regression of established atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E knockout (APOE KO) mice. In vitro studies using murine thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages verified that 2HPβCD is able to induce cholesterol efflux from macrophages in an ATP-binding cassette transporter-independent manner. Switching Western-type-diet-fed APOE KO mice with established atherosclerotic lesions back to a chow diet was associated with a reduction in the hypercholesterolemia extent and an increase in the absolute lesion size and plaque collagen-to-macrophage ratio. Importantly, parallel subcutaneous administration of 2HPβCD was not able to prevent the diet-switch-associated lesion growth or induce atherosclerosis regression. Although in our hands, 2HPβCD does effectively stimulate cellular cholesterol efflux from macrophages, we do not consider it worthwhile to further pursue 2HPβCD as therapeutic moiety in the atherosclerosis regression context.

Elevated granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in Niemann-Pick type C1 disease

Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease is a progressive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations of the NPC1 gene. While neurodegeneration is the most severe symptom, a large proportion of NPC1 patients also present with splenomegaly, which has been attributed to cholesterol and glycosphingolipid accumulation in late endosomes and lysosomes. However, recent data also reveal an increase in the inflammatory monocyte subset in the Npc1nih mouse model expressing an Npc1 null allele. We evaluated the contribution of hematopoietic cells to splenomegaly in NPC1 disease under conditions of hypercholesterolemia. We transplanted Npc1nih (Npc1 null mutation) or Npc1wt bone marrow (BM) into Ldlr-/- mice and fed these mice a cholesterol-rich Western-type diet. At 9 weeks after BM transplant, on a chow diet, the Npc1 null mutation increased plasma granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) by 2-fold and caused mild neutrophilia. At 18 weeks after BM transplant, including 9 weeks of Western-type diet feeding, the Npc1 mutation increased G-csf mRNA levels by ∼5-fold in splenic monocytes/macrophages accompanied by a ∼4-fold increase in splenic neutrophils compared with controls. We also observed ∼5-fold increased long-term and short-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the spleen, and a ∼30-75% decrease of these populations in BM, reflecting HSC mobilization, presumably downstream of elevated G-CSF. In line with these data, four patients with NPC1 disease showed higher plasma G-CSF compared with age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls. In conclusion, we show elevated G-CSF levels and HSC mobilization in the setting of an Npc1 null mutation and propose that this contributes to splenomegaly in patients with NPC1 disease.