Intranasal temperature-sensitive hydrogels of cannabidiol inclusion complex for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

Swimming short fibrous nasal drops achieving intraventricular administration

Adequate drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical factor in treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Inspired by swimming fish and the microstructure of the nasal cavity, this study is the first to develop swimming short fibrous nasal drops that can directly target the nasal mucosa and swim in the nasal cavity, which can effectively deliver drugs to the brain. Briefly, swimming short fibrous nasal drops with charged controlled drug release were fabricated by electrospinning, homogenization, the π-π conjugation between indole group of fibers, the benzene ring of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) inhibitor along with charge-dipole interaction between positively charged poly-lysine (PLL) and negatively charged surface of fibers; this enabled these fibers to stick to nasal mucosa, prolonged the residence time on mucosa, and prevented rapid mucociliary clearance. In vitro, swimming short fibrous nasal drops were biocompatible and inhibited microglial activation by releasing an LRRK2 inhibitor. In vivo, luciferase-labelled swimming short fibrous nasal drops delivered an LRRK2 inhibitor to the brain through the nasal mucosa, alleviating cognitive dysfunction caused by sepsis-associated encephalopathy by inhibiting microglial inflammation and improving synaptic plasticity. Thus, swimming short fibrous nasal drops is a promising strategy for the treatment of CNS diseases.

Cannabidiol ameliorates PTSD-like symptoms by inhibiting neuroinflammation through its action on CB2 receptors in the brain of male mice

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health disease related to traumatic experience, and its treatment outcomes are unsatisfactory. Accumulating research has indicated that cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits anti-PTSD effects, however, the underlying mechanism of CBD remains inadequately investigated. Although many studies pertaining to PTSD have primarily focused on aberrations in neuronal functioning, the present study aimed to elucidate the involvement and functionality of microglia/macrophages in PTSD while also investigated the modulatory effects of CBD on neuroinflammation associated with this condition. We constructed a modified single-prolonged stress (SPS) mice PTSD model and verified the PTSD-related behaviors by various behavioral tests (contextual freezing test, elevated plus maze test, tail suspension test and novel object recognition test). We observed a significant upregulation of Iba-1 and alteration of microglial/macrophage morphology within the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, but not the amygdala, two weeks after the PTSD-related stress, suggesting a persistent neuroinflammatory phenotype in the PTSD-modeled group. CBD (10 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited all PTSD-related behaviors and reversed the alterations in both microglial/macrophage quantity and morphology when administered prior to behavioral assessments. We further found increased pro-inflammatory factors, decreased PSD95 expression, and impaired synaptic density in the hippocampus of the modeled group, all of which were also restored by CBD treatment. CBD dramatically increased the level of anandamide, one of the endocannabinoids, and cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2Rs) transcripts in the hippocampus compared with PTSD-modeled group. Importantly, we discovered the expression of CB2Rs mRNA in Arg-1-positive cells in vivo and found that the behavioral effects of CBD were diminished by CB2Rs antagonist AM630 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and both the behavioral and molecular effects of CBD were abolished in CB2Rs knockout mice. These findings suggest that CBD would alleviate PTSD-like behaviors in mice by suppressing PTSD-related neuroinflammation and upregulation and activation of CB2Rs may serve as one of the underlying mechanisms for this therapeutic effect. The present study offers innovative experimental evidence supporting the utilization of CBD in PTSD treatment from the perspective of its regulation of neuroinflammation, and paves the way for leveraging the endocannabinoid system to regulate neuroinflammation as a potential therapeutic approach for psychiatric disorders.

Nanosuspension-Loaded Dissolving Microneedle Patches for Enhanced Transdermal Delivery of a Highly Lipophilic Cannabidiol

Purpose

Transdermal Drug Delivery System (TDDS) offers a promising alternative for delivering poorly soluble drugs, challenged by the stratum corneum's barrier effect, which restricts the pool of drug candidates suitable for TDDS. This study aims to establish a delivery platform specifically for highly lipophilic drugs requiring high doses (log P > 5, dose > 10 mg/kg/d), to improve their intradermal delivery and enhance solubility.

Methods

Cannabidiol (CBD, log P = 5.91) served as the model drug. A CBD nanosuspension (CBD-NS) was prepared using a bottom-up method. The particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and concentration of the CBD-NS were characterized. Subsequently, CBD-NS was incorporated into dissolving microneedles (DMNs) through a one-step manufacturing process. The intradermal dissolution abilities, physicochemical properties, mechanical strength, insertion depth, and release behavior of the DMNs were evaluated. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were utilized to assess the efficacy of the DMN patch in treating knee synovitis and to analyze its skin permeation kinetics and pharmacokinetic performance.

Results

The CBD-NS, stabilized with Tween 80, exhibited a particle size of 166.83 ± 3.33 nm, a PDI of 0.21 ± 0.07, and a concentration of 46.11 ± 0.52 mg/mL. The DMN loaded with CBD-NS demonstrated favorable intradermal dissolution and mechanical properties. It effectively increased the delivery of CBD into the skin, extended the action's duration in vivo, and enhanced bioavailability. CBD-NS DMN exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy and safety in a rat model of knee synovitis, significantly inhibiting TNF-α and IL-1β compared with the methotrexate subcutaneous injection method.

Conclusion

NS technology effectively enhances the solubility of the poorly soluble drug CBD, while DMN facilitates penetration, extends the duration of action in vivo, and improves bioavailability. Furthermore, CBD has shown promising therapeutic outcomes in treating knee synovitis. This innovative drug delivery system is expected to offer a more efficient solution for the administration of highly lipophilic drugs akin to CBD, thereby facilitating high-dose administration.

Single-Nucleus Transcriptome Profiling from the Hippocampus of a PTSD Mouse Model and CBD-Treated Cohorts

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common psychiatric disorder after a catastrophic event; however, the efficacious treatment options remain insufficient. Increasing evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits optimal therapeutic effects for treating PTSD. To elucidate the cell-type-specific transcriptomic pathology of PTSD and the mechanisms of CBD against this disease, we conducted single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) in the hippocampus of PTSD-modeled mice and CBD-treated cohorts. We constructed a mouse model by adding electric foot shocks following exposure to single prolonged stress (SPS+S) and tested the freezing time, anxiety-like behavior, and cognitive behavior. CBD was administrated before every behavioral test. The PTSD-modeled mice displayed behaviors resembling those of PTSD in all behavioral tests, and CBD treatment alleviated all of these PTSD-like behaviors (n = 8/group). Three mice with representative behavioral phenotypes were selected from each group for snRNA-seq 15 days after the SPS+S. We primarily focused on the excitatory neurons (ExNs) and inhibitory neurons (InNs), which accounted for 68.4% of the total cell annotations. A total of 88 differentially upregulated genes and 305 differentially downregulated genes were found in the PTSD mice, which were found to exhibit significant alterations in pathways and biological processes associated with fear response, synaptic communication, protein synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and oxidative stress response. A total of 63 overlapping genes in InNs were identified as key genes for CBD in the treatment of PTSD. Subsequent Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that the anti-PTSD effect of CBD was related to the regulation of protein synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress response, and fear response. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that CBD also enhanced retrograde endocannabinoid signaling in ExNs, which was found to be suppressed in the PTSD group. Our research may provide a potential explanation for the pathogenesis of PTSD and facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for drug development. Moreover, it may shed light on the therapeutic mechanisms of CBD.

Strategies to Improve Cannabidiol Bioavailability and Drug Delivery

The poor physicochemical properties of cannabidiol (CBD) hamper its clinical development. The aim of this review was to examine the literature to identify novel oral products and delivery strategies for CBD, while assessing their clinical implications and translatability. Evaluation of the published literature revealed that oral CBD strategies are primarily focused on lipid-based and emulsion solutions or encapsulations, which improve the overall pharmacokinetics (PK) of CBD. Some emulsion formulations demonstrate more rapid systemic delivery. Variability in the PK effects of different oral CBD products is apparent across species. Several novel administration routes exist for CBD delivery that may offer promise for specific indications. For example, intranasal administration and inhalation allow quick delivery of CBD to the plasma and the brain, whereas transdermal and transmucosal administration routes deliver CBD systemically more slowly. There are limited but promising data on novel delivery routes such as intramuscular and subcutaneous. Very limited data show that CBD is generally well distributed across tissues and that some CBD products enable increased delivery of CBD to different brain regions. However, evidence is limited regarding whether changes in CBD PK profiles and tissue distribution equate to superior therapeutic efficacy across indications and whether specific CBD products might be suited to particular indications.

Application of low-intensity ultrasound by opening blood-brain barrier for enhanced brain-targeted drug delivery

Brain-targeted drug delivery has been a research hotspot, and substantial amount of related studies were already translated into standard therapy and put into clinical use. However, low effective rate retains a huge challenge for brain disease. Because, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects brain from pathogenic molecules and tightly controls the process of molecular transportation, which gives rise to poor-liposoluble drugs or molecules with high molecular weight cannot permeate the barrier to exert treating effect. There is an ongoing process to dig out more methods for efficient brain-targeted drug delivery. Besides modified chemical methods such as prodrugs design and brain-targeted nanotechnology, physical methods as a novel initiative could enhance the treatment effect for brain disease. In our study, the influence of low-intensity ultrasound on transient opening BBB and the related applications were explored. A medical ultrasound therapeutic device (1 MHz) was used on heads of mice at different intensities and for different treating time. Evans blue was used as a model to exhibit the permeability of the BBB after subcutaneous injection. Three types of intensities (0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 W/cm2) and duration times (1, 3, and 5 min) of ultrasound were respectively investigated. It was found that the combinations of 0.6 W/cm2/1 min, 0.6 W/cm2/3 min, 0.6 W/cm2/5 min, 0.8 W/cm2/1 min, and 1.0 W/cm2/1 min could open the BBB sufficiently with significant Evans blue staining in the brain. Brain pathological analysis showed structural change on moderate degree was found on cerebral cortex after ultrasound and could recovered rapidly. There are no obvious changes in the behavior of mice after ultrasound processing. More importantly, the BBB recovered quickly at 12 h after ultrasound application with complete BBB structure and unbroken tight junction, suggesting that ultrasound was safe to apply for brain-targeted drug delivery. Proper use of local ultrasound on the brain is a promising technique to open the BBB and enhance brain-targeted delivery.

Current and Future Directions of Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Mental Illnesses

Mental illnesses including anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and others exact an immense toll on the healthcare system and society at large. Depression alone impacts 21 million adults and costs over $200 billion annually in the United States. However, pharmaceutical strategies to treat mental illnesses are lagging behind drug development in many other disease areas. Because many of the shortcomings of therapeutics for mental illness relate to delivery problems, drug delivery technologies have the potential to radically improve the effectiveness of therapeutics for these diseases. This review describes the current pharmacotherapeutic approaches to treating mental illnesses as well as drug delivery approaches that have improved existing therapies. Approaches to improve drug bioavailability, provide controlled release of therapeutics, and enable drug targeting to the central nervous system (CNS) will be highlighted. Moreover, next-generation delivery approaches such as environmentally-controlled release and interval/sequential drug release will be addressed. Based on the evolving landscape of the treatment of mental illnesses, the nascent field of drug delivery in mental health has tremendous potential for growth in terms of both economic and patient impact.

Cannabidiol-loaded biomimetic macrophage membrane vesicles against post-traumatic stress disorder assisted by ultrasound

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which normally follows psychological trauma, has been increasingly studied as a brain disease. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents conventional drugs for PTSD from entering the brain. Our previous studies proved the effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) against PTSD, but low water solubility, low brain targeting efficiency and poor bioavailability restricted its applications. Here, a bionic delivery system, camouflage CBD-loaded macrophage-membrane nanovesicles (CMNVs), was constructed via co-extrusion of CBD with macrophage membranes, which had inflammatory and immune escape properties. In vitro anti-inflammatory, cellular uptake and pharmacokinetic experiments respectively verified the anti-inflammatory, inflammatory targeting and immune escape properties of CMNVs. Brain targeting and excellent anti-PTSD effects of CMNVs had been validated in vivo by imaging and pharmacodynamics studies. In our study, the potential of ultrasound to open BBBs and improve the brain-targeted delivery of CBD was evaluated. In conclusion, this cell membrane bionic delivery system assisted with ultrasound had good therapeutic effect against PTSD mice, which is expected to help convey CBD to inflammatory areas within the brain and alleviate the symptoms of PTSD.

Quercetin inclusion complex gels ameliorate radiation-induced brain injury by regulating gut microbiota

Radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) is a serious adverse effect of radiotherapy. RIBI has garnered considerable clinical attention owing to its powerful effects on brain function and cognition; however, no effective treatment is available. The microbiota-gut-brain axis theory is a novel concept of treating RIBI by regulating gut microbiota. Quercetin, a particularly common flavonoid compound, has a wide range of biological activities and can regulate gut microbiota; however, it has poor solubility and dispersibility. In the present study, oral gels of inclusion complex comprising quercetin and HP-β-CD were prepared, which increased quercetin dispersion and extended its release time in the intestinal tract. First, the relative abundance and diversity of gut microbiota in RIBI mice changed after oral administration of quercetin inclusion complex gels (QICG). Second, the spontaneous activity behavior and short-term memory ability as well as anxiety level were improved. Third, changes in physical symptoms were observed, including a decrease in TNF-α and IL-6 levels. H&E staining revealed that gut epithelial injury and intestinal inflammation as well as hippocampal inflammation were ameliorated. Antibiotics treatment (Abx) mice were developed to disrupt the mice's original gut microbiota composition. No significant improvement was observed in behavior or histopathology after oral administration of QICG in Abx mice of RIBI, indicating that the effect of QICG on improving RIBI was regulated by intestinal microbiota. Finally, the QICG preparation is efficient, exerting a protective effect on RIBI by regulating gut microbiota via the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which provides a novel idea for RIBI treatment.

Applications and research progress of Traditional Chinese medicine delivered via nasal administration

Nasal administration of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of applications. With the gradual maturing of technology and pharmacological advances, nasal preparations of TCM have undergone significant changes. Nasal TCM formulations are used not only for treatment of pneumonia, asthma, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis but also Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as antidepressants and antiepileptics, and in ischemia reperfusion. However, according to the analysis of nasal preparations of TCM currently on the market, most of them were compound preparations, which were used to treat allergic rhinitis (AR), common cold, headache and other local treatments, with a small range of diseases. At the same time, the dosage forms were mainly traditional dosage forms, aerosols and sprays, but there were no new dosage forms, which can not meet the clinical needs in terms of variety number, variety diversity and disease types. In this manuscript, we reviewed the development and applications of different nasal preparations of TCM from the aspects of nasal structure, origin, factors affecting absorption and common dosage forms, pharmacodynamics, targeting of nasal delivery and safety. In the near future, we expect that more nasal preparations of Chinese medicine with independent intellectual property rights will be marketed to meet the needs of clinical disease management.

Cannabidiol in clinical and preclinical anxiety research. A systematic review into concentration-effect relations using the IB-de-risk tool

BACKGROUND

Preclinical research suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential in pathological anxiety. Dosing guidelines to inform future human studies are however lacking.

AIM

We aimed to predict the therapeutic window for anxiety-reducing effects of CBD in humans based on preclinical models.

METHODS

We conducted two systematic searches in PubMed and Embase up to August 2021, into pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data of systemic CBD exposure in humans and animals, which includes anxiety-reducing and potential side effects. Risk of bias was assessed with SYRCLE's RoB tool and Cochrane RoB 2.0. A control group was an inclusion criterion in outcome studies. In human outcome studies, randomisation was required. We excluded studies that co-administered other substances. We used the IB-de-risk tool for a translational integration of outcomes.

RESULTS

We synthesised data from 87 studies. For most observations (70.3%), CBD had no effect on anxiety outcomes. There was no identifiable relation between anxiety outcomes and drug levels across species. In all species (humans, mice, rats), anxiety-reducing effects seemed to be clustered in certain concentration ranges, which differed between species.

DISCUSSION

A straightforward dosing recommendation was not possible, given variable concentration-effect relations across species, and no consistent linear effect of CBD on anxiety reduction. Currently, these results raise questions about the broad use as a drug for anxiety. Meta-analytic studies are needed to quantitatively investigate drug efficacy, including aspects of anxiety symptomatology. Acute and (sub)chronic dosing studies with integrated PK and PD outcomes are required for substantiated dose recommendations.

The Improved Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery of Edaravone Temperature-Sensitive Gels by Ultrasound for γ-ray Radiation-Induced Brain Injury

Radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) is a common neurological disease caused by ionizing radiation (IR). Edaravone (EDA) is a free radical scavenger, has the potential to treat RBI. EDA loaded temperature-sensitive gels (TSGs) were prepared for subcutaneous injection to improve inconvenient administration of intravenous infusion. RBI mice model was established by irradiation of 60Co γ-ray on head. EDA TSGs could improve spontaneous behavior, learning and memory and anxiety of RBI mice by behavior tests, including the open field test, the novel object recognition test, the elevated plus maze test and the fear conditioning test. The therapeutic effects were enhanced with the assistance of ultrasound. Alleviative pathological changes, decreased the expression of Molondialdehyde (MDA) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the hippocampus of brain, indicated reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response with the treatment of EDA TSGs and ultrasound. Moreover, ultrasound was superior to the use of EDA TSGs. Safe and effective EDA TSGs were prepared for RBI, and the feasibility of brain-targeted drug delivery enhanced by ultrasound was preliminarily demonstrated in this study.

Pharmacological strategies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): From animal to clinical studies

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric condition with a critical familiar, personal, and social impact. Patients diagnosed with PTSD show various symptoms, including anxiety, depression, psychotic episodes, and sleep disturbances, complicating their therapeutic management. Only sertraline and paroxetine, two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are approved by different international agencies to treat PTSD. In addition, these drugs are generally combined with psychotherapy to achieve positive results. However, these pharmacological strategies present limited efficacy. Nearly half of the PTSD patients do not experience remission of symptoms, possibly due to the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, in clinical practice, other off-label medications are common, even though the effectiveness of these drugs needs to be further investigated. In this line, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, adrenergic blockers, benzodiazepines, and other emerging pharmacological agents have aroused interest as potential therapeutic tools to improve some specific symptoms of PTSD. Thus, this review is focused on the most widely used drugs for the pharmacological treatment of PTSD with a translational approach, including clinical and preclinical studies, to emphasize the need to develop safer and more effective medications.

Nutraceutical Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Animal Models: A Focus on the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after exposure to traumatic events and is characterized by overwhelming fear and anxiety. Disturbances in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis are involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, including anxiety, PTSD, and major depressive disorders. Studies have demonstrated the relationship between the HPA axis response and stress vulnerability, indicating that the HPA axis regulates the immune system, fear memory, and neurotransmission. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), sertraline and paroxetine, are the only drugs that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PTSD. However, SSRIs require long treatment times and are associated with lower response and remission rates; therefore, additional pharmacological interventions are required. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies ameliorate HPA axis disturbances through regulation of gut dysbiosis, insomnia, chronic stress, and depression. We have described the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which the HPA axis is involved in PTSD pathogenesis and have evaluated the potential of herbal medicines for PTSD treatment. Herbal medicines could comprise a good therapeutic strategy for HPA axis regulation and can simultaneously improve PTSD-related symptoms. Finally, herbal medicines may lead to novel biologically driven approaches for the treatment and prevention of PTSD.

Development of Stable Nano-Sized Transfersomes as a Rectal Colloid for Enhanced Delivery of Cannabidiol

Current cannabidiol (CBD) formulations are challenged with unpredictable release and absorption. Rational design of a rectal colloid delivery system can provide a practical alternative. In this study the inherent physiochemical properties of transferosomes were harnessed for the development of a nano-sized transfersomes to yield more stable release, absorption, and bioavailability of CBD as a rectal colloid. Transfersomes composed of soya lecithin, cholesterol, and polysorbate 80 were synthesized via thin film evaporation and characterized for size, entrapment efficiency (%), morphology, CBD release, ex vivo permeation, and physicochemical stability. The optimized formulation for rectal delivery entrapped up to 80.0 ± 0.077% of CBD with a hydrodynamic particle size of 130 nm, a PDI value of 0.285, and zeta potential of −15.97 mV. The morphological investigation via SEM and TEM revealed that the transfersomes were spherical and unilamellar vesicles coinciding with the enhanced ex vivo permeation across the excised rat colorectal membrane. Furthermore, transfersomes improved the stability of the encapsulated CBD for up to 6 months at room temperature and showed significant promise that the transfersomes promoted rectal tissue permeation with superior stability and afforded tunable release kinetics of CBD as a botanical therapeutic with inherent poor bioavailability.

Nasal Delivery of Cinnarizine Thermo- and Ion-Sensitive In Situ Hydrogels for Treatment of Microwave-Induced Brain Injury

(1) Background: When the body is exposed to microwave radiation, the brain is more susceptible to damage than other organs. However, few effective drugs are available for the treatment of microwave-induced brain injury (MIBI) because most drugs are difficult to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) to reach the brain. (2) Methods: Nasal cinnarizine inclusion complexes with thermo-and ion-sensitive hydrogels (cinnarizine ISGs) were prepared to treat MIBI and the characteristics of the inclusion complexes and their thermo-and ion-sensitive hydrogels were evaluated. (3) Results: Due to high viscosity, cinnarizine ISGs can achieve long-term retention in the nasal cavity to achieve a sustained release effect. Compared with the model, the intranasal thermo-and ion-sensitive cinnarizine ISGs significantly improved the microwave-induced spatial memory and spontaneous exploration behavior with Morris water maze and open field tests. Cinnarizine ISGs inhibited the expression of calcineurin and calpain 1 in the brain, which may be related to the inhibition of calcium overload by cinnarizine. (4) Conclusion: Intranasal thermo- and ion-sensitive cinnarizine ISGs are a promising brain-targeted pharmaceutical preparation against MIBI.

Intranasal Hydrogel of Armodafinil Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Armodafinil inclusion complex (AIC) hydrogel was prepared and evaluated for its therapeutic effect on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After computer simulation and physicochemical property investigation, the AIC was formed by lyophilization of armodafinil with ethanol as solvent and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) aqueous solution, in which the molar ratio of armodafinil and HP-β-CD was 1–1. The AIC encapsulation efficiency (EE) was (90.98 ± 3.72)% and loading efficiency (LE) was (13.95 ± 0.47)% and it increased the solubility of armodafinil in aqueous solution to 21 times. AIC hydrogel was prepared by adding AIC to methylcellulose (MC) hydrogels (3.33% w/v), and its higher drug release amount and slower release rate were testified by the in-vitro release assay and the rheological test. The mucosa irritation of AIC hydrogel was also evaluated. Healthy group, Model group, Sertraline group with 30 mg/kg sertraline gavage, AIC Hydrogel group with 20 mg/kg AIC hydrogel intranasal administration and AIC Aqueous Solution group with 20 mg/kg AIC aqueous solution gavage were set up for the treatment of mice with PTSD generated from foot shock method. Based on freezing response test in fear-conditioning box and open field test, compared with other groups, PTSD mice in AIC Hydrogel group showed significant improvement in behavioral parameters after 11 days of continuous drug administration and 5 days of drug withdrawal. After sacrifice, the plasma CORT level of PTSD mice in AIC Hydrogel group was elevated compared to Model group. Besides, the western blot (WB) of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and amygdala dopamine transporter (DAT) immunohistochemistry sections indicated that AIC hydrogel had a protective effect on the brain tissue of PTSD mice. The brain targeting of intranasal administration was evaluated by fluorescence imaging characteristics of Cy7 hydrogel in the nasal route of drug administration, pharmacokinetics and in-vivo distribution of armodafinil. In short, AIC hydrogel is a promising formulation for the treatment of PTSD based on its high brain delivery and anti-PTSD effect.