Nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles with pregabalin: The future anti-seizure drug

Bio-Nano Innovations Targeting the Neurovascular Complex for Epilepsy Treatment

Epilepsy is a prevalent chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures resulting from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. While pharmacotherapy remains the standard treatment, traditional pharmacotherapy faces significant challenges, including poor brain penetration, high drug resistance rates, and providing only symptomatic relief, rather than addressing the underlying causes for a comprehensive cure. Recently, the neurovascular complex (NVC) has gained attention for its critical role in the development and progression of epilepsy. Simultaneously, various innovative bio-nanotechnology systems have emerged, specifically designed to enhance drug delivery across the brain and enable precise targeting within the lesion. Herein, this review begins by outlining the core NVC involved in epilepsy treatment, breaking it down into four key components: the blood-brain barrier (BBB), neurons, glial cells, and the microenvironment. The viability of targeting NVC to improve epilepsy therapy is analyzed. Next, innovative bio-nanotechnology systems, detailing their design principles, construction strategies, and preclinical evaluations in epilepsy therapy are highlighted. Finally, the prospects for next-generation nanotechnologies and the challenges that must be overcome for effective clinical translation are discussed. Overall, this review aims to guide the development of more efficient and precise bio-nano therapies, ultimately enhancing treatment outcomes for epilepsy patients.

Lactoferrin-modified PLGA nanoparticles for pregabalin: development, characterization, in vitro targeting and pharmacodynamic evaluation

Over the years the intranasal drug delivery route has emerged as an effective strategy for drug delivery in the brain. The present study reports the development of Pregabalin-loaded nanoparticles of Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid, surface modified with lactoferrin for targeting brain cells. Lactoferrin was conjugated using Cyanamide 1-Ethyl-3-3-dimethyl aminopropyl carbodiimide and N-hydroxy Succinimide. The physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were examined and the results showed a particle size of 152.1 ± 1.3 nm, Polydispersity Index 0.146, and surface charge of -17.9 ± 0.98 mV. In vitro, release data in Phosphate Buffer Saline (pH 7.4) and Simulated Nasal Fluid (pH 5.5) suggested that the nanoparticles showed sustained release of the drug (86.92 ± 1.4%) for 48 h. In vitro, cytotoxicity on (RPMI 2650 and Neuro-2a cells) and histopathological evaluation on goat nasal mucosa showed that the formulation was nontoxic. Results from flow cytometry and confocal microscopy confirmed that the cells readily took up modified nanoparticles compared to plain PLGA nanoparticles. The neuroprotective effect of Lf-PLGA nanoparticles was evaluated in Neuro-2a cells concerning Nitric oxide generation in response to lipopolysaccharide. Pharmacodynamic analysis on mice showed enhanced targeting of the drug and the average time of different phases of convulsion was also reduced.

Ameliorative effect of nano-pregabalin in gastrocnemius muscle of gamma irradiated rats with an experimental model of fibromyalgia: Crosstalk of Sirt3, IL-1β and PARP1 pathways

BACKGROUND

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex syndrome with somatic symptoms connected to the operational state of muscles. Although radiotherapy is a cornerstone in cancer treatment, it is implicated in the aggravation of FM. Lately, formulation of medicines in nano-forms become of great prominence due to their prospective applications in medicine. So, this study aimed to assess possible therapeutic benefits of formulating pregabalin in a nono-form (N-PG) for managing FM during exposure to gamma radiation.

METHODS

Gamma rays administered in fractionated doses (2 Gy/day) to male rats after one hour of s.c. injection of reserpine (1 mL/kg per day) to induce FM, then treated with single daily dose of (30 mg/kg, p.o.) PG or N-PG for ten successive days. Rats were subjected to behavioral tests, then sacrificed to obtain serum and gastrocnemius muscles.

RESULTS

N-PG significantly antagonized reserpine-induced FM as proved by; the immobility and performance times in forced swim and rotarod performance tests, respectively were restored near to the normal time, serum IL-8 and MCP-1 chemokines were nearby the normal levels, mitigated oxidative stress through increasing total thiol, Sirt3, CAT enzyme and decreasing COX-1, inhibition of inflammation via IL-1β and MIF significant reduction, it possessed anti-apoptotic effect verified by decreasing PARP-1 and increasing Bcl-XL, gastrocnemius muscles had minimal fibrosis levels as seen after Masson trichrome staining. Histopathological results were coincidence with biochemical inspection.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies N-PG as a novel drug that could be of a value in the management of FM particularly in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Chitosan-PVA-PVP/nano-clay composite: a promising tool for controlled drug delivery

In this study, chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were used to create ternary blends reinforced with organically modified montmorillonite nanoclay. Tramadol was used as a model drug to assess the efficacy of these ternary blends as drug delivery systems. The current work demonstrated the highly controlled release of tramadol via transdermal administration. The results of the FTIR investigation revealed the compatibility of the blending components. Among non-drug-loaded formulations, MC6 is the most stable with a 17.6% weight residue at 505 °C and MC11 is the most stable of all the drug-loaded and non-drug-loaded formulations with a weight residue of 22.0% at 505 °C. The XRD studies of the prepared formulations showed crystalline behavior. However, the SEM analysis revealed that no gaps or mixing components were uniformly dispersed in the nanocomposites. Pharmaceutical tests, such as swelling, dissolution, and permeation rates, revealed a strong influence of the PVA concentration. There was a uniform distribution of drug throughout the films with maximum encapsulation efficiency found for MC7 (96.09 ± 0.31) and minimum encapsulation efficiency for MC11 (90.56 ± 0.34)%. Compared to the sodium acetate (pH 4.5) and potassium phosphate buffers (pH 6.8) the swelling and erosion were higher in hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 1.2). An increase in PVA concentration (or decrease in PVP concentration) increases the swelling, dissolution, and permeation rates. In addition, erosion increased with increasing PVP concentration. Furthermore, the nanoclay-reinforced composite showed high permeation. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the produced nanocomposite could be used as an efficient transdermal drug delivery system.

Preparation, Characterization of Pregabalin and Withania coagulans Extract-Loaded Topical Gel and Their Comparative Effect on Burn Injury

The current study depicts the comparative effects of nanogel using Withania coagulans extract, pregabalin alone, and a co-combination gel. The gels prepared were then analyzed for conductivity, viscosity, spread ability, globule size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, and TEM. The globule size of the co-combination gel, determined by zeta sizer, was found to be (329 ± 0.573 nm). FTIR analysis confirms the successful development of gel, without any interaction. Drug distribution at the molecular level was confirmed by XRD. DSC revealed no bigger thermal changes. TEM images revealed spherical molecules with sizes of 200 nm for the co-combination gel. In vivo studies were carried out by infliction of third degree burn wounds on rat skin, and they confirmed that pregabalin and Withania coagulans heals the wound more effectively, with a wound contraction rate of 89.95%, compared to remaining groups. Anti-inflammatory activity (IL-6 and TNF-α), determined by the ELISA technique, shows that the co-combination gel group reduces the maximum inflammation with TNF-α value (132.2 pg/mL), compared to the control (140.22 pg/mL). Similarly, the IL-6 value was found to be (78 pg/mL) for the co-combination gel and (81 pg/mL) in the case of the control. Histopathologically, the co-combination gel heals wounds more quickly, compared to individual gel. These outcomes depict that a co-combination gel using plant extracts and drugs can be successfully used to treat burn injury.

Overview of the Influence of Silver, Gold, and Titanium Nanoparticles on the Physical Properties of PEDOT:PSS-Coated Cotton Fabrics

Metallic nanoparticles have been of interest to scientists, and they are now widely used in biomedical and engineering applications. The importance, categorization, and characterization of silver nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, and titanium nanoparticles have been discussed. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is the most practical and reliable conductive polymer used in the manufacturing of conductive textiles. The effects of metallic nanoparticles on the performance of PEDOT:PSS thin films are discussed. The results indicated that the properties of PEDOT:PSS significantly depended on the synthesis technique, doping, post-treatment, and composite material. Further, electronic textiles known as smart textiles have recently gained popularity, and they offer a wide range of applications. This review provides an overview of the effects of nanoparticles on the physical properties of PEDOT:PSS-coated cotton fabrics.

Green synthesis of pregabalin-stabilized gold nanoclusters and their applications in sensing and drug release

This is the first report on the simple preparation of gold nanoclusters stabilized with pregabalin (PREG) as a capping and reducing agent. PREG is an active pharmaceutical ingredient of the commercially available drug "Lyrica" used to treat different diseases like epilepsy and anxiety. PREG has never been used before in the synthesis of any nanoparticles or nanoclusters. The prepared gold nanoclusters (PREG-stabilized gold nanoclusters [PREG-AuNCs]) have blue fluorescence with excitation/emission at 365/425 nm, respectively. The reaction conditions were optimized for the synthesis of the as-prepared AuNCs. Different tools were used for the characterization of the synthesized nanoclusters in terms of size and surface properties. The PREG-AuNCs were exploited as a sensitive and selective fluorescent nanosensor for Cu2+ detection. The quenching of AuNC fluorescence intensity in the presence of Cu2+ is due to the aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching mechanism. The detection limit of Cu2+ ions was found to be 1.11 × 10-7  M. The selectivity of the PREG-AuNCs was studied and proved to be excellent. The drug entrapment efficacy and in vitro drug diffusion studies along with drug release kinetics helped to understand more about the pharmaceutical approaches of PREG-AuNCs. Moreover, we think that PREG-AuNCs open new opportunities as a promising candidate material for drug delivery systems and medical applications.