Diclofenac and metformin synergistic dose dependent inhibition of hamster fibrosarcoma, rescued with mebendazole

Enhanced Anti-inflammatory Effects of Diclofenac Delivered Orally via Polyvinylpyrrolidone K30/Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles in a Murine Model of Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema

Diclofenac has a relatively low oral bioavailability (50-60 %) and is quickly metabolized with a half-life of less than 1 h. Therefore, the oral therapeutic effect of diclofenac is not optimal. This research developed polyvinylpyrrolidone K30-functionalized silk fibroin nanoparticles as an effective delivery system for diclofenac (FNPs-PVP-DC). The FNPs-DC and FNPs-PVP-DC were formulated by two methods of adsorption and solvent exchange. Depending on the formulation factors, the obtained particles exhibited different properties of nano-scale sizes (400-800 nm), narrow size distribution, negatively charged surfaces (-17 to -19 mV), high PVP K30 incorporation (23 %-50 %), pHpzc of ~6.6, and appropriate chemical interactions. Interestingly, particles formulated by the adsorption method showed low drug encapsulation efficiencies of <15 %, whereas the solvent exchange method yielded moderate results of ~40 %. The FNPs-DC possessed aggregated patterns, while the FNPs-PVP-DC were more uniformly distributed. All formulations limited diclofenac release (<20 %) under gastric conditions and sustained its release in the intestinal environment. In in-vivo carrageenan-induced paw edema mice model, the FNPs-PVP-DC demonstrated a 20-30 % higher anti-inflammatory effect and a faster onset of action (within 1 h) compared to pure diclofenac at the same dose (5 mg/kg). These findings suggest that FNPs-PVP-DC have promising potential as novel oral anti-inflammatory products.

Exploring monocarboxylate transporter inhibition for cancer treatment

Cells are separated from the environment by a lipid bilayer membrane that is relatively impermeable to solutes. The transport of ions and small molecules across this membrane is an essential process in cell biology and metabolism. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) belong to a vast family of solute carriers (SLCs) that facilitate the transport of certain hydrophylic small compounds through the bilipid cell membrane. The existence of 446 genes that code for SLCs is the best evidence of their importance. In-depth research on MCTs is quite recent and probably promoted by their role in cancer development and progression. Importantly, it has recently been realized that these transporters represent an interesting target for cancer treatment. The search for clinically useful monocarboxylate inhibitors is an even more recent field. There is limited pre-clinical and clinical experience with new inhibitors and their precise mechanism of action is still under investigation. What is common to all of them is the inhibition of lactate transport. This review discusses the structure and function of MCTs, their participation in cancer, and old and newly developed inhibitors. Some suggestions on how to improve their anticancer effects are also discussed.