Mucoadhesion of hydroxypropylmethacrylate nanoparticles to rat intestinal ileal segments in vitro

Rheological analysis and mucoadhesion: A 30 year-old and still active combination

At the end of 80s and in the early 90s, an increasing interest in the development of mucoadhesive formulations occurred in the pharmaceutical field. Such formulations, prolonging the drug permanence on the mucosa of action/absorption, improve drug availability/bioavailability and therefore its therapeutic effectiveness. Among the various methods reported in the literature for the evaluation of the mucoadhesive properties of polymers, in the early 1990s, the study of the rheological variation of the polymer solutions after mixing with a mucin solution/dispersion has been proposed as an approach to measure the strength of the mucoadhesive joint. Even today, both viscosity and viscoelastic measurements are used to evaluate the ability of polymers and formulations to adhere to the mucosa of application/action. This review aims at providing an overview of the rheological approaches employed in the development and characterization of mucoadhesive formulation, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. To do this the scientific path that, since the beginning of the 90s, has led to the affirmation of the rheological analysis as a useful tool for the evaluation of the strength of the mucoadhesive bond is retraced.

Interfacial interaction between transmembrane ocular mucins and adhesive polymers and dendrimers analyzed by surface plasmon resonance

PURPOSE

Development of the first in vitro method based on biosensor chip technology designed for probing the interfacial interaction phenomena between transmembrane ocular mucins and adhesive polymers and dendrimers intended for ophthalmic administration.

METHODS

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique was used. A transmembrane ocular mucin surface was prepared on the chip surface and characterized by QCM-D (Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The mucoadhesive molecules tested were: hyaluronic acid (HA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), chitosan (Ch) and polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM).

RESULTS

While Ch originated interfacial interaction with ocular transmembrane mucins, for HA, CMC and HPMC, chain interdiffusion seemed to be mandatory for bioadherence at the concentrations used in ophthalmic clinical practise. Interestingly, PAMAM dendrimers developed permanent interfacial interactions with transmembrane ocular mucins whatever their surface chemical groups, showing a relevant importance of co-operative effect of these multivalent systems. Polymers developed interfacial interactions with ocular membrane-associated mucins in the following order: Ch(1 %) > G4PAMAM-NH(2)(2 %) = G4PAMAM-OH(2 %) > G3.5PAMAM-COOH(2 %)>> CMC(0.5 %) = HA(0.2 %) = HPMC(0.3 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The method proposed is useful to discern between the mucin-polymer chemical interactions at molecular scale. Results reinforce the usefulness of chitosan and dendrimers as polymers able to increase the retention time of drugs on the ocular surface and hence their bioavailability.

Nanoparticles as potential oral delivery systems of proteins and vaccines: a mechanistic approach

Peptides and proteins remain poorly bioavailable upon oral administration. One of the most promising strategies to improve their oral delivery relies on their association with colloidal carriers, e.g. polymeric nanoparticles, stable in gastrointestinal tract, protective for encapsulated substances and able to modulate physicochemical characteristics, drug release and biological behavior. The mechanisms of transport of these nanoparticles across intestinal mucosa are reviewed. In particular, the influence of size and surface properties on their non-specific uptake or their targeted uptake by enterocytes and/or M cells is discussed. Enhancement of their uptake by appropriate cells, i.e. M cells by (i) modeling surface properties to optimize access to and transport by M cells (ii) identifying surface markers specific to human M cell allowing targeting to M cells and nanoparticles transcytosis is illustrated. Encouraging results upon in vivo testing are reported but low bioavailability and lack of control on absorbed dose slow down products development. Vaccines are certainly the most promising applications for orally delivered nanoparticles.

Evaluation of gastric mucoadhesive properties of aminated gelatin microspheres

The gastric mucoadhesive properties of aminated gelatin microspheres were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The interactions of gelatin, aminated gelatin and microspheres with two kinds of commercial mucin were estimated in aqueous media. At a higher mucin concentration, aminated gelatin demonstrated a stronger interaction with mucin than either kind of the gelatin (isoelectric point (IEP): 5.0 and 9.0) under the same condition, although these interactions varied with varying media. At the same time, a larger amount of mucin was adsorbed to aminated gelatin microspheres than to either of the gelatin microspheres in the same condition. In the in vitro model of isolated and perfused rat stomach, the amount of aminated gelatin microspheres that remained in the stomach after perfusion was significantly larger than that of gelatin microspheres. However, no significant difference was observed whether the test was performed in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) or in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH7.4). In the in vivo experiment, about 47% of the aminated gelatin microspheres remained in the stomach 2 h after oral administration in a capsule, whereas it was 29 and 34% for gelatin (IEP=5.0) and gelatin (IEP=9.0) microspheres, respectively. These results indicated that aminated gelatin microspheres demonstrated a higher gastric mucoadhesive ability than gelatin microspheres. The higher amino group content, improved chain flexibility and favorable polymer conformation were suggested to be the main factors that contributed to the stronger mucoadhesive properties of aminated gelatin microspheres than that of gelatin microspheres.

Design of nanoparticles composed of graft copolymers for oral peptide delivery

The development of a dosage form that improves the absorption of peptide and protein drugs via the gastrointestinal tract is one of the greatest challenges in the pharmaceutical field. Many researchers have taken up the challenge, using approaches including mucoadhesive drug delivery, colon delivery, particulate drug delivery such as nanoparticles, microcapsules, liposomes, emulsions, micelles, and so on. The objective of this article is to provide the reader with outlines of novel nanoparticle technologies for oral peptide delivery based on polymer chemistry. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles and their behavior on exposure to physiological media are greatly dominated by their chemical structures and surface characteristics. We will especially focus on the design of nanoparticles composed of novel graft copolymers having a hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic branches as drug carriers.

Bioadhesive potential of gliadin nanoparticulate systems

The objective of this work was to prepare, characterise and evaluate the adhesive potential of gliadin nanoparticulate carriers. Firstly, lectin-nanoparticle conjugates were obtained by the carbodiimide (CDI) covalent binding of Dolichos biflorus lectin (DBA) to the surface of gliadin nanoparticles (NP) containing carbazole (as a model lipophilic drug). The DBA binding efficiency was favoured in mild acidic conditions. Similarly, a CDI concentration of about 0.63 mg/mg nanoparticles, acting during at least 1 h, provided binding efficiencies of about 50% bulk lectin. Under optimised experimental conditions, the DBA conjugates showed a size of around 500 nm and the amount of loaded carbazole and the DBA content were calculated to be around 15 and 23.5 microg/mg, respectively. The bioadhesive activity of NP and DBA conjugates was determined in samples of small and large rat intestinal mucosa. The amount of adsorbed NP was calculated to be around 8 and 4 g/m(2) in the small and large intestine, respectively. This high capacity to interact with the mucosa may be explained by gliadin composition. In fact, gliadin is rich in neutral and lipophilic residues. Neutral amino acids can promote hydrogen bonding interactions with the mucosa, while the lipophilic components can interact with the biological tissue by hydrophobic interactions. The bioadhesive activity of DBA conjugates was calculated to be about 2 g/m(2) in the small intestine and greater than 4 g/m(2) in the caecum and distal colon. These degrees of interaction were always significantly higher than those obtained with controls. Finally, DBA did not provide the specificity for interaction with Peyer's patches. In summary, gliadin nanoparticles show a high capacity of non-specific interaction with the intestine, whereas DBA binding to the surface of these carriers provided a greater specificity for colonic mucosa.

Bioadhesive-based dosage forms: the next generation

Prolonged contact time of a drug with a body tissue, through the use of a bioadhesive polymer, can significantly improve the performance of many drugs. These improvements range from better treatment of local pathologies to improved drug bioavailability and controlled release to enhanced patient compliance. There are abundant examples in the literature over the past 15 years of these improvements using first generation or "off-the-shelf" bioadhesive polymers. The present mini-review will remind us of the success achieved with these first-generation polymers and focus on proposals for the next-generation polymers and attendant benefits likely to occur with these improved polymeric systems.

Comparison of a neural network approach with five traditional methods for predicting creatinine clearance in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To compare the results of an artificial neural network approach with those of five published creatinine clearance (Cl(cr)) prediction equations and with the measured (true) Cl(cr) in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

DESIGN

Six-month prospective study.

SETTINGS

Two university medical centers.

PATIENTS

Sixty-five HIV-infected patients: 18 relatively healthy outpatients and 47 inpatients.

INTERVENTIONS

All subjects had urine collected for 24 hours to determine Cl(cr).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The 16 input variables were age, ideal body weight, actual body weight, body surface area, height, and the following blood chemistries: sodium, potassium, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, red blood cell count, platelet count, white blood cell count, glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and albumin. The only output variable was Cl(cr). A training set of 55 subjects was used to develop the relationship between input variables and the output variable. The trained neural network was then used to predict Cl(cr) of a validation set of 10 subjects. Mean differences between predicted Cl(cr) and actual Cl(cr) (bias) were 4.1, 28.7, 29.4, 26.0, 31.8, and 55.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 for the artificial neural network, Cockcroft and Gault, Jelliffe 1, Jelliffe 2, Mawer et al, and Hull et al methods, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The accuracy of predicting Cl(cr) in subjects with HIV infection by the artificial neural network is superior to that of the five equations that are currently used in clinical settings.

Mucoadhesion of polystyrene nanoparticles having surface hydrophilic polymeric chains in the gastrointestinal tract

The mucoadhesion of polystyrene nanoparticles having surface hydrophilic polymeric chains in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was investigated in rats. Radiolabeled nanoparticles were synthesized by adding hydrophobic 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine in the final process of nanoparticle preparation. The radioiodonated diazirine seemed to be incorporated in the hydrophobic polystyrene core of nanoparticles. The incorporation rate was less than 10%, irrespective of nanoparticle type. The diazirine incorporated in nanoparticles exhibited little leakage from them even though they were mixed with a solution corresponding to GI juice. The change in blood ionized calcium concentration after oral administration of salmon calcitonin (sCT) with nanoparticles showed that the in vivo enhancement of sCT absorption by radiolabeled nanoparticles was the same as that by non-labeled nanoparticles. The GI transit rates of nanoparticles having surface poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(vinylamine) and poly(methacrylic acid) chains, which can improve sCT absorption, were slower than that of nanoparticles covered by poly(N-vinylacetamide), which does not enhance sCT absorption at all. These slow transit rates were probably the result of mucoadhesion of nanoparticles. The strength of mucoadhesion depended on the structure of the hydrophilic polymeric chains on the nanoparticle surface. The mucoadhesion of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanoparticles, which most strongly enhanced sCT absorption, was stronger than that of ionic nanoparticles, and poly(N-vinylacetamide) nanoparticles probably did not adhere to the GI mucosa. These findings demonstrated that there is a good correlation between mucoadhesion and enhancement of sCT absorption.

Efficacy of oral dalargin-loaded nanoparticle delivery across the blood-brain barrier

The Leu-enkephalin dalargin normally does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) when given intravenously. To transport dalargin across the blood-brain barrier, the peptide was adsorbed onto the surface of poly(butyl)cyanoacrylate nanoparticles and coated with polysorbate 80. After systemic administration the central analgesia was measured by hot plate test. Furthermore, nanoparticles were fabricated with different stabilizers. After the adsorption of the peptide on polysorbate 85 stabilized nanoparticles analgesia was observable after intravenously and oral application even when nanoparticles were not coated. Thus, our data support the usefulness of nanoparticles as a method to deliver drugs to the brain.

Poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanospheres for oral administration of insulin

Poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanocapsules have been successfully used for oral administration of insulin in diabetic rats. This work reports a suitable formulation for insulin-loaded nanospheres composed of full polymeric structures formed by polymerization of isobutyl cyanoacrylate (IBCA) in an acidic medium, insulin (15 U/mL) being added to the polymerization medium 60 min after the onset of polymerization. These nanospheres (MW 364) displayed a mean size of 145 nm and an association rate of 1 U of insulin/mg of polymer. They protected insulin from the degradation by proteolytic enzymes in vitro, especially when they were dispersed in an oily medium (Miglyol 812) containing surfactive agents (Poloxamer 188 and deoxycholic acid). When dispersed in the same medium, insulin-loaded nanospheres (100 U/kg of body weight), administered perorally in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, provoked a 50% decrease of fasted glycemia from the second hour up to 10-13 days. This effect was shorter (2 days) or absent when nanospheres were dispersed in water with surfactive agents or not. Using 14C-labeled nanospheres loaded with [125I]insulin, it was found that nanospheres increased the uptake of [125I]insulin or its metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract, blood, and liver while the excretion was delayed when compared to [125I]insulin nonassociated to nanospheres; in addition, 14C- and 125I-radioactivities disappeared progressively as a function of time, parallel to the biological effect. Thus insulin-loaded nanospheres can be considered as a convenient delivery system for oral insulin at the prerequisite that they were dispersed in an oily phase containing surfactants.

Preparation and characterization of lectin-latex conjugates for specific bioadhesion

This paper reports on the preparation and characterization of certain bioadhesive model drug deliver systems formed by a carrier (e.g. modified nanoparticles of polystyrene) and a ligand (e.g. tomato lectin, asparagus pea lectin, Mycoplasma gallisepticum lectin or albumin). Three different manufacturing methods (carbodiimide and glutaraldehyde coupling and physical adsorption) were studied. The activity of the lectin-latex conjugates and albumin-latex conjugate (control) were tested with gastric pig mucin. The manufacturing method had an insignificant effect on the activity, but all lectin-latex conjugates interacted two or three times more with mucin than with the control.

Mucoadhesion of latexes. I. Analytical methods and kinetic studies

A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy/attenuated total reflection technique for direct quantification of adsorbed poly(styrene) latexes on rat intestinal mucosa was developed for deposited latex amounts up to 1.5 g/m2. The method agreed well with another dosage assay of adsorbed particles by turbidimetry after denaturation of the mucus. Adsorption kinetics were made under static conditions at latex concentrations of 4 g/L in physiological saline. Ninety percent of equilibrium was reached after 10 min for a particle size of 230 nm, 20 min for a size of 320 nm, and 30 min for a size of 670 nm. The plateaus were between 0.6 and 0.9 g/m2 (adsorbed mass per apparent surface of mucosa). The first phase of the kinetics was theoretically approached by a diffusion model in the suspension medium. Mucosa from rat jejunum and ileum could be considered as a homogeneous biological model for latex adsorption.