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Oliveira IS, Pereira C, Borges E, do Vale ML, Gomes AC, Marques EF. Formation of catanionic vesicles by threonine-derived surfactants and gemini surfactants based on conventional or serine-derived headgroups: designing versatile and cytocompatible nanocarriers. Soft Matter 2021; 17:7099-7110. [PMID: 34259282 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00766a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we explore the ability of newly synthesized threonine-derived surfactants to form robust, versatile and cytocompatible catanionic vesicles when mixed with gemini surfactants, as potential effective nanocarriers for biomolecules. The threonine surfactants consist of single-tailed amphiphiles with carboxylate headgroups and varying alkyl tail length, CnThr, where n is the (even) number of tail C atoms, varying from 8 to 16. After an initial characterization of the micellization behavior of the neat CnThr surfactants (at pH = 7 and 12), the dodecyl derivative, C12Thr, was selected as the optimal surfactant to investigate regions of formation of spontaneous catanionic vesicles. Phase behavior studies and microstructural characterization of mixtures involving both conventional bis-quat n-s-n gemini (where n and s are the tail and spacer number of C atoms) and biocompatible serine-derived gemini surfactants were carried out. Light and electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements show spontaneous vesicles indeed form and exhibit versatile features in terms of average size, morphology, polydispersity, surface charge and pH. The toxicological profile of the neat surfactants and C12Thr/gemini vesicles based on MTT assays with a L929 cell line was also evaluated, showing good levels of in vitro cytocompatibility. Overall, the assortment of developed catanionic vesicles offers very attractive physicochemical and biological features to be explored for delivery purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel S Oliveira
- CIQUP, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cidália Pereira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Enrique Borges
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - M Luísa do Vale
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia C Gomes
- CBMA, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo F Marques
- CIQUP, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Pereira R, Silva SG, Pinheiro M, Reis S, do Vale ML. Current Status of Amino Acid-Based Permeation Enhancers in Transdermal Drug Delivery. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 11:343. [PMID: 34067194 PMCID: PMC8151591 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11050343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) presents many advantages compared to other conventional routes of drug administration, yet its full potential has not been achieved. The administration of drugs through the skin is hampered by the natural barrier properties of the skin, which results in poor permeation of most drugs. Several methods have been developed to overcome this limitation. One of the approaches to increase drug permeation and thus to enable TDD for a wider range of drugs consists in the use of chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs), compounds that interact with skin to ultimately increase drug flux. Amino acid derivatives show great potential as permeation enhancers, as they exhibit high biodegradability and low toxicity. Here we present an overview of amino acid derivatives investigated so far as CPEs for the delivery of hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs across the skin, focusing on the structural features which promote their enhancement capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Pereira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (R.P.); (S.G.S.)
| | - Sandra G. Silva
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (R.P.); (S.G.S.)
| | - Marina Pinheiro
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (M.P.); (S.R.)
| | - Salette Reis
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (M.P.); (S.R.)
| | - M. Luísa do Vale
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (R.P.); (S.G.S.)
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Cardoso AM, Morais CM, Cruz AR, Cardoso AL, Silva SG, do Vale ML, Marques EF, Pedroso de Lima MC, Jurado AS. Gemini surfactants mediate efficient mitochondrial gene delivery and expression. Mol Pharm 2015; 12:716-30. [PMID: 25634573 DOI: 10.1021/mp5005349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Gene delivery targeting mitochondria has the potential to transform the therapeutic landscape of mitochondrial genetic diseases. Taking advantage of the nonuniversal genetic code used by mitochondria, a plasmid DNA construct able to be specifically expressed in these organelles was designed by including a codon, which codes for an amino acid only if read by the mitochondrial ribosomes. In the present work, gemini surfactants were shown to successfully deliver plasmid DNA to mitochondria. Gemini surfactant-based DNA complexes were taken up by cells through a variety of routes, including endocytic pathways, and showed propensity for inducing membrane destabilization under acidic conditions, thus facilitating cytoplasmic release of DNA. Furthermore, the complexes interacted extensively with lipid membrane models mimicking the composition of the mitochondrial membrane, which predicts a favored interaction of the complexes with mitochondria in the intracellular environment. This work unravels new possibilities for gene therapy toward mitochondrial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cardoso
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, ‡Department of Life Sciences, and §Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra , Coimbra, Portugal
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Cardoso AM, Morais CM, Cruz AR, Silva SG, do Vale ML, Marques EF, de Lima MCP, Jurado AS. New serine-derived gemini surfactants as gene delivery systems. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2014; 89:347-56. [PMID: 25513958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Gemini surfactants have been extensively used for in vitro gene delivery. Amino acid-derived gemini surfactants combine the special aggregation properties characteristic of the gemini surfactants with high biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this work, novel serine-derived gemini surfactants, differing in alkyl chain lengths and in the linker group bridging the spacer to the headgroups (amine, amide and ester), were evaluated for their ability to mediate gene delivery either per se or in combination with helper lipids. Gemini surfactant-based DNA complexes were characterized in terms of hydrodynamic diameter, surface charge, stability in aqueous buffer and ability to protect DNA. Efficient formulations, able to transfect up to 50% of the cells without causing toxicity, were found at very low surfactant/DNA charge ratios (1/1-2/1). The most efficient complexes presented sizes suitable for intravenous administration and negative surface charge, a feature known to preclude potentially adverse interactions with serum components. This work brings forward a new family of gemini surfactants with great potential as gene delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cardoso
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Catarina M Morais
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Rita Cruz
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra G Silva
- Centro de Investigação em Química, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Luísa do Vale
- Centro de Investigação em Química, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eduardo F Marques
- Centro de Investigação em Química, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria C Pedroso de Lima
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Amália S Jurado
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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