Protective effect of olopatadine hydrochloride against LPS-induced acute lung injury: via targeting NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Morbidity and mortality rates associated with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) are high (30-40%). Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor, associated with transcription of numerous cytokines leading to cytokine storm, and thereby, plays a major role in ALI/ARDS and in advanced COVID-19 syndrome.

METHODS

Considering the role of NF-κB in ALI, cost-effective in silico approaches were utilized in the study to identify potential NF-κB inhibitor based on the docking and pharmacokinetic results. The identified compound was then pharmacologically validated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) rodent model of acute lung injury. LPS induces ALI by altering alveolar membrane permeability, recruiting activated neutrophils and macrophages to the lungs, and compromising the alveolar membrane integrity and ultimately impairs the gaseous exchange. Furthermore, LPS exposure is associated with exaggerated production of various proinflammatory cytokines in lungs.

RESULTS

Based on in silico studies Olopatadine Hydrochloride (Olo), an FDA-approved drug was found as a potential NF-κB inhibitor which has been reported for the first time, and considered further for the pharmacological validation. Intraperitoneal LPS administration resulted in ALI/ARDS by fulfilling 3 out of the 4 criteria described by ATS committee (2011) published workshop report. However, treatment with Olo attenuated LPS-induced elevation of proinflammatory markers (IL-6 and NF-κB), oxidative stress, neutrophil infiltration, edema, and damage in lungs. Histopathological studies also revealed that Olo treatment significantly ameliorated LPS-induced lung injury, thus conferring improvement in survival. Especially, the effects produced by Olo medium dose (1 mg/kg) were comparable to dexamethasone standard.

CONCLUSION

In nutshell, inhibition of NF-κB pathway by Olo resulted in protection and reduced mortality in LPS- induced ALI and thus has potential to be used clinically to arrest disease progression in ALI/ARDS, since the drug is already in the market. However, the findings warrant further extensive studies, and also future studies can be planned to elucidate its role in COVID-19-associated ARDS or cytokine storm.

Recent advances in pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications of lignin-based materials

Lignin, a versatile and abundant biomass-derived polymer, possesses a wide array of properties that makes it a promising material for biotechnological applications. Lignin holds immense potential in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical field due to its biocompatibility, high carbon content, low toxicity, ability to be converted into composites, thermal stability, antioxidant, UV-protectant, and antibiotic activity. Notably, lignin is an environmental friendly alternative to synthetic plastic and fossil-based materials because of its inherent biodegradability, safety, and sustainability potential. The most important findings related to the use of lignin and lignin-based materials are reported in this review, providing an overview of the methods and techniques used for their manufacturing and modification. Additionally, it emphasizes on recent research and the current state of applications of lignin-based materials in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields and also highlights the challenges and opportunities that need to be overcome to fully realize the potential of lignin biopolymer. An in-depth discussion of recent developments in lignin-based material applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound dressing, pharmaceutical excipients, biosensors, medical devices, and several other biotechnological applications, is provided in this review article.

Green synthesis of lignin-based nanoparticles as a bio-carrier for targeted delivery in cancer therapy

Polymeric magnetic nanoparticles have shown higher efficacy in cancer diagnosis and treatment than conventional chemotherapies. Lignin is an abundantly available natural polymer that can be selectively modified using a rapidly expanding toolkit of biocatalytic and chemical reactions to yield 'intelligent' theranostic-nanoprobes. We aim to valorize lignin to develop a natural polymeric-magnetic-nano-system for the targeted delivery of methotrexate. In the current study, we synthesized nanoparticles of lignin and iron oxide with methotrexate using a new approach of anti-solvent precipitation with ultrasonication. The ensuing nanoparticles are magnetic, smooth, polyhedral with characteristic dimension of 110-130 nm. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiencies were calculated to be 66.06 % and 64.88 %, respectively. The nanoparticles exhibit a concentration-dependent release of methotrexate for the initial 24 h, followed by sustained release. Moreover, formulation is non-hemolytic and scavenges radicals owing to the antioxidant property of lignin. Additionally, methotrexate delivered using the nanoparticles exhibited higher cytotoxicity in cellular-viability assays employing breast cancer and macrophage cell lines compared to the pure form of the drug. Synergistic action of lignin, iron oxide, and methotrexate contribute to enhanced caspase-3 activity and reduced glutathione levels in the breast cancer cells, as well as elevated internalization of the drug on account of increased receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Nanostructured lipid carriers: a promising drug carrier for targeting brain tumours

Background

In recent years, the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine has transformed the pharmaceutical industry with the development of novel drug delivery systems that overcome the shortcomings of traditional drug delivery systems. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), also known as the second-generation lipid nanocarriers, are one such efficient and targeted drug delivery system that has gained immense attention all across due to their myriad advantages and applications. Scientific advancements have revolutionized our health system, but still, brain diseases like brain tumour have remained formidable owing to poor prognosis and the challenging drug delivery to the brain tissue. In this review, we highlighted the application and potential of NLCs in brain-specific delivery of chemotherapeutic agents.

Main body

NLCs are lipid-based formulations with a solid matrix at room temperature and offer advantages like enhanced stability, low toxicity, increased shelf life, improved drug loading capacity, and biocompatibility over other conventional lipid-based nanocarriers such as nanoemulsions and solid lipid nanoparticles. This review meticulously articulates the structure, classification, components, and various methods of preparation exemplified with various research studies along with their advantages and disadvantages. The concept of drug loading and release has been discussed followed by a brief about stability and strategies to improve stability of NLCs. The review also summarizes various in vitro and in vivo research studies on NLCs encapsulated with cytotoxic drugs and their potential application in brain-specific drug delivery.

Conclusion

NLCs are employed as an important carrier for the delivery of food, cosmetics, and medicines and recently have been used in brain targeting, cancer, and gene therapy. However, in this review, the applications and importance of NLCs in targeting brain tumour have been discussed in detail stating examples of various research studies conducted in recent years. In addition, to shed light on the promising role of NLCs, the current clinical status of NLCs has also been summarized.

Graphical Abstract