Tsutomu Ishihara

Injectable porous hydroxyapatite microparticles as a new carrier for protein and lipophilic drugs.

Hydroxyapatite (Ca10 (PO4)6(OH)2) is a biodegradable material that forms a major component of bones and teeth. We prepared injectable spherical porous hydroxyapatite microparticles (SP-HAp) as a drug carrier by the spray-drying method. We then examined the usefulness of SP-HAp as a carrier for drugs such as interferon alpha (IFNalpha), testosterone enanthate (TE), and cyclosporin A (CyA). SP-HAp had an average diameter of 5 mum and a porosity of approximately 58%. It could be injected subcutaneously through a 27-gauge needle. SP-HAp was observed to be biodegradable. The speed of degradation of SP-HAp could be regulated by altering the calcination temperature. IFNalpha was adsorbed well to SP-HAp particles, but INFalpha was released faster from the particles, than the particles could degrade in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Addition of human serum albumin and zinc (reinforcement) to IFNalpha-adsorbed SP-HAp caused marked prolongation of release in vivo. The in vivo release of testosterone enanthate and CyA from SP-HAp preparation, which was easily injectable, was similarly prolonged to that from the oil preparation. In conclusion, the SP-HAp seems to be useful as a biodegradable and subcutaneously injectable drug carrier. It is suggested that the reinforcement of the SP-HAp is very effective on the sustained release of drugs.

Drug delivery to the cochlea using PLGA nanoparticles.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of encapsulating therapeutic molecules in poly lactic/glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles for drug delivery to the cochlea.

Treatment of experimental arthritis with poly(d, l-lactic/glycolic acid) nanoparticles encapsulating betamethasone sodium phosphate

Objective: To examine the therapeutic activity of hydrophilic glucocorticoid encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles, which have shown slow release and are targeted to inflamed joints after intravenous administration, in experimental arthritis models. Methods: Betamethasone sodium phosphate (BSP) encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles with a size of 100–200 nm (PLGA-nanosteroid) was prepared using a modified oil in water emulsion solvent diffusion method with Zn ions and coated with lecithin. Rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA rats) and mice with anti-type II collagen antibody induced arthritis (AbIA mice) were treated intravenously with PLGA-nanosteroid after the initial sign of arthritis. Results: In AA rats, a 30% decrease in paw inflammation was obtained in 1 day and maintained for 1 week with a single injection of 100 μg of PLGA-nanosteroid. Soft x ray examination 7 days after this treatment showed decreased soft tissue swelling. Moreover, the PLGA-nanosteroid was also highly effective in AbIA mice. A single injection of 30 μg of the PLGA-nanosteroid resulted in almost complete remission of the inflammatory response after 1 week. In contrast, the same dose of free BSP after three administrations only moderately reduced the severity of inflammation. In addition, a histological examination 7 days after the treatment showed a significant decrease of the inflammatory cells in the joints. Conclusion: The observed strong therapeutic benefit obtained with PLGA-nanosteroid may be due to the targeting of the inflamed joint and its prolonged release in situ. Targeted drug delivery using a sustained release PLGA-nanosteroid is a successful intervention in experimental arthritis.

Evasion of the Accelerated Blood Clearance Phenomenon by Coating of Nanoparticles with Various Hydrophilic Polymers

The accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon is induced upon repeated injections of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-coated colloidal carriers. It is essential to suppress this phenomenon in a clinical setting because the pharmacokinetics must be reproducible. In this study, we evaluated the induction of the ABC phenomenon using nanoparticles coated with various hydrophilic polymers instead of PEG. Nanoparticles encapsulating prostaglandin E1 were prepared by the solvent diffusion method from a blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and block copolymers consisting of various hydrophilic polymers and PLA. Coating of nanoparticles with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(4-acryloylmorpholine), or poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) led to extended residence of the nanoparticles in blood circulation in rats, although they had a shorter half-life than the PEG-coated nanoparticles. The ABC phenomenon was not induced upon repeated injection of PVP-coated nanoparticles at various time intervals, dosages, or frequencies, whereas it was elicited by PEG-coated nanoparticles. In addition, anti-PVP IgM antibody, which is estimated to be one of the crucial factors for induction of the ABC phenomenon, was not produced after injection of PVP-coated nanoparticles. These results suggest that the use of PVP, instead of PEG, as a coating material for colloidal carriers can evade the ABC phenomenon.

Therapeutic Effect of Lecithinized Superoxide Dismutase against Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves intestinal mucosal damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular, superoxide anion. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes dismutation of superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide, which is subsequently detoxified by catalase. Lecithinized SOD (PC-SOD) is a new modified form of SOD that has overcome previous clinical limitations of SOD. In this study, we examined the action of PC-SOD using an animal model of UC, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. DSS-induced colitis was ameliorated by daily intravenous administration of PC-SOD. Unmodified SOD produced a similar effect but only at more than 30 times the concentration of PC-SOD. In vivo electron spin resonance analysis confirmed that the increase in the colonic level of ROS associated with development of colitis was suppressed by PC-SOD administration. The dose-response profile of PC-SOD was bell-shaped, but simultaneous administration of catalase restored the ameliorative effect at high doses of PC-SOD. Accumulation of hydrogen peroxide was observed with the administration of high doses of PC-SOD, an effect that was suppressed by the simultaneous administration of catalase. We also found that either a weekly intravenous administration or daily oral administration of PC-SOD conferred protection. These results suggest that PC-SOD achieves its ameliorative effect against colitis through decreasing the colonic level of ROS and that its ineffectiveness at higher doses is because of the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, we consider that intermittent or oral administration of PC-SOD can be applied clinically to improve the quality of life of UC patients.

Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-PLA and PLA blend nanoparticles for temperature-controllable drug release and intracellular uptake.

We designed a temperature-responsive and biodegradable novel drug-delivery carrier. A block copolymer, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-dl-lactide) (PNIPAAm-PLA), was synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of dl-lactide, and used as a carrier for a drug-delivery system. In this study, temperature-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulating betamethasone disodium 21-phosphate (BP) were prepared from a blend of PLA homopolymer and block copolymers by an oil-in-water solvent-diffusion method in the presence of zinc ion (PLA/PNIPAAm-PLA (NPs)). The resulting NP size was around 140 nm. The drug release from temperature-responsive NP could be controllable by changing the temperature. Moreover, a murine macrophage-like cell line, RAW 264.7 cells, was used to measure and image the cell uptake of fluorescent PLA/PNIPAAm-PLA NPs at 30 °C and 37 °C on the boundary of LCST (34 °C). Below the LCST, cellular uptake was not observed, but contrary to cellular uptake it was clearly observed above the LCST. Moreover, we found this effect to be useful for controlling the stealthiness by changing the temperature. Present temperature-responsive NPs have successfully exhibited thermo-responsive drug release and intracellular uptake while possessing a biodegradable character.

Treatment of Experimental Arthritis with Stealth-Type Polymeric Nanoparticles Encapsulating Betamethasone Phosphate

We examined the therapeutic activity of betamethasone disodium 21-phosphate (BP) encapsulated in biocompatible and biodegradable blended nanoparticles of poly (d,l-lactic/glycolic acid) (PLGA)/poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PLA) homopolymers and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-block-PLGA/PLA copolymers (stealth nanosteroid) in experimental arthritis models. Various stealth nanosteroids with a size of 45 to 115 nm were prepared and then intravenously administered to rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and mice with anti-type II collagen antibody-induced arthritis (AbIA). The accumulation of stealth nanoparticles with Cy7 in inflamed joints was determined using an in vivo imaging system. The type A stealth nanosteroid, composed of PLA (2.6 kDa) and PEG (5 kDa)-PLA (3 kDa), with a PEG content of 10% and a diameter of 115 nm, exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory activity. In AA rats, a 35% decrease in paw inflammation was obtained in 1 day and maintained for 9 days with a single injection of the type A stealth nanosteroid (40 μg of BP), whereas the same does of nonstealth nanosteroid and 3 times higher free BP showed a significantly weaker response. In AbIA mice, a single injection of the type A stealth nanosteroid (3 μg of BP) resulted in complete remission of the inflammatory response after 1 week. Furthermore, in AbAI mice, the accumulation of type A stealth nanoparticles in inflamed joints was shown to parallel the severity of inflammation. The observed strong therapeutic benefit obtained with the type A stealth nanosteroid in experimental arthritis may have been due to prolonged blood circulation and targeting to the inflamed joint in addition to its sustained release in situ.

Receptor-mediated cell modulator delivery to hepatocyte using nanoparticles coated with carbohydrate-carrying polymers

Cell modulators such as colchicine (CO), cytochalasin B (CY) and taxol (TX) loaded nanoparticles coated with carbohydrate-carrying polymers, as hepatocyte-specific targeting material using galactose ligands as recognition signals to asialoglycoprotein receptors were prepared by the diafiltration method. Effects of cell modulators from their loaded nanoparticles on morphology of hepatocytes were studied. Receptor-mediated endocytosis of the nanoparticles were examined by fluorescence and confocal laser microscopy. It was found that the shapes of most hepatocytes were changed for the CY-loaded, TX-loaded, or CO-loaded nanoparticles whereas their shapes were not changed in comparison with control when CY, TX, or CO were mixed with the nanoparticles. From the fluorescence and confocal laser microscopic studies, it is suggested that the nanoparticles coated with sugar-carrying polymers were internalized by the hepatocytes through the receptor-mediated mechanism.

Therapeutic effect of lecithinized superoxide dismutase on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is thought to involve inflammatory infiltration of leukocytes, lung injury induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular superoxide anion, and fibrosis (collagen deposition). No treatment has been shown to improve definitively the prognosis for IPF patients. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide, which is subsequently detoxified by catalase. Lecithinized SOD (PC-SOD) has overcome clinical limitations of SOD, including low tissue affinity and low stability in plasma. In this study, we examined the effect of PC-SOD on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Severity of the bleomycin-induced fibrosis in mice was assessed by various methods, including determination of hydroxyproline levels in lung tissue. Intravenous administration of PC-SOD suppressed the bleomycin-induced increase in the number of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bleomycin-induced collagen deposition and increased hydroxyproline levels in the lung were also suppressed in animals treated with PC-SOD, suggesting that PC-SOD suppresses bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The dose-response profile of PC-SOD was bell-shaped, but concurrent administration of catalase restored the ameliorative effect at high doses of PC-SOD. Intratracheal administration or inhalation of PC-SOD also attenuated the bleomycin-induced inflammatory response and fibrosis. The bell-shaped dose-response profile of PC-SOD was not observed for these routes of administration. We consider that, compared with intravenous administration, inhalation of PC-SOD may be a more therapeutically beneficial route of administration due to the higher safety and quality of life of the patient treated with this drug.

Comb-type cationic copolymer expedites DNA strand exchange while stabilizing DNA duplex.

The accelerating effect of cationic substances on the DNA strand exchange reaction between a 20 bp DNA duplex and its complementary single strand was studied. A polycationic comb-type copolymer, that consists of a poly(L-lysine) backbone and a dextran graft chain (PLL-g-Dex) and known to stabilize triplex DNA, expedites the strand exchange reaction under physiological relevant conditions. Electrostatically a small excess of the copolymer let to a 300-1500-fold increase in the DNA strand exchange while large excess of spermine or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, a cationic detergent known to promote markedly hybridization of complementary DNA strands, shows only a slight effect. The efficacy of the copolymer was not affected by a 10 mM Mg2+ concentration. Notably the copolymer promotes the strand exchange reaction while it stabilizes double-stranded DNA. The stabilization of strand exchange intermediates consisting of the parent duplex and the single strand by the copolymer is believed to be responsible for the observed acceleration behavior.