Xiaoli Song

Novel surfactant for preparation of poly(L-lactic acid) nanoparticles with controllable release profile and cytocompatibility for drug delivery.

Poly(L-lactic acid) nanoparticles loaded with a hydrophobic drug were prepared by an emulsion-evaporation process (oil in water) with a novel, effective and biocompatible surfactant butanedioic acid, 2-sulfo-1,4-butanedioic acid ditridecyl ester (sodium salt, 1:1) (BASDE). The particles are spherical in morphology and their diameters are controllable from 50 to 550nm with poly-dispersity indexes within the range of 0.122-0.340. The drug entrapment efficiency and drug content were measured by spectrophotometry. The drug release rate is affected by both the size of the particles and the drug content in the particles. In vitro cytotoxicity data indicate that these drug-loaded PLA nanoparticles are safe for hypodermic injection regard to the toxicological acceptance. This study demonstrates that using BASDE surfactant, the size of PLA nanoparticles can be controlled at the nanoscale with a narrow size distribution, and the drug release is controllable with excellent in vitro cytocompatibility. This may be due to efficient emulsification capability and biocompatibility of BASDE.

Preparation and investigation of arsenic trioxide-loaded polylactic acid/magnetic hybrid nanoparticles

In order to improve the therapeutic index and reduce the side effects of As2O3 so as to expand its clinical utility to solid tumors, As2O3-loaded polylactic acid(PLA)/magnetic nanoparticles(PAMNs) were prepared and the preparation conditions were optimized by the improved double emulsion solvent-evaporation method to obtain as a drug delivery system with a high As2O3 encapsulation efficiency and homogeneous nanosized particles. Successful loading of magnetic nanoparticles into the nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy. The drug loading, encapsulation efficiency and releasing properties of As2O3 in PAMNs were investigated by atomic fluorescence spectrometer analysis. Subsequently, the in vitro antitumor efficacy of free As2O3 and As2O3-PAMNs against SMMC-7721 cell line was investigated. Finally, confocal fluorescence microscopy was conducted to reveal the celluar uptake of As2O3-loaded PAMNs by SMMC-7721 cell line.

Synthesis, biocompatible, and self-assembly properties of poly (ethylene glycol)/lactobionic acid-grafted chitosan.

Polymers with targeted ligands are widely used as the anti-cancer drug delivery materials. For applications of chitosan as an anti-liver cancer drug delivery, poly (ethylene glycol)/lactobionic acid-grafted chitosan (PEG/LA-CS) was prepared and investigated since lactobionic acid can be specifically recognized by the hepatocytes. The structure of the PEG/LA-CS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and elemental analysis. The self-assembly behaviors of the PEG/LA-CS were monitored by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and electronic transmission microscope. The protein adsorption of the PEG/LA-CS was detected with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed that the PEG/LA-CS almost did not adsorb protein. To study the effects of PEG/LA-CS on the structure of BSA, the interactions between the PEG/LA-CS and BSA were detected by ultraviolet spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, and circular dichroism. All the data gave one result that BSA maintained its original folded confirmation in PEG/LA-CS solution. The hemocompatibility of PEG/LA-CS was investigated by observing the effects of PEG/LA-CS on the hemolysis rate and the plasma recalcification time (PRT). The results showed that the PRT was prolonged greatly and the hemolysis rate was less than 5%. Furthermore, PEG/LA-CS also showed good cytocompatibility with K562, Hep G2, and LO2 cells. Therefore, the PEG/LA-CS is believed to have great potential for producing injectable anti-liver cancer drug delivery.

Effects of surface modification of As 2 O 3 -loaded PLGA nanoparticles on its anti-liver cancer ability: An in vitro and in vivo study

As2O3-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) were prepared by double emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Then Lactose acid (LA) and/or PEG were modified onto the NPs by chemical covalent coupling through -NH2 and -COOH. The FTIR results showed that LA and PEG could be successfully modified onto the surface of the NPs. All the As2O3-loaded PLGA NPs (As2O3@PLGA NPs) presented suitable physical stability, favorable size, and spherical shape. The in vitro release rate of As2O3 from the NPs depended on the surface of the NPs. As expected, the As2O3@PLGA-PEG/LA NPs showed a moderate release rate, the highest anticancer effects and cellular internalization against SMMC-7721 cell line. The PLGA-PEG/LA NPs could represent an effective nano-size delivery system of As2O3 for treatment of liver cancer.