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Technetium-99m labeled DNL-PE effectively crossed blood–brain barrier and showed a time dependant accumulation in rat brain.

Diabetes mellitus gradually leads to dysfunction and failure of some vital organs specially the eyes, kidneys, pancreas, brain, heart, liver and lungs. The study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of apigenin and its mechanistic role in controlling damages of vital tissues in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with apigenin and glipizide. Various biochemical changes, GLUT4 and CD38 protein expression patterns and histopathological alterations in some vital organs such as liver, kidneys and pancreas were investigated to compare the antidiabetic potentials of those two chemicals and to understand their capability to control the damages of the vital organs during diabetes. Effective control of blood glucose level along with the alteration of hepatic phase I and phase II drug metabolizing enzymes, antioxidant defense enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation level towards their normal values and enhanced GLUT4 translocation and downregulated CD38 expression by apigenin were observed. Apigenin was also found to prevent the deterioration of vital organs during diabetes. In conclusion, apigenin has predominant role in controlling blood glucose level along with the protection of vital organs eventually damaged during diabetes, by minimizing toxicities and associated diabetic complications in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and may explore as a potential antidiabetic agent in near future.

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Background Four formulations of Tamoxifen citrate loaded polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) based nanoparticles (TNPs) were developed and characterized. Their internalization by Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells was also investigated. Methods Nanoparticles were prepared by a multiple emulsion solvent evaporation method. Then the following studies were carried out: drug-excipients interaction using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), zeta potential and size distribution using a Zetasizer Nano ZS90 and particle size analyzer, and in vitro drug release. In vitro cellular uptake of nanoparticles was assessed by confocal microscopy and their cell viability (%) was studied. Results No chemical interaction was observed between the drug and the selected excipients. TNPs had a smooth surface, and a nanosize range (250–380 nm) with a negative surface charge. Drug loadings of the prepared particles were 1.5%±0.02% weight/weight (w/w), 2.68%±0.5% w/w, 4.09%±0.2% w/w, 27.16%±2.08% w/w for NP1–NP4, respectively. A sustained drug release pattern from the nanoparticles was observed for the entire period of study, ie, up to 60 days. Further, nanoparticles were internalized well by the MCF-7 breast cancer cells on a concentration dependent manner and were present in the cytoplasm. The nucleus was free from nanoparticle entry. Drug loaded nanoparticles were found to be more cytotoxic than the free drug. Conclusion TNPs (NP4) showed the highest drug loading, released the drug in a sustained manner for a prolonged period of time and were taken up well by the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line in vitro. Thus the formulation may be suitable for breast cancer treatment due to the good permeation of the formulation into the breast cancer cells.

Among the various drug delivery devices, nanoliposome is an emerging formulation in the treatment of cancer. Here we have developed tamoxifen citrate (TC) loaded nanoliposome conjugated with phosphoethanolamine (PE) by thin film hydration method. Various physicochemical and biopharmaceutical characterization studies such as drug-excipients interaction, surface morphology, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, zeta potential, in vitro drug release, cellular uptake, in vitro cytotoxicity assay and in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles were conducted. TC-loaded nanoliposome (TNL1) and PE-conjugated TC-loaded nanoliposome (TNL-PE) showed 3.23±0.26% and 3.07±0.05% drug loading values, respectively. Average diameters (z-average) of the nanoliposomes were within 100 nm, with negative zeta potentials and cumulative percentages of drug release were 75.77±12.21% and 61.04±10.53% at 30 h for TNL1 and TNL-PE respectively. Predominant uptake of both the types of nanoliposomes was visualized in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. TNL1 and TNL-PE decreased the cell viability from 95.95±0.37 to 12.22±0.64% and from 96.51±0.24 to 13.49±0.08% respectively. In vivo pharmacokinetic study showed that AUC 0-∞, AUMC0-∞, MRT, and t1/2 value of TNL-PE increased (22%, 100%, 2.66 fold and 60% respectively) as compared to the free drug. Administration of TNL-PE decreased the renal clearance value (about 38%) as compared to the free drug. TNL1 and TNL-PE released the drug in a sustained manner. Further, TNL-PE may be used for active targeting for breast cancer cells when it is tagged with specific antibodies to PE, a linker molecule.

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Tumor targeted therapy has brought a new hope to the cancer patients. With the recent advances in nanotechnology and growing knowledge on unique cancer biomarkers, it is now possible to manipulate the surface architecture of polymeric nanoscale delivery systems with targeting moieties, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, specific molecules, small peptides, RNA aptamers etc. to target specific receptors and antigens present exclusively or overexpressed on the tumor cell surface or on the tumor endothelial cell surface. These modified polymeric nanoparticles deliver the loaded chemotherapeutics preferentially to the tumor tissue and not to the healthy tissue. This ensures highly targeted treatment without severe side effects which are normally experienced by the cancer patients in case of conventional chemotherapy. Such specifically constructed polymeric nanocarriers with improved tumor targeting profile are now regarded as engineered polymeric nanoparticles, which have become one of the prime areas of drug delivery research in recent times. This review describes specific approaches used in recent years to construct engineered polymeric nanoparticles, their emerging potential for cancer therapy and recent advances in tumor targeting. An equal attention has been devoted to the fundamental problems encountered in practical fields which limit their clinical use and industrial production.