This study is aimed at testing the efficiency of colchicine on inducing polyploidy in Cannabis sativa L. and investigation of effects of polyploidy induction on some primary and secondary metabolites. Shoot tips were treated with three different concentrations of colchicine (0, 0.1, 0.2 % w/v) for 24 or 48 h. The biggest proportion of the almost coplanar tetraploids (43.33 %) and mixoploids (13.33 %) was obtained from the 24-h treatment in 0.2 and 0.1 % w/v, respectively. Colchicine with 0.2 % concentration and 48 h duration was more destructive than 24 h. The ploidy levels were screened with flow cytometry. The biochemical analyses showed that reducing sugars, soluble sugars, total protein, and total flavonoids increased significantly in mixoploid plants compared with tetraploid and diploid plants. Tetraploid plants had a higher amount of total proteins, total flavonoids, and starch in comparison with control plants. The results showed that polyploidization could increase the contents of tetrahydrocannabinol in mixoploid plants only, but tetraploid plants had lower amounts of this substance in comparison with diploids. Also, we found such changes in protein concentration in electrophoresis analysis. In overall, our study suggests that tetraploidization could not be useful to produce tetrahydrocannabinol for commercial use, and in this case, mixoploids are more suitable.

Micelles composed of block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(N-2-benzoyloxypropyl methacrylamide) (mPEG-b-p(HPMA-Bz)) have shown great promise as drug-delivery carriers due to their excellent stability and high loading capacity. In the present study, parameters influencing micelle size were investigated to tailor sizes in the range of 25–100 nm. Micelles were prepared by a nanoprecipitation method, and their size was modulated by the block copolymer properties such as molecular weight, their hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic ratio, homopolymer content, as well as formulation and processing parameters. It was shown that the micelles have a core–shell structure using a combination of dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy analysis. By varying the degree of polymerization of the hydrophobic block (NB) between 68 and 10, at a fixed hydrophilic block mPEG5k (NA = 114), it was shown that the hydrophobic core of the micelle was collapsed following the power law of (NB × Nagg)1/3. Further, the calculated brush height was similar for all the micelles examined (10 nm), indicating that crew-cut micelles were made. Both addition of homopolymer and preparation of micelles at lower concentrations or lower rates of addition of the organic solvent to the aqueous phase increased the size of micelles due to partitioning of the hydrophobic homopolymer chains to the core of the micelles and lower nucleation rates, respectively. Furthermore, it was shown that by using different solvents, the size of the micelles substantially changed. The use of acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane resulted in micelles in the size range of 45–60 nm after removal of the organic solvents. The use of dimethylformamide and dimethylsulfoxide led to markedly larger sizes of 75 and 180 nm, respectively. In conclusion, the results show that by modulating polymer properties and processing conditions, micelles with tailorable sizes can be obtained.

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Curcumin-loaded polymeric micelles composed of poly(ethylene glycol)- b -poly( N -2-benzoyloxypropyl methacrylamide) (mPEG- b -p(HPMA-Bz)) were prepared to solubilize and improve the pharmacokinetics of curcumin. Curcumin-loaded micelles were prepared by a nanoprecipitation method using mPEG 5kDa - b -p(HPMA-Bz) copolymers with varying molecular weight of the hydrophobic block (5.2, 10.0, and 17.1 kDa). At equal curcumin loading, micelles composed of mPEG 5kDa - b -p(HPMA-Bz) 17.1kDa showed better curcumin retention in both phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and plasma at 37 °C than micelles based on block copolymers with smaller hydrophobic blocks. No change in micelle size was observed during 24 h incubation in plasma using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF 4 ), attesting to particle stability. However, 22–49% of the curcumin loading was released from the micelles during 24 h from formulations with the highest to the lowest molecular weight p(HPMA-Bz), respectively, in plasma. AF 4 analysis further showed that the released curcumin was subsequently solubilized by albumin. In vitro analyses revealed that the curcumin-loaded mPEG 5kDa - b -p(HPMA-Bz) 17.1kDa micelles were internalized by different types of cancer cells, resulting in curcumin-induced cell death. Intravenously administered curcumin-loaded, Cy7-labeled mPEG 5kDa - b -p(HPMA-Bz) 17.1kDa micelles in mice at 50 mg curcumin/kg showed a long circulation half-life for the micelles ( t 1/2 = 42 h), in line with the AF 4 results. In contrast, the circulation time of curcumin was considerably shorter than that of the micelles ( t 1/2α = 0.11, t 1/2β = 2.5 h) but ∼5 times longer than has been reported for free curcumin ( t 1/2α = 0.02 h). The faster clearance of curcumin in vivo compared to in vitro studies can be attributed to the interaction of curcumin with blood cells. Despite the excellent solubilizing effect of these micelles, no cytostatic effect was achieved in neuroblastoma-bearing mice, possibly because of the low sensitivity of the Neuro2A cells to curcumin.

Pulmonary problems are among the most common chronic complications of sulfur mustard (SM) intoxication and adversely affect patients' quality-of-life. The present trial investigated the impact of immunotherapy with interferon (IFN)-g on quality-of-life, respiratory symptoms, and circulating immunologic and oxidative parameters in patients suffering from chronic SMinduced complications. Patients (n ¼ 15) were administered IFNg (100 mg) every other day for a period of 6 months. Assessment of quality-of-life [using St. George respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) indices], the severity and frequency of respiratory symptoms, and serum levels of immunologic [including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFNg, calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-9, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a], oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as total and reduced glutathione, and catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity], and fibrogenic [transforming growth factor (TGF)-b] parameters were performed at baseline and at trial end. The results indicated that IFNg therapy is associated with improvements in SGRQ (p50.001) and CAT (p50.001) scores, decreased severity of cough (p ¼ 0.001), dyspnea (p50.001), and morning dyspnea (p50.001), reduced frequency of sputum production (p50.001) and hemoptysis (p50.001), and elevated FEV 1 (p ¼ 0.065). Serum levels of IL-4 (p50.001), IL-6 (p50.001), IL-10 (p50.001), CGRP (p50.001), MMP-9 (p ¼ 0.001), TNFa (p50.001), TGFb (p50.001) and MDA (p ¼ 0.001) were decreased while those of IL-2 (p50.001), IFNg (p50.001), and both total (p ¼ 0.005) and reduced glutathione (p ¼ 0.061) increased by the end of the trial. It was concluded that IFNg has favorable effects on the quality-of-life and alleviates respiratory symptoms in patients suffering from chronic SM-induced pulmonary complications. A modulation of cytokines and oxidative stress appears responsible for the clinical efficacy of IFNg.