MDCKII Cells Research Articles

Trafficking, localization and degradation of the Na+,HCO3\u2212 co-transporter NBCn1 in kidney and breast epithelial cells

The Na+;HCO3− co-transporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) is a major regulator of intracellular pH yet its trafficking and turnover are essentially unstudied. Here, we used MDCK-II and MCF-7 cells to investigate these processes in epithelial cells. GFP-NBCn1 membrane localization was abolished by truncation of the full NBCn1 C-terminal tail (C-tail) yet did not require the C-terminal PDZ-binding motif (ETSL). Glutathione-S-Transferase-pulldown of the C-tail followed by mass spectrometry analysis revealed putative interactions with multiple sorting-, degradation- and retention factors, including the scaffolding protein RACK1. Pulldown of FLAG-tagged deletion constructs mapped the RACK1 interaction to the proximal NBCn1 C-tail. Proximity Ligation Assay and co-immunoprecipitation confirmed that native NBCn1 interacts with RACK1 in a cellular context. Consistent with a functional role of this complex, RACK1 knockdown reduced NBCn1 membrane localization without affecting total NBCn1 expression. Notably, only non-confluent cells exhibited detectable NBCn1-RACK1 plasma membrane co-localization, suggesting that RACK1 regulates the trafficking of NBCn1 to the membrane. Whereas total NBCn1 degradation was slow, with a half-life of more than 24 h, one-third of surface NBCn1 was constitutively endocytosed from the basolateral membrane within 60 min. This suggests that a fraction of NBCn1 exhibits recycling between the basolateral membrane and intracellular compartment(s). Our findings have important implications for understanding NBCn1 regulation as well as its dysregulation in disease.

Evaluation of Drug Transport in MDCKII-Wild Type, MDCKII-MDR1, MDCKII-BCRP and Caco-2 Cell Lines.

Drug transporters function as gatekeepers and modulate drug access into body and various tissues. Thus, a thorough and precise understanding of transporter liability for compound uptake and efflux is critical during drug development. In the present study, we assessed the apparent permeability (Papp) and compared efflux ratio of various compounds in stably transfected Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCKII) cells overexpressing human P-gp (MDCKII-MDR1), human BCRP (MDCKII-BCRP), wild-type (MDCKII-WT), and Caco-2 cell monolayers. We observed that quinidine, a substrate for MDR1 transporter, showed efflux ratio (Papp B-A/ Papp A-B) of 838 in MDCKII-MDR1 cells which plummeted to 14 in presence of verapamil, a known inhibitor of MDR1. With MDCKII-WT cells, Papp of quinidine dropped from 2 to 1, in the presence of verapamil. Caco-2 cells showed a diminutive decrease in efflux ratio of quinidine from 2.5 to 1.6 by verapamil. Prazosin and dantrolene were evaluated in MDCKII-BCRP cells and were found to have 80-fold higher efflux ratio compared to MDCKII-WT cells. In Caco-2 cells, prazosin and dantrolene showed efflux ratio of 4 and 2, respectively. Rhodamine-123, a fluorogenic probe substrate of MDR1 showed an efflux ratio of 4 in Caco-2 cells and BCRP substrate estrone-3-sulphate showed an efflux ratio of 7. In presence of BCRP inhibitor fumitremorgin-c, the efflux ratio of estrone-3-sulfate dropped to 1 in Caco-2 cells. The very high efflux ratios of MDR1 and BCRP substrates in transfected MDCKII cells clearly demonstrate the potential usefulness of these models to provide more definitive data to evaluate the transporter involvement compared to Caco-2 or MDCKII-WT cells.

Ribociclib shows potential for pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions being a substrate of ABCB1 and potent inhibitor of ABCB1, ABCG2 and CYP450 isoforms in vitro

Ribociclib is a novel cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and 6 selective inhibitor that recently gained breakthrough therapy status and global approval for advanced breast cancer treatment. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters may become a site of severe drug interactions and a mechanism of multidrug resistance (MDR) development. With respect to rapid progress of ribociclib in the clinical field, we aimed to identify its interactions with ABC transporters and cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes and evaluate its potential to overcome transporter-mediated MDR using established in vitro methods. Our data showed accelerated ABCB1 inhibitor LY335979-sensitive, basolateral-to-apical transport of ribociclib across MDCKII-ABCB1 cell monolayers, which identified ribociclib as an ABCB1 substrate. The antiproliferative studies supported this finding by demonstrating significantly higher EC50 value in ABCB1-, but not ABCG2- or ABCC1-expressing MDCKII cells, than in the parent MDCKII cell line. Furthermore, we observed significant inhibitory effects of ribociclib on ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters and CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and CYP2C9 isoform activity in human CYP-expressing insect microsomes. The ribociclib-induced ABCB1 and ABCG2 inhibition further reversed daunorubicin and mitoxantrone resistance in MDCKII and human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell lines, indicating a synergistic antiproliferative effect, without affecting ABCB1 or ABCG2 expression. In summary, our data indicate that ABCB1 affects ribociclib transport across the membranes and the high potential of ribociclib for drug-drug interactions (DDIs) through ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters and CYP isoforms. Moreover, we demonstrate the beneficial MDR-reversing potential of ribociclib, which could be further exploited in novel anticancer treatment strategies.

Transporter Roles in the Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Voxilaprevir, a Pan‐genotypic HCV NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor

IntroductionVoxilaprevir (VOX; GS‐9857) is a pan‐genotypic hepatitis C virus nonstructural (NS) protein 3/4A protease inhibitor (HCV‐PI) with potent antiviral activity against HCV genotypes 1 to 6 and an enhanced resistance profile over previous HCV‐PIs1. VOX is a component of Vosevi™, a fixed‐dose combination of three agents (SOF/VEL/VOX) and is approved for treatment of HCV. In vitro and in vivo assessments were conducted to determine the roles of drug transporters in the pharmacokinetics (PK) and preferential tissue distribution of VOX.MethodsVoxilaprevir metabolic stability was assessed in vitro in hepatic microsomal fraction and cryopreserved hepatocytes from the rat, dog, monkey and human. Permeability and efflux transport were characterized in Caco‐2 cells and Pgp‐ or BCRP‐overexpressing MDCKII cells. The uptake kinetics of VOX was characterized in rat and human hepatocytes. VOX PK and distribution into liver was determined following a single intravenous (IV) administration in rat, dog, and monkey. VOX elimination was evaluated in bile‐duct cannulated rat following a single IV dose. The distribution of VOX in select tissues (liver, kidney, & lung) was assessed with and without rifampicin pretreatment following IV administration in rat. PK following single ascending oral administration of VOX was also evaluated in rat.ResultsVOX was metabolically stable in hepatic microsomal fractions across all species tested, except for the monkey. In the rat, VOX was mainly eliminated via biliary excretion as unchanged parent drug (70% of dose), and to a lesser extent as its oxidated metabolites. Liver uptake of VOX was observed across the nonclinical species tested ‐ liver to plasma concentration ratio was 970, 34, and 41 in the rat, dog, and monkey, respectively. VOX was found to be a substrate of efflux transporters P‐gp and BCRP, and also a substrate of hepatic uptake transporters (OATPs). VOX displayed a non‐linear and saturable OATP‐mediated hepatic uptake kinetics in vitro. In the rat, VOX shown substantially higher liver concentration than reference tissues (kidney and lung) with and without rifampicin pretreatment. Non‐linear PK was also observed following ascending oral doses of VOX in rat.ConclusionsTaken together, these studies demonstrate the contribution of drug transporters in the PK and preferential liver distribution of VOX; which was also corroborated in its clinical PK and efficacy studies.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Bacterial ribonuclease binase exerts an intra-cellular anti-viral mode of action targeting viral RNAs in influenza a virus-infected MDCK-II cells

BackgroundInfluenza is a severe contagious disease especially in children, elderly and immunocompromised patients. Beside vaccination, the discovery of new anti-viral agents represents an important strategy to encounter seasonal and pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) strains. The bacterial extra-cellular ribonuclease binase is a well-studied RNase from Bacillus pumilus. Treatment with binase was shown to improve survival of laboratory animals infected with different RNA viruses. Although binase reduced IAV titer in vitro and in vivo, the mode of action (MOA) of binase against IAV at the molecular level has yet not been studied in depth and remains elusive.MethodsTo analyze whether binase impairs virus replication by direct interaction with the viral particle we applied a hemagglutination inhibition assay and monitored the integrity of the viral RNA within the virus particle by RT-PCR. Furthermore, we used Western blot and confocal microscopy analysis to study whether binase can internalize into MDCK-II cells. By primer extension we examined the effect of binase on the integrity of viral RNAs within the cells and using a mini-genome system we explored the effect of binase on the viral expression.ResultsWe show that (i) binase does not to attack IAV particle-protected viral RNA, (ii) internalized binase could be detected within the cytosol of MDCK-II cells and that (iii) binase impairs IAV replication by specifically degrading viral RNA species within the infected MDCK-II cells without obvious effect on cellular mRNAs.ConclusionOur data provide novel evidence suggesting that binase is a potential anti-viral agent with specific intra-cellular MOA.

Transcytosis Assay for Transport of Glycosphingolipids across MDCK-II Cells.

Absorption and secretion of peptide and protein cargoes across single-cell thick mucosal and endothelial barriers occurs by active endocytic and vesicular trafficking that connects one side of the epithelial or endothelial cell (the lumen) with the other (the serosa or blood). Assays that assess this pathway must robustly control for non-specific and passive solute flux through weak or damaged intercellular junctions that seal the epithelial or endothelial cells together. Here we describe an in vitro cell culture Transwell assay for transcytosis of therapeutic peptides linked covalently to various species of the glycosphingolipid GM1. We recently used this assay to develop technology that harnesses endogenous mechanism of lipid sorting across epithelial cell barriers to enable oral delivery of peptide and protein therapeutics.

Evaluation of transcellular transport of atenolol in polarized MDCKII cells stably expressing human PMAT and OCT1

Evaluation of transcellular transport of atenolol in polarized MDCKII cells stably expressing human PMAT and OCT1

Restricted Delivery of Talazoparib Across the Blood–Brain Barrier Limits the Sensitizing Effects of PARP Inhibition on Temozolomide Therapy in Glioblastoma

Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, including talazoparib, potentiate temozolomide efficacy in multiple tumor types; however, talazoparib-mediated sensitization has not been evaluated in orthotopic glioblastoma (GBM) models. This study evaluates talazoparib ± temozolomide in clinically relevant GBM models. Talazoparib at 1-3 nmol/L sensitized T98G, U251, and GBM12 cells to temozolomide, and enhanced DNA damage signaling and G2-M arrest in vitroIn vivo cyclical therapy with talazoparib (0.15 mg/kg twice daily) combined with low-dose temozolomide (5 mg/kg daily) was well tolerated. This talazoparib/temozolomide regimen prolonged tumor stasis more than temozolomide alone in heterotopic GBM12 xenografts [median time to endpoint: 76 days versus 50 days temozolomide (P = 0.005), 11 days placebo (P < 0.001)]. However, talazoparib/temozolomide did not accentuate survival beyond that of temozolomide alone in corresponding orthotopic xenografts [median survival 37 vs. 30 days with temozolomide (P = 0.93), 14 days with placebo, P < 0.001]. Average brain and plasma talazoparib concentrations at 2 hours after a single dose (0.15 mg/kg) were 0.49 ± 0.07 ng/g and 25.5±4.1 ng/mL, respectively. The brain/plasma distribution of talazoparib in Bcrp-/- versus wild-type (WT) mice did not differ, whereas the brain/plasma ratio in Mdr1a/b-/- mice was higher than WT mice (0.23 vs. 0.02, P < 0.001). Consistent with the in vivo brain distribution, overexpression of MDR1 decreased talazoparib accumulation in MDCKII cells. These results indicate that talazoparib has significant MDR1 efflux liability that may restrict delivery across the blood-brain barrier, and this may explain the loss of talazoparib-mediated temozolomide sensitization in orthotopic versus heterotopic GBM xenografts. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(12); 2735-46. ©2017 AACR.

P-glycoprotein (MDR1/ABCB1) and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) affect brain accumulation and intestinal disposition of encorafenib in mice

Encorafenib (LGX818) is a promising BRAFV600E inhibitor that has efficacy against metastatic melanoma. To better understand its pharmacokinetics, we studied its interactions with the multidrug efflux transporters ABCB1 and ABCG2 and the multidrug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A. In polarized MDCK-II cells, encorafenib was efficiently transported by canine and human ABCB1 and ABCG2 and by mouse Abcg2. Upon oral administration to wild-type, Abcb1a/1b−/−, Abcg2−/−, and Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice, encorafenib was absorbed very quickly and to very high plasma levels, but without clear changes in oral availability between the strains. Upon oral or intravenous administration, encorafenib brain accumulation was markedly increased in Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice and to a lesser extent in Abcb1a/1b−/− mice. However, absolute brain concentrations and brain-to-plasma ratios remained very low in all strains, indicating intrinsically poor brain penetration of encorafenib. Upon intravenous administration, Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice showed somewhat reduced plasma elimination of encorafenib compared to wild-type mice, and lower accumulation of the drug in the intestinal tract, suggesting a limited role for these transporters in intestinal elimination of the drug. In Cyp3a−/− mice plasma levels of encorafenib were not markedly increased, suggesting a limited impact of Cyp3a on encorafenib oral availability. The low brain penetration of encorafenib might limit its efficacy against malignancies positioned behind a functional blood-brain barrier, but its oral bioavailability and distribution to other tested organs (liver, kidney, spleen, testis) was high.

Optimization and Application of a Biotinylation Method for Quantification of Plasma Membrane Expression of Transporters in Cells.

Quantitative proteomics, using LC-MS/MS, is increasingly used to quantify drug transporters present in tissues and cells. Most of these investigations quantify total transporter expression in the cells by utilizing a total membrane fraction, not only the plasma membrane. Here, we report development and optimization of a biotinylation method to quantify protein expression of transporters in the plasma membrane of cells. The Pierce cell surface isolation protocol was optimized for plasma membrane isolation. Incubation of OATP1B1-expressing CHO cells with 0.78 mg/mL of membrane impermeable biotinylation reagent (sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin) at 37°C for 1h resulted in optimum isolation of the plasma membrane. Subsequently, the expression of transporters in the plasma membrane as a percent of the total was determined by quantitative proteomics using LC-MS/MS. Mean (±SD) plasma membrane expression of OATP1B1 in plated OATP1B1-expressing CHO, MDCKII, and HEK293 cells was found to be 79.7% (±4.7%), 67.7% (±12.2%), and 65.3% (±6.8%) of total cell OATP1B1 expression. Mean (±SD) plasma membrane expression of OATP1B3 in plated OATP1B3-expressing HEK293 cells, OATP2B1 in plated OATP2B1-expressing MDCKII cells, and sodium/taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) in plated NTCP-expressing CHO cells was 63.2% (±1.6%), 37.1% (±15.7%), and 71.7% (±1.2%), respectively. This method of quantifying transporter protein expression in the plasma membrane will be useful in the future to predict transporter-mediated drug disposition.

Ochratoxin A transport by the human breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2), and organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1A2, 1B1 and 2B1

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a fungal secondary metabolite that can contaminate various foods. OTA has several toxic effects like nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and neurotoxicity in different animal species, but its mechanisms of toxicity are still unclear. How OTA accumulates in kidney, liver, and brain is as yet unknown, but transmembrane transport proteins are likely involved. We studied transport of OTA in vitro, using polarized MDCKII cells transduced with cDNAs of the efflux transporters mouse (m)Bcrp, human (h)BCRP, mMrp2, or hMRP2, and HEK293 cells overexpressing cDNAs of the human uptake transporters OATP1A2, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, or OATP2B1 at pH7.4 and 6.4. MDCKII-mBcrp cells were more resistant to OTA toxicity than MDCKII parental and hBCRP-transduced cells. Transepithelial transport experiments showed some apically directed transport by MDCKII-mBcrp cells at pH7.4, whereas both mBcrp and hBCRP clearly transported OTA at pH6.4. There was modest transport of OTA by mMrp2 and hMRP2 only at pH6.4. OATP1A2 and OATP2B1 mediated uptake of OTA both at pH7.4 and 6.4, but OATP1B1 only at pH7.4. There was no detectable transport of OTA by OATP1B3. Our data indicate that human BCRP and MRP2 can mediate elimination of OTA from cells, thus reducing OTA toxicity. On the other hand, human OATP1A2, OATP1B1, and OATP2B1 can mediate cellular uptake of OTA, which could aggravate OTA toxicity.

Correlation between Membrane Protein Expression Levels and Transcellular Transport Activity for Breast Cancer Resistance Protein.

Emerging evidence indicates an important role for the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) in limiting brain penetration of substrate drugs. While in vitro transwell assays can provide an indication of BCRP substrate potential, the predictability of these assays in relation to in vivo brain penetration is still under debate. The present study examined the correlation of BCRP membrane protein expression level and transcellular transport activity across Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II monolayers. We expressed human BCRP or murine BCRP1 in MDCKII wild-type cells using BacMam2 virus transduction. The selective P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor LY335979 (1 μM) was included in the transport medium to measure BCRP-mediated transcellular transport for P-gp and BCRP cosubstrates. The BCRP levels in membrane extracts from MDCKII-BCRP or MDCKII-Bcrp1 cells were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results are summarized as follows: 1) the membrane protein expression levels correlate with the corrected efflux ratios of substrates for human BCRP and murine BCRP1 within the efflux ratios investigated; 2) we demonstrate good concordance in rank order between the BCRP and BCRP1-mediated efflux ratios for 12 drugs; and 3) we propose an approach to contextualize in vitro BCRP transport data of discovery compounds by comparing them to the in vitro and in vivo transport data of the reference drug dantrolene and taking into account interbatch variation in BCRP expression. This approach correctly predicted compromised brain penetration for 25 discovery compounds in rodents, which were BCRP substrates but not P-gp or weak P-gp substrates. These results suggest that BCRP-expressing MDCKII cells are useful in predicting the in vivo role of BCRP in brain penetration.

Interaction of mammary bovine ABCG2 with AFB1 and its metabolites and regulation by PCB 126 in a MDCKII in vitro model.

The ATP-binding cassette efflux transporter ABCG2 plays a key role in the mammary excretion of drugs and toxins in humans and animals. Aflatoxins (AF) are worldwide contaminants of food and feed commodities, while PCB 126 is a dioxin-like PCB which may contaminate milk and dairy products. Both compounds are known human carcinogens. The interactions between AF and bovine ABCG2 (bABCG2) as well as the effects of PCB 126 on its efflux activity have been investigated by means of the Hoechst H33342 transport assay in MDCKII cells stably expressing mammary bABCG2. Both AFB1 and its main milk metabolite AFM1 showed interaction with bABCG2 even at concentrations approaching the legal limits in feed and food commodities. Moreover, PCB 126 significantly enhanced bABCG2 functional activity. Specific inhibitors of either AhR (CH233191) or ABCG2 (Ko143) were able to reverse the PCB 126-induced increase in bABCG2 transport activity, showing the specific upregulation of the efflux protein by the AhR pathway. The incubation of PCB 126-pretreated cells with AFM1 was able to substantially reverse such effect, with still unknown mechanism(s). Overall, results from this study point to AFB1 and AFM1 as likely bABCG2 substrates. The PCB 126-dependent increased activity of the transporter could enhance the ABCG2-mediated excretion into dairy milk of chemicals (i.e., drugs and toxins) potentially harmful to neonates and consumers.

Prioritizing pharmacokinetic drug interaction precipitants in natural products: application to OATP inhibitors in grapefruit juice.

Natural products, including botanical dietary supplements and exotic drinks, represent an ever-increasing share of the health-care market. The parallel ever-increasing popularity of self-medicating with natural products increases the likelihood of co-consumption with conventional drugs, raising concerns for unwanted natural product-drug interactions. Assessing the drug interaction liability of natural products is challenging due to the complex and variable chemical composition inherent to these products, necessitating a streamlined preclinical testing approach to prioritize precipitant individual constituents for further investigation. Such an approach was evaluated in the current work to prioritize constituents in the model natural product, grapefruit juice, as inhibitors of intestinal organic anion-transporting peptide (OATP)-mediated uptake. Using OATP2B1-expressing MDCKII cells (Madin-Darby canine kidney type II) and the probe substrate estrone 3-sulfate, IC50s were determined for constituents representative of the flavanone (naringin, naringenin, hesperidin), furanocoumarin (bergamottin, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin) and polymethoxyflavone (nobiletin and tangeretin) classes contained in grapefruit juice. Nobiletin was the most potent (IC50 , 3.7μm); 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin, naringin, naringenin and tangeretin were moderately potent (IC50 , 20-50μm); and bergamottin and hesperidin were the least potent (IC50 , >300μm) OATP2B1 inhibitors. Intestinal absorption simulations based on physiochemical properties were used to determine the ratios of unbound concentration to IC50 for each constituent within enterocytes and to prioritize in order of pre-defined cut-off values. This streamlined approach could be applied to other natural products that contain multiple precipitants of natural product-drug interactions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MA026, an anti-hepatitis C virus compound, opens tight junctions of the epithelial cell membrane

MA026 is an antiviral natural compound against hepatitis C virus (HCV). It was recently reported that MA026 binds claudin-1 (CLDN1) and inhibits HCV infection. Although CLDN1 is an important component of tight junctions (TJ) in the epithelial cell layer, the effects of MA026 on the TJ barrier function remained to be revealed. Here we report that MA026 irreversibly opens the TJ. MA026 irreversibly increased FD4 permeability and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) for at least 5 h. Although MA026 increased Ca2+ influx in layered MDCKII cells, the Ca2+ influx was less than that of capsaicin, a reversible TJ opener. Moreover, MA026 did not induce the dephosphorylation of cofilin and reorganization of F-actin structure. Although the mechanism is left to be disclosed, these results suggest that MA026 is a novel irreversible TJ opener probably by targeting CLDN1.

Assays for Analyzing the Role of Transport Proteins in the Uptake and the Vectorial Transport of Substances Affecting Cell Viability.

Endogenous compounds, drugs, or other xenobiotics may affect cell viability. A prerequisite for intracellular cell damage is the uptake of such substances across the plasma membrane into cells. Furthermore, the subsequent transporter-mediated export out of cells may influence cell viability. Therefore, transport proteins mediating the uptake (uptake transporter) or export (export pumps) of substances in and out of cells are important determinants of cell viability. Uptake transporters mostly belong to the superfamily of solute carriers (SLC transporters), whereas export pumps are members of the ABC-transporter superfamily (ATP-binding cassette). Cell systems recombinantly overexpressing uptake transporters (single transfectants) or multiple-transfected cell models expressing simultaneously an uptake transporter together with an export pump (double transfectants) are important in vitro tools for analyzing protein-mediated transport of potentially cell toxic compounds.Here we describe different in vitro transport assays for the functional analysis of transport proteins. Using single-transfected HEK293 cells stably overexpressing an uptake transporter, substances can be tested as potential substrates (uptake assay) or potential transport inhibitors (inhibition assay) for the respective transport protein. Vectorial transport of substances with the uptake across the basolateral plasma membrane and the export across the apical membrane of polarized grown MDCKII cells can be analyzed using double-transfected cell models with the simultaneous overexpression of an uptake transport and an export pump in vectorial transport assays, thereby mimicking physiological transport processes, e.g., in liver or kidney.

Dual-stimuli responsive injectable microgel/solid drug nanoparticle nanocomposites for release of poorly soluble drugs.

An in situ forming implant (ISFI) for drug delivery combines the potential to improve therapeutic adherence for patients with simple administration by injection. Herein, we describe the preparation of an injectable nanocomposite ISFI composed of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) based microgels and solid drug nanoparticles. Monodisperse poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-allylamine) microgels were prepared by precipitation polymerisation with mean diameters of approximately 550 nm at 25 °C. Concentrated dispersions of these microgels displayed dual-stimuli responsive behaviour, forming shape persistent bulk aggregates in the presence of both salt (at physiological ionic strength) and at body temperature (above the lower critical solution temperature of the polymer). These dual-stimuli responsive microgels could be injected into an agarose gel tissue mimic leading to rapid aggregation of the particles to form a drug depot. Additionally, the microgel particles aggregated in the presence of other payload nanoparticles (such as dye-containing polystyrene nanoparticles or lopinavir solid drug nanoparticles) to form nanocomposites with high entrapment efficiency of the payload. The resulting microgel and solid drug nanoparticle nanocomposites displayed sustained drug release for at least 120 days, with the rate of release tuned by blending microgels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-allylamine) microgels. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that the microgels were not toxic to MDCK-II cells even at high concentrations. Collectively, these results demonstrate a novel, easily injectable, nanocomposite ISFI that provides long-term sustained release for poorly water-soluble drugs without a burst release.

Influenza virus A and B can induce apoptosis via intrinsic or extrinsic pathways and also via NF-kB.

Objectives Influenza viruses are able to cause annual epidemics and pandemics due to their mutation rates and reassortment capabilities leading to antigenic drifts and antigenic shifts. To understand host response to influenza A and B viruses on A549, MDCK II cell lines at low and high MOIs, the effects of the viral infection were investigated. To identify virus host interplay, expression of MxA and caspases 3, caspases 7 and caspases 9, BAD, TNF α and IkBα genes were measured in the cells supernatants. Methods Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by LDH measurement, DNA fragmentation, and florescent staining. The resulting data points to all viruses of studied strains induced extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis, H1N1 and H3N2 respectively prefer initially enhances the intrinsic pathway, as determined by caspase 9 activity and INFB prefer intrinsic pathway according to caspase 8 activity in A549 cell line but also can choose extrinsic pathway as determined by caspase 9 activity MDCKII cells. Results The result suggests a role for IFN response in the replication of influenza A and B virus that may provide some degree of host resistance in the early stages of infection. Our study also showed that the considerable MxA expression was found in influenza A and B virus, infected A549 and MDCK II cells at low dose of the virus. Conclusions The expression levels of survival downstream targets of IκB protein level, including pro-apoptotic BAD levels were studied throughout the infection periods cells to influenza A and B induced apoptosis signaling via intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in parallel, and the induction was associated with viral infection in a dose dependent manner.

Hydrophilic, fluorescent and superparamagnetic iron oxide-carbon composite nanoparticles

In this study, surface modification of iron oxide (magnetite) nanoparticles through annealing with eucalyptus leaves, a benign source of carbon, was accomplished. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) and eucalyptus leaves were used as precursors to prepare iron oxide-carbon composite NPs by annealing the base Fe3O4 NPs at different temperature (500, 600, 700, and 800°C) in air. The variations in their crystalline structure were confirmed by X-Ray diffraction, chemical groups and composition by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental abundance by scanning electron microscopy images coupled with energy dispersive X-ray techniques. For their conformational analysis, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering methods were used, and the mean particle size ranged between 10 and 42nm increasing with annealing temperature. Behavioral changes in the properties of iron oxides-carbon composite NPs were observed due to presence of carbon. The presence of carbon changed the chemical and physical properties of the composite NPs, which became fluorescent and hydrophilic while retaining their superparamagnetic character. The composites were proven to be biocompatible through MTT assay on MDCK-II cell lines. These superparamagnetic, fluorescent, biocompatible composite NPs can be used in biomedical applications where Fe3O4 NPs proved deficient due to their non-hydrophilic character. Thus, a novel class of nanomaterials has been found.

New wrinkling substrate assay reveals traction force fields of leader and follower cells undergoing collective migration

Physical forces play crucial roles in coordinating collective migration of epithelial cells, but details of such force-related phenomena remain unclear partly due to the lack of robust methodologies to probe the underlying force fields. Here we develop a method for fabricating silicone substrates that detect cellular traction forces with a high sensitivity. Specifically, a silicone elastomer is exposed to oxygen plasma under heating. Removal of the heat shrinks the substrate so as to reduce its critical buckling strain in a spatially uniform manner. Thus, even small cellular traction forces can be visualized as micro-wrinkles that are reversibly emerged on the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the applied forces. Using this technique, we show that so-called leader cells in MDCK-II cell clusters exert significant magnitudes of traction forces distinct from those of follower cells. We reveal that the direction of traction forces is highly correlated with the long axis of the local, individual cells within clusters. These results suggest that the force fields in collective migration of MDCK-II cells are predominantly determined locally at individual cell scale rather than globally at the whole cell cluster scale.