Design,Preparation, and Evaluation of Osthol Poly-Butyl-Cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles with Improved In Vitro Anticancer Activity in Neuroblastoma Treatment

Osthol (osthole), known as a neuroprotective drug, has shown potent anticancer activity. However, the potential clinical application of osthol is limited due to its low water solubility and low bioavailability. Polybutyl cyanoacrylate (PBCA) has been widely used to improve the solubility of drugs with poor water solubility. In this study, an orthogonal experimental design (OED) was applied to design the preparation process of PBCA nanoparticles (NPs). Then, nanoparticles were prepared and evaluated in terms of physicochemical properties, in vitro release, and cellular uptake, etc. Further, the anti-cancer activity of osthol-PBCA NPs was demonstrated in SH-SY5Y cells. The pharmacokinetics and area under the curve (AUC) were investigated. The obtained osthol-NPs presented a spherical shape with a particle size of 110 ± 6.7 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.126, and a zeta potential of −13 ± 0.32 mV. Compared with the free osthol, the drugs in osthol-NPs presented better stability and sustained release pattern activity. In vitro analysis using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells showed that osthol-loaded nanoparticles displayed a significantly enhanced intracellular absorption process (three times) and cytotoxicity compared with free osthol (p < 0.05, increased 10–20%). The in vivo pharmacokinetic study revealed that the AUC of osthol-NPs was 3.3-fold higher than that of free osthol. In conclusion, osthol-PBCA NPs can enhance the bioactivity of osthol, being proposed as a novel, promising vehicle for drug delivery.     

十二烷基苯磺酸钠-盐酸苯海索-Ru(bpy)2+3体系的电化学发光行为研究及应用

在十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)存在下,考察了盐酸苯海索(BH)-Ru(bpy)32+体系的电化学及其发光行为。结果表明,BH对Ru(bpy)32+体系的电化学发光具有增敏效应;在SDBS存在下,BH对Ru(bpy)32+体系电化学发光的增敏效应显著增强,发光强度提高约16倍。据此建立了一种高效、简便的BH电化学发光新方法。在最佳实验条件下,BH的浓度在4.0×10-7～1.0×10-4 mol/L范围内与相对发光强度呈线性关系(r=0.995 5),检出限(S/N=3)为1.11×10-9 mol/L;连续平行测定1.0×10-5 mol/L BH溶液10次,发光强度的RSD为3.2%。样品的回收率为96%～108%,RSD为4.3%。该方法样品前处理简单,具有较高的选择性和灵敏度,用于实际样品中BH的测定,结果满意。     

Harmine Hydrochloride Mediates the Induction of G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells by Regulating the MAPKs and AKT/FOXO3a Signaling Pathways

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common causes of death among women worldwide. Recently, interest in novel approaches for BC has increased by developing new drugs derived from natural products with reduced side effects. This study aimed to treat BC cells with harmine hydrochloride (HMH) to identify its anticancer effects and mechanisms. HMH treatment suppressed cell growth, migration, invasion, and colony formation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, regardless of the hormone signaling. It also reduced the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR and increased FOXO3a expression. Additionally, HMH treatment increased p38 phosphorylation in MCF-7 cells and activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation in MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner, where activated p38 and JNK increased FOXO3a expression. Activated FOXO3a increased the expression of p53, p21, and their downstream proteins, including p-cdc25, p-cdc2, and cyclin B1, to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, HMH inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway by significantly reducing p-AKT expression in combination with LY294002, an AKT inhibitor. These results indicate that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathways mediate the induction of cell cycle arrest following HMH treatment. Therefore, HMH could be a potential active compound for anticancer bioactivity in BC cells.     

High Resolution NMR Spectroscopic Study of Complexation of Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride with β‐Cyclodextrin in Aqueous Solution

Hydroxyzine hydrochloride forms two 1:1 inclusion complexes with β‐cyclodextrin in aqueous solution as confirmed by the ¹H NMR titration and ROESY studies. One complex is formed by the deep penetration of the chlorophenyl ring from the wider rim side, while the mode of entry of the phenyl ring into the β‐CD cavity is not clear. The stoichiometry and overall association constant of the complexes have been determined by the treatment of ¹H NMR shift data. Some chiral discrimination by the host between the two enantiomers of hydroxyzine hydrochloride is also indicated.