Nitric Oxide-Delivering High-Density Lipoprotein-like Nanoparticles as a Biomimetic Nanotherapy for Vascular Diseases.

Disorders of blood vessels cause a range of severe health problems. As a powerful vasodilator and cellular second messenger, nitric oxide (NO) is known to have beneficial vascular functions. However, NO typically has a short half-life and is not specifically targeted.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Experimental Studies of Gold Nanoparticle Templated HDL-like Nanoparticles for Cholesterol Metabolism Therapeutics.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) plays an important role in the transport and metabolism of cholesterol. Mimics of HDL are being explored as potentially powerful therapeutic agents for removing excess cholesterol from arterial plaques. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with apolipoprotein A-I and with the lipids 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate] have been demonstrated to be robust acceptors of cellular cholesterol.

Mosaic Interdigitated Structure in Nanoparticle-Templated Phospholipid Bilayer Supports Partial Lipidation of Apolipoprotein A-I.

Using gold nanoparticle-templated high-density lipoprotein-like particles as a model, the nanoparticle-templated phospholipid bilayer is studied from the bottom-up. Data support the phospholipids have a mosaic interdigitated structure. The discontinuous lipid milieu supports partial lipidation of apolipoprotein A-I, different from an ordinary phospholipid bilayer, suggesting that synergy between nanoparticle templates and bound phospholipid layers can modulate amphiphilic proteins for desired functions.

Mesophase in a thiolate-containing diacyl phospholipid self-assembled monolayer.

Maintaining the intrinsic features of mesophases is critically important when employing phospholipid self-assemblies to mimic biomembranes. Inorganic solid surfaces provide platforms to support, guide, and analyze organic self-assemblies but impose upon them a tendency to form well-ordered phases not often found in biomembranes. To address this, we measured mesophase formation in a thiolate self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of diacyl phospholipid, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphothioethanol (DPPTE) on Au(111), and provide thermodynamic analysis on the mixing behavior of inequivalent DPPTE acyl chains.

Inhibition of tissue factor expression in brain microvascular endothelial cells by nanoparticles loading NF-kappaB decoy oligonucleotides.

To investigate a nuclear factor-kappa B decoy oligonucleotides strategy on the inhibition of tissue factor (TF) expression in cultured rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) by polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles delivery system and to evaluate this new vector for in vitro gene therapy. Nanoparticles were formulated using poly D,L-polylactic acid with surface modifying by polysorbates 80. 3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assays showed that PLA nanoparticles were not toxic to the cultured BMECs.

Levofloxacin implants with predefined microstructure fabricated by three-dimensional printing technique.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) printing technique was utilized in the preparation of drug implants that can be designed to have complex drug release profiles. The method we describe is based on a lactic acid polymer matrix with a predefined microstructure that is amenable to rapid prototyping and fabrication. We describe how the process parameters, especially selection of the binder, were optimized.

An attempt to directly trace polymeric nanoparticles in vivo with electron microscopy.

This work attempted to directly observe polymeric nanoparticles in vivo by analytical electron microscopy (AEM) using copper chlorophyll as the contrast agent, based on the experiments concerned with the copper chlorophyll labeled poly-DL-lactide nanoparticles and the in vivo distribution of the polysorbate 80 (T-80)-coated nanoparticles in brain tissues. With the nanoprecipitation method without surfactants, copper chlorophyll is aggregated in the coordinately saturated form and encapsulated by the matrices of nanoparticles, which may ensure the stability of copper chlorophyll during the in vivo experiments. From both morphological information and chemical information, only the labeled nanoparticles with the T-80 coating were directly traced in the brain by AEM.

Polylactic acid nanoparticles targeted to brain microvascular endothelial cells.

In this work, blank polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles with unstained surface were prepared by the nano-deposition method. On the basis of the preparation, the effect of surface modification on brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) targeting was examined by in vivo experiments and fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that PLA nanoparticles are less toxic than PACA nanoparticles but their BMECs targeting is similar to PACA nanoparticles.

[Regulation of tissue factor expression in brain microvascular endothelial cells by PLA nanoparticles coating NF-kappaB decoy oligonucleotides].

Objective: To investigate a new strategy of polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles delivery system coating nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) decoy oligonucleotides (ODNs) for inhibiting TF expression in cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMECs).

Methods: PLA nanoparticles coating FITC-labeled NF-kappaB decoy ODNs were formulated by nano-deposition method and the characteristics of nanoparticles were detected. BMECs were isolated and cultured in vitro.

[Polylactic acid nanoparticles across the brain-blood barrier observed with analytical electron microscopy].

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a huge obstacle in therapy of brain diseases, for it hinders the delivery of water-soluble molecules and those with molecular weight above 500 from the circulation system to the brain. Polysorbate 80 (Tween 80, T-80)-coated polylactid acid(PLA) nanoparticles represent a tool to transport such drugs across the BBB. Transcytosis is put forward as one mechanism of drug-loaded nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Specific role of polysorbate 80 coating on the targeting of nanoparticles to the brain.

It was reported that nanoparticles with polysorbate 80 (Tween 80, T-80) coating represented tools used for delivering drugs to brain. Nevertheless, disputations were once aroused for some complications. Aimed to have a better understanding of the specific role of T-80 coating on nanoparticles and simplify the problem, the direct observation of brain targeting combined with in vivo experiments was carried out in this work using the model nanoparticles (MNPs).