scholarly journals Drug reformulation for a neglected disease. The NANOHAT project to develop a safer more effective sleeping sickness drug

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Sanderson ◽  
Marcelo da Silva ◽  
Gayathri N. Sekhar ◽  
Rachel C. Brown ◽  
Hollie Burrell-Saward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Sleeping Sickness ◽  
Tsetse Fly ◽  
Neglected Diseases ◽  
Target Candidate Profile

AbstractHuman African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness) is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei sspp. The disease has two stages, a haemolymphatic stage after the bite of an infected tsetse fly, followed by a central nervous system stage where the parasite penetrates the brain, causing death if untreated. Treatment is stage-specific, due to the blood-brain barrier, with less toxic drugs such as pentamidine used to treat stage 1. The objective of our research programme was to develop an intravenous formulation of pentamidine which increases CNS exposure by some 10-100 fold, leading to efficacy against a model of stage 2 HAT. This target candidate profile is in line with drugs for neglected diseases inititative recommendations. To do this, we evaluated the physicochemical and structural characteristics of formulations of pentamidine with Pluronic micelles (triblock-copolymers of polyethylene-oxide and polypropylene oxide), selected candidates for efficacy and toxicity evaluationin vitro, quantified pentamidine CNS delivery of a sub-set of formulationsin vitroandin vivo, and progressed one pentamidine-Pluronic formulation for further evaluation using anin vivosingle dose brain penetration study. Screening pentamidine against 40 CNS targets did not reveal any major neurotoxicity concerns, however, pentamidine had a high affinity for the imidazoline2receptor. The reduction in insulin secretion in MIN6 β-cells by pentamidine maybe secondary to pentamidine-mediated activation of β-cell imidazoline receptors and impairment of cell viability. Pluronic F68 (0.01%w/v)-pentamidine formulation had a similar inhibitory effect on insulin secretion as pentamidine alone and an additive trypanocidal effectin vitro. However, all Pluronics tested (P85, P105 and F68) did not significantly enhance brain exposure of pentamidine. These results are relevant to further developing block-copolymers as nanocarriers, improving BBB drug penetration and understanding the side effects of pentamidine.

scholarly journals Drug reformulation for a neglected disease. The NANOHAT project to develop a safer more effective sleeping sickness drug

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0009276
Author(s):  
Lisa Sanderson ◽  
Marcelo da Silva ◽  
Gayathri N. Sekhar ◽  
Rachel C. Brown ◽  
Hollie Burrell-Saward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Sleeping Sickness ◽  
Tsetse Fly ◽  
Neglected Diseases ◽  
Target Candidate Profile

Background Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness) is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei sspp. The disease has two stages, a haemolymphatic stage after the bite of an infected tsetse fly, followed by a central nervous system stage where the parasite penetrates the brain, causing death if untreated. Treatment is stage-specific, due to the blood-brain barrier, with less toxic drugs such as pentamidine used to treat stage 1. The objective of our research programme was to develop an intravenous formulation of pentamidine which increases CNS exposure by some 10–100 fold, leading to efficacy against a model of stage 2 HAT. This target candidate profile is in line with drugs for neglected diseases inititative recommendations. Methodology To do this, we evaluated the physicochemical and structural characteristics of formulations of pentamidine with Pluronic micelles (triblock-copolymers of polyethylene-oxide and polypropylene oxide), selected candidates for efficacy and toxicity evaluation in vitro, quantified pentamidine CNS delivery of a sub-set of formulations in vitro and in vivo, and progressed one pentamidine-Pluronic formulation for further evaluation using an in vivo single dose brain penetration study. Principal Findings Screening pentamidine against 40 CNS targets did not reveal any major neurotoxicity concerns, however, pentamidine had a high affinity for the imidazoline2 receptor. The reduction in insulin secretion in MIN6 β-cells by pentamidine may be secondary to pentamidine-mediated activation of β-cell imidazoline receptors and impairment of cell viability. Pluronic F68 (0.01%w/v)-pentamidine formulation had a similar inhibitory effect on insulin secretion as pentamidine alone and an additive trypanocidal effect in vitro. However, all Pluronics tested (P85, P105 and F68) did not significantly enhance brain exposure of pentamidine. Significance These results are relevant to further developing block-copolymers as nanocarriers, improving BBB drug penetration and understanding the side effects of pentamidine.

scholarly journals Oxidative phosphorylation is required for powering motility and development of the sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei within the tsetse fly vector

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline E Dewar ◽  
Aitor Casas-Sánchez ◽  
Constentin Dieme ◽  
Aline Crouzols ◽  
Lee Haines ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Phosphorylation ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Atp Synthase ◽  
Sleeping Sickness ◽  
Tsetse Fly ◽  
Tsetse Flies ◽  
Respiratory Chain Complexes ◽  
Atp Production

The single-celled parasite Trypanosoma brucei causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in livestock and is transmitted by hematophagous tsetse flies. Lifecycle progression from mammalian bloodstream form to tsetse midgut form and, subsequently, infective salivary gland form depends on complex developmental steps and migration within different fly tissues. As the parasite colonises the glucose-poor insect midgut, its ATP production is thought to depend on activation of mitochondrial amino acid catabolism via oxidative phosphorylation. This process involves respiratory chain complexes and the F1FO-ATP synthase, and it requires protein subunits of these complexes that are encoded in the parasite's mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast or kDNA). Here we show that a progressive loss of kDNA-encoded functions correlates with an increasingly impaired ability of T. brucei to initiate and complete its development in the tsetse. First, parasites with a mutated F1FO-ATP synthase with a reduced capacity for oxidative phosphorylation can initiate differentiation from bloodstream to insect form, but they are unable to proliferate in vitro. Unexpectedly, these cells can still colonise the tsetse midgut. However, these parasites exhibit a motility defect and are severely impaired in colonising or migrating to subsequent tsetse tissues. Second, parasites with a fully disrupted F1FO-ATP synthase complex that is completely unable to produce ATP by oxidative phosphorylation can still differentiate to the first insect stage in vitro but die within a few days and cannot establish a midgut infection in vivo. Third, mutant parasites lacking kDNA entirely can initiate differentiation but die within 24 h. Together, these three scenarios show that efficient ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation is not essential for initial colonisation of the tsetse vector, but it is required to power trypanosome migration within the fly.

scholarly journals Inhibitory effect of somatostatin on insulin secretion is not mediated via the CNS

2015 ◽  
Vol 225 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid C Hauge-Evans ◽  
James Bowe ◽  
Zara J Franklin ◽  
Zoheb Hassan ◽  
Peter M Jones
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Pancreatic Beta Cells ◽  
Plasma Insulin ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Isolated Islets ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels

The inhibitory effect of somatostatin (SST) on insulin secretionin vivois attributed to a direct effect on pancreatic beta cells, but this is inconsistent with somein vitroresults in which exogenous SST is ineffective in inhibiting secretion from isolated islets. We therefore investigated whether insulin secretion from the pancreatic islets may partly be regulated by an indirect effect of SST mediated via the CNS. Islet hormone secretion was assessedin vitroby perifusion and static incubations of isolated islets andin vivoby i.v. or i.c.v. administration of the SST analogue BIM23014C with an i.v. glucose challenge to conscious, chronically catheterised rats. Hormone content of samples was assessed by ELISA or RIA and blood glucose levels using a glucose meter. Exogenous SST14/SST28 or BIM23014C did not inhibit the release of insulin from isolated rodent isletsin vitro, whereas peripheral i.v. administration of BIM23014C (7.5 μg) with glucose (1 g/kg) led to decreased plasma insulin content (2.3±0.5 ng insulin/ml versus 4.5±0.5 ng/ml att=5 min,P<0.001) and elevated blood glucose levels compared with those of the controls (29.19±1.3 mmol/l versus 23.5±1.7 mmol/l,P<0.05). In contrast, central i.c.v. injection of BIM23014C (0.75 μg) had no significant effect on either plasma insulin (3.3±0.4 ng/ml,P>0.05) or blood glucose levels (23.5±1.7 mmol/l,P>0.05) although i.v. administration of this dose increased blood glucose concentrations (32.3±0.7 mmol/l,P<0.01). BIM23014C did not measurably alter plasma glucagon, SST, GLP1 or catecholamine levels whether injected i.v. or i.c.v. These results indicate that SST does not suppress insulin secretion by a centrally mediated effect but acts peripherally on islet cells.

Use of light microscopy in the qualitative and quantitative study of liquid crystalline order

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-265
Author(s):  
Christopher Viney
Keyword(s):  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Molecular Order ◽  
Liquid Crystalline Phases ◽  
Convenient Technique ◽  
Liquid Crystalline Materials ◽  
Transparent Windows

Light microscopy is a convenient technique for characterizing molecular order in fluid liquid crystalline materials. Microstructures can usually be observed under the actual conditions that promote the formation of liquid crystalline phases, whether or not a solvent is required, and at temperatures that can range from the boiling point of nitrogen to 600°C. It is relatively easy to produce specimens that are sufficiently thin and flat, simply by confining a droplet between glass cover slides. Specimens do not need to be conducting, and they do not have to be maintained in a vacuum. Drybox or other controlled environmental conditions can be maintained in a sealed chamber equipped with transparent windows; some heating/ freezing stages can be used for this purpose. It is relatively easy to construct a modified stage so that the generation and relaxation of global molecular order can be observed while specimens are being sheared, simulating flow conditions that exist during processing. Also, light only rarely affects the chemical composition or molecular weight distribution of the sample. Because little or no processing is required after collecting the sample, one can be confident that biologically derived materials will reveal many of their in vivo structural characteristics, even though microscopy is performed in vitro.

The Effect of Barbituric Acid Derivatives on Platelet Function in Vitro and in Vivo

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (02) ◽  
pp. 315-326
Author(s):  
J. Heinz Joist ◽  
Jean-Pierre Cazenave ◽  
J. Fraser Mustard
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Platelet Function ◽  
Barbituric Acid ◽  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Primary Response ◽  
Sodium Pentobarbital ◽  
Barbituric Acid Derivatives

SummarySodium pentobarbital (SPB) and three other barbituric acid derivatives were found to inhibit platelet function in vitro. SPB had no effect on the primary response to ADP of platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or washed platelets but inhibited secondary aggregation induced by ADP in human PRP. The drug inhibited both phases of aggregation induced by epinephrine. SPB suppressed aggregation and the release reaction induced by collagen or low concentrations of thrombin, and platelet adherence to collagen-coated glass tubes. The inhibition by SPB of platelet aggregation was readily reversible and isotopically labeled SPB did not become firmly bound to platelets. No inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by ADP, collagen, or thrombin could be detected in PRP obtained from rabbits after induction of SPB-anesthesia.

Inhibition of Human and Animal Platelet Adhesiveness to Glass Bead Columns by Adenosine, Dipyridamole, Chlorpromazine and Acetylsalicylic Acid

1976 ◽  
Vol 36 (02) ◽  
pp. 401-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buichi Fujttani ◽  
Toshimichi Tsuboi ◽  
Kazuko Takeno ◽  
Kouichi Yoshida ◽  
Masanao Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Acetylsalicylic Acid ◽  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Glass Bead ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Rabbit Platelet ◽  
Platelet Adhesiveness

SummaryThe differences among human, rabbit and guinea-pig platelet adhesiveness as for inhibitions by adenosine, dipyridamole, chlorpromazine and acetylsalicylic acid are described, and the influence of measurement conditions on platelet adhesiveness is also reported. Platelet adhesiveness of human and animal species decreased with an increase of heparin concentrations and an increase of flow rate of blood passing through a glass bead column. Human and rabbit platelet adhesiveness was inhibited in vitro by adenosine, dipyridamole and chlorpromazine, but not by acetylsalicylic acid. On the other hand, guinea-pig platelet adhesiveness was inhibited by the four drugs including acetylsalicylic acid. In in vivo study, adenosine, dipyridamole and chlorpromazine inhibited platelet adhesiveness in rabbits and guinea-pigs. Acetylsalicylic acid showed the inhibitory effect in guinea-pigs, but not in rabbits.

Insulin secretion in the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Dose and time kinetic studies with glucose in vivo and in vitro

Diabetes ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1094-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rabinovitch ◽  
A. Gutzeit ◽  
A. E. Renold ◽  
E. Cerasi
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Kinetic Studies ◽  
Spiny Mouse ◽  
Acomys Cahirinus

Phenolic Acids Exert Anticholinesterase and Cognition-Improving Effects

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Szwajgier ◽  
Ewa Baranowska-Wojcik ◽  
Kamila Borowiec
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Acids ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Amyloid Β Peptide ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Aβ Fibrils

Numerous authors have provided evidence regarding the beneficial effects of phenolic acids and their derivatives against Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this review, the role of phenolic acids as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is discussed, including the structure-activity relationship. In addition, the inhibitory effect of phenolic acids on the formation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) fibrils is presented. We also cover the in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies concerning the prevention and treatment of the cognitive enhancement.

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