Measurements From Ears With Endolymphatic Hydrops and 2-Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin Provide Evidence That Loudness Recruitment Can Have a Cochlear Origin

Background: Loudness recruitment is commonly experienced by patients with putative endolymphatic hydrops. Loudness recruitment is abnormal loudness growth with high-level sounds being perceived as having normal loudness even though hearing thresholds are elevated. The traditional interpretation of recruitment is that cochlear amplification has been reduced. Since the cochlear amplifier acts primarily at low sound levels, an ear with elevated thresholds from reduced cochlear amplification can have normal processing at high sound levels. In humans, recruitment can be studied using perceptual loudness but in animals physiological measurements are used. Recruitment in animal auditory-nerve responses has never been unequivocally demonstrated because the animals used had damage to sensory and neural cells, not solely a reduction of cochlear amplification. Investigators have thus looked for, and found, evidence of recruitment in the auditory central nervous system (CNS). While studies on CNS recruitment are informative, they cannot rule out the traditional interpretation of recruitment originating in the cochlea.Design: We used techniques that could assess hearing function throughout entire frequency- and dynamic-range of hearing. Measurements were made from two animal models: guinea-pig ears with endolymphatic-sac-ablation surgery to produce endolymphatic hydrops, and naïve guinea-pig ears with cochlear perfusions of 13 mM 2-Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin (HPBCD) in artificial perilymph. Endolymphatic sac ablation caused low-frequency loss. Animals treated with HPBCD had hearing loss at all frequencies. None of these animals had loss of hair cells or synapses on auditory nerve fibers.Results: In ears with endolymphatic hydrops and those perfused with HPBCD, auditory-nerve based measurements at low frequencies showed recruitment compared to controls. Recruitment was not found at high frequencies (> 4 kHz) where hearing thresholds were normal in ears with endolymphatic hydrops and elevated in ears treated with HPBCD.Conclusions: We found compelling evidence of recruitment in auditory-nerve data. Such clear evidence has never been shown before. Our findings suggest that, in patients suspected of having endolymphatic hydrops, loudness recruitment may be a good indication that the associated low-frequency hearing loss originates from a reduction of cochlear amplification, and that measurements of recruitment could be used in differential diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Ménière's disease.

Encapsulation of Phenolic Compounds from a Grape Cane Pilot-Plant Extract in Hydroxypropyl Beta-Cyclodextrin and Maltodextrin by Spray Drying

Grape canes, the main byproducts of the viticulture industry, contain high-value bioactive phenolic compounds, whose application is limited by their instability and poorly solubility in water. Encapsulation in cyclodextrins allows these drawbacks to be overcome. In this work, a grape cane pilot-plant extract (GCPPE) was encapsulated in hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) by a spray-drying technique and the formation of an inclusion complex was confirmed by microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The phenolic profile of the complex was analyzed by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS and the encapsulation efficiency of the phenolic compounds was determined. A total of 42 compounds were identified, including stilbenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, and a complex of (epi)catechin with β-CD was detected, confirming the interaction between polyphenols and cyclodextrin. The encapsulation efficiency for the total extract was 80.5 ± 1.1%, with restrytisol showing the highest value (97.0 ± 0.6%) and (E)-resveratrol (32.7 ± 2.8%) the lowest value. The antioxidant capacity of the inclusion complex, determined by ORAC-FL, was 5300 ± 472 µmol TE/g DW, which was similar to the value obtained for the unencapsulated extract. This formulation might be used to improve the stability, solubility, and bioavailability of phenolic compounds of the GCPPE for water-soluble food and pharmaceutical applications.

Characterization and Aerosolization Performance of HydroxyPropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin Particles Produced Using Supercritical Assisted Atomization

In this study, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) particles were produced using supercritical assisted atomization (SAA) with carbon dioxide as the spraying medium or co-solute and aqueous ethanol solution as the solvent. The effects of several key factors on the morphology and size of the HP-β-CD particles were investigated. These factors included the solvent effect, temperatures of the precipitator and saturator, concentration of the HP-β-CD solution, and flow rate ratio of carbon dioxide to the HP-β-CD solution. The conducive conditions for producing fine spherical particles were 54.2% (w/w) aqueous ethanol as the solvent; precipitator and saturator temperatures of 373.2 K and 353.2 K, respectively; a flow rate ratio of carbon dioxide to HP-β-CD solution of 1.8; and low concentrations of HP-β-CD solution. The addition of leucine (LEU) enhanced the aerosol performance of the HP-β-CD particles, and the fine particle fraction (FPF) of the HP-β-CD particles with the addition of 13.0 mass% LEU was 1.8 times higher than that of the HP-β-CD particles without LEU. This study shows that LEU can act as a dispersion enhancer and that HP-β-CD particles produced using SAA can be used as pulmonary drug carriers.

Permeation of Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin and Its Inclusion Complex through Mouse Small Intestine, Determined by a Spectrophotometry

Background: Cyclodextrins (CDs) are commonly used host molecules of inclusion complex. However, due to the lack of sensitive method to determine CDs, the absorption process of CDs remains unclear. Objective: In this study, oleuropein (OL) inclusion complex employing hydroxylpropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) as host molecules was prepared and the formation of inclusion complex was ascertained by FT-IR and DSC. A spectrophotometry was established for the determination of HP-beta-CD, based on the fact that the absorbance of phenolphthalein (PP) decreased in the presence of HP-beta-CD. Methods: The assay conditions were optimized to augment the method sensitivity. Molecular docking was employed to verify the strong interaction between PP and HP-beta-CD. The permeation process of free HP-beta-CD, HP-beta-CD of OL inclusion complex, free OL, and OL in the inclusion complex, was examined, respectively, using an in vitro mouse small intestine model. Results: Though HP-beta-CD possessed hydrophilic outside shell, it could permeate through mouse small intestine quickly with cumulative permeating amount over 90% in 2 h. Free HP-beta-CD, the host molecule HP-beta-CD, and guest molecule OL of the inclusion complex exhibited the consistent permeating profiles across mouse small intestine. Conclusion: The approach for the determination of HP-beta-CD was accurate and precise (%RSD=2.98).

Budesonide-Cyclodextrin in Hydrogel System: Impact of Quaternary Surfactant on in vitro-in vivo Assessment of Mucosal Drug Delivery

Budesonide, a glucocorticosteroid is generally used to treat chronic inflammation and asthma. Hepatic first-pass metabolism and poor solubility are the major causes of its limited oral bioavailability. Present work was undertaken for the preparation of hydrogel film formulation with cyclodextrin complexation of budesonide containing quaternary surfactant for possible enhancement of mucosal permeation. FTIR study confirmed drug-polymer hydrogen bonding. Almost complete amorphization of the drug was pronounced by SEM, DSC and XRD studies. The film containing benzalkonium and hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin exhibited in vitro dissolution and mucosal permeation to the highest extent of 87.2 and 95.8 % respectively in contrast to the others. Film formed hydrogel in aqueous mucin and enhanced the mucosal tissue residence time due to the mucoadhesive nature of the polymer. Acute inflammation in the rabbit eye was controlled within 3 h by applying the film in the cul-de-sac. The presence of cyclodextrin and quaternary surfactant brought about significantly improved drug release and mucosal permeation compared to their absence in the HPMC film. Hydrogel formed in aqueous mucin enhanced the mucosal residence time and controlled acute inflammation in the rabbit eye within 3 h after topical application.