A unique phenomenon in solid tumors, the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is now well known in the development of macromolecular anticancer therapy. However, cancers with low vascular permeability have posed a challenge for these EPR based therapeutic systems. An intrinsic vascular modulator, such as nitric oxide (NO), could augment the endogenous EPR effect. However, the most important aim has been to construct an effective NO delivery system for cancer. Since it is well known that human serum albumin is one of the most important endogenous NO transport proteins in human circulation, for more than a decade we have demonstrated that S-nitrosated human serum albumin dimer (SNO-HSA-Dimer) becomes an enhancer of the EPR effect. Here, we summarize the enhanced effect of SNO-HSA-Dimer on the anticancer effect of macromolecular anticancer drugs such as PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®). In C26-bearing mice with highly permeable vasculature, SNO-HSA-Dimer is able to increase more 3-fold the tumor accumulation of these anticancer drugs, thereby tripling their anticancer effects. Interestingly, the tumor accumulation of Doxil® in B16-bearing mice, which are characterized by a low permeable vasculature, increased more than 6-fold in the presence of SNO-HSA-Dimer, and the improved accumulation of Doxil® led to both increased survival and decreased tumor volume. These results strongly suggest that the more cancer is refractory, the more the SNO-HSA-Dimer could enhance the EPR effect via an endogenous albumin transport (EAT) system. Accordingly, we conclude that the EAT system is promising as a drug delivery system (DDS) strategy for refractory cancer therapy.
Aripiprazole (ARP) is one of antipsychotics and binds to human serum albumin (HSA) with a high affinity. In this study, we investigated the binding characteristics of ARP to oxidized HSA as observed in chronic disease conditions. Oxidized HSAs were prepared using chloramine-T (CT-HSA) or metal-catalyzed oxidation system (MCO-HSA) in vitro, respectively. An increase in the carbonyl content was confirmed in oxidized HSAs. From the results of circular dichroism (CD) and tryptophan fluorescence spectra, no significant structural change of oxidized HSAs was observed. These results indicate that prepared HSAs are mildly oxidized and well reflects the status of HSA during chronic diseases. However, oxidized HSAs were observed to have a significant decrease in binding to ARP. The results of the induced CD spectrum suggested that ARP bound to oxidized HSAs with a similar orientation. These results suggest that oxidation of HSA during chronic disease state significantly affected the microenvironment of the binding site for ARP and binding capacity of HSA to ARP.
Lactoferrin (Lf) nanoparticles have been developed as a carrier of drugs and gene. Two main methods, desolvation technique and emulsification method, for preparation of protein nanoparticles have been reported so far, but most of the previous reports of Lf nanoparticles preparation are limited to emulsification method. In this study, we investigated the optimal conditions by desolvation technique for the preparation of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked bovine Lf (bLf) nanoparticles within the size range of 100-200 nm, and evaluated their properties as a carrier for oral and intravenous drug delivery. The experimental results of dynamic light scattering and Transmission Electron Microscope suggested that glutaraldehyde-crosslinked bLf nanoparticles with 150 nm in size could be produced by addition of 2-propanol as the desolvating solvent into the bLf solution adjusted to pH 6, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. These cross-linked bLf nanoparticles were found to be compatible to blood components and resistant against rapid degradation by pepsin. Thus, cross-linked bLf nanoparticles prepared by desolvation technique can be applied as a drug carrier for intravenous administration and oral delivery.
Zinc (Zn) is a co-factor for a vast number of enzymes, and functions as a regulator for immune mechanism and protein synthesis. However, excessive Zn release induced in pathological situations such as stroke or transient global ischemia is toxic. Previously, we demonstrated that the interaction of Zn and copper (Cu) is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Furthermore, oxidative stress has been shown to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of various metal ions induced neuronal death. Thioredoxin-Albumin fusion (HSA-Trx) is a derivative of thioredoxin (Trx), an antioxidative protein, with improved plasma retention and stability of Trx. In this study, we examined the effect of HSA-Trx on Cu2+/Zn2+-induced neurotoxicity. Firstly, HSA-Trx was found to clearly suppress Cu2+/Zn2+-induced neuronal cell death in mouse hypothalamic neuronal cells (GT1-7 cells). Moreover, HSA-Trx markedly suppressed Cu2+/Zn2+-induced ROS production and the expression of oxidative stress related genes, such as heme oxygenase-1. In contrast, HSA-Trx did not affect the intracellular levels of both Cu2+ and Zn2+ after Cu2+/Zn2+ treatment. Finally, HSA-Trx was found to significantly suppress endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response induced by Cu2+/Zn2+ treatment in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that HSA-Trx counteracted Cu2+/Zn2+-induced neurotoxicity by suppressing the production of ROS via interfering the related gene expressions, in addition to the highly possible radical scavenging activity of the fusion protein. Based on these findings, HSA-Trx has great potential as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of refractory neurological diseases.
Aripiprazole (ARP), a quinolinone derivative, is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is used in the treatment of schizophrenia. ARP has an extensive distribution and more than 99% of the ARP and dehydro-ARP, the main active metabolite, is bound to plasma proteins. However, information regarding the protein binding of ARP is limited. In this study, we report on a systematic study of the protein binding of ARP. The interaction of ARP and structurally related compounds with human serum albumin (HSA) was examined using equilibrium dialysis, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, fluorescent probe displacement, and an X-ray crystallographic analysis. The binding affinities (nK) for ARP and its main metabolite, dehydro-ARP with HSA were found to be significantly higher than other structurally related compounds. The results of equilibrium dialysis experiments and CD spectral data indicated that the chloro-group linked to the phenylpiperazine ring in the ARP molecule plays a major role in the binding of these ligands to HSA. Furthermore, fluorescent probe displacement results indicated that ARP appears to bind at the site II pocket in subdomain III. A detailed CD spectral analysis suggests that the chloro-group linked to the phenylpiperazine ring may control the geometry of the ARP molecule when binding in the site II binding pocket. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the ARP-HSA complex revealed that the distance between the chlorine atom at the 3-positon of dichlorophenyl-piperazine on ARP and the sulfur atom of Cys392 in HSA was 3.4-3.6 Å. A similar halogen bond interaction has also been observed in the HSA structure complexed with diazepam, which also contains a chloro-group. Thus, the mechanism responsible for the binding of ARP to a protein elucidated here should be relevant for assessing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ARP in various clinical situations and for designing new drugs.
Many macromolecular antitumor drugs were developed based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, for example, albumin-bound paclitaxel nanoparticles (nab-PTX and Abraxane) and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil). However, these EPR effect-based therapeutic systems are less effective in malignant tumors with low vascular permeability, such as pancreatic tumors. Because the EPR effect depends on nanoparticles' size, we first determined nanoparticles' size associated with a high tumor-targeting rate in a human pancreatic tumor xenograft model with low vascular permeability. Abraxane appears to behave as an albumin monomer (7 nm) in the blood circulation following intravenous injection. The in vitro and in vivo tumor-targeted delivery and antitumor activity of PTX-loaded albumin nanoparticles were significantly improved by optimizing the mean nanoparticle diameter to 30 nm. Furthermore, nitric oxide was added to 30 nm PTX-loaded albumin nanoparticles to examine the feasibility of albumin nanoparticles as a platform for multiple drug delivery. Their antitumor effect was evaluated in an orthotopic transplantation mouse model of a human pancreatic tumor. The nitric oxide PTX-loaded 30 nm albumin nanoparticle treatment on model mice achieved a significantly higher survival rate than Abraxane treatment. These findings suggest that 30 nm albumin nanoparticles have a high therapeutic effect as a useful platform for multiple drugs against human pancreatic tumors.
Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) is a major acute-phase protein. Biosynthesis of AGP increases markedly during inflammation and infection, similar to nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis. AGP variant A (AGP) contains a reduced cysteine (Cys149). Previously, we reported that S-nitrosated AGP (SNO-AGP) synthesized by reaction with a NO donor, possessed very strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity (IC50 = 10-9-10-6 M). In this study, using a cecal ligation and puncture animal model, we confirmed that AGP can be endogenously S-nitrosated during infection. Furthermore, we examined the antibacterial property of SNO-AGP against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to investigate the involvement of SNO-AGP in the host defense system. Our results showed that SNO-AGP could inhibit multidrug efflux pump, AcrAB-TolC, a major contributor to bacterial multidrug resistance. In addition, SNO-AGP decreased biofilm formation and ATP level in bacteria, indicating that SNO-AGP can revert drug resistance. It was also noteworthy that SNO-AGP showed synergistic effects with the existing antibiotics (oxacillin, imipenem, norfloxacin, erythromycin, and tetracycline). In conclusion, SNO-AGP participated in the host defense system and has potential as a novel agent for single or combination antimicrobial therapy.
Intracellular polysulfide could regulate the redox balance via its anti-oxidant activity. However, the existence of polysulfide in biological fluids still remains unknown. Recently, we developed a quantitative analytical method for polysulfide and discovered that polysulfide exists in plasma and responds to oxidative stress. In this study, we confirmed the presence of polysulfide in other biological fluids, such as semen and nasal discharge. The levels of polysulfide in these biological fluids from healthy volunteers (n = 9) with identical characteristics were compared. Additionally, the circadian rhythm of plasma polysulfide was also investigated. The polysulfide levels detected from nasal discharge and seminal fluid were approximately 400 and 600 μM, respectively. No correlation could be found between plasma polysulfide and the polysulfide levels of tear, saliva, and nasal discharge. On the other hand, seminal polysulfide was positively correlated with plasma polysulfide, and almost all polysulfide contained in semen was found in seminal fluid. Intriguingly, saliva and seminal polysulfide strongly correlated with salivary amylase and sperm activities, respectively. These results provide a foundation for scientific breakthroughs in various research areas like infertility and the digestive system process.
Deposition of amyloid protein, particularly Aβ1-42 , is a major contributor to the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, almost no deposition of Aβ in the peripheral tissues could be found. Human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant protein in the blood, has been reported to inhibit amyloid formation through binding Aβ, which is believed to play an important role in the peripheral clearance of Aβ. We identified the Aβ binding site on HSA and developed HSA mutants with high binding capacities for Aβ using a phage display method. HSA fragment 187-385 (Domain II) was found to exhibit the highest binding capacity for Aβ compared with the other two HSA fragments. To elucidate the sequence that forms the binding site for Aβ on Domain II, a random screening of Domain II display phage biopanning was constructed. A number of mutants with higher Aβ binding capacities than the wild type were identified. These mutants exhibited stronger scavenging abilities than the wild type, as revealed via in vitro equilibrium dialysis of Aβ experiments. These findings provide useful basic data for developing a safer alternative therapy than Aβ vaccines and for application in plasma exchange as well as extracorporeal dialysis.
Oxidative stress induced by hyperuricemia is closely associated with the renin-angiotensin system, as well as the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is therefore important to reduce oxidative stress to treat hyperuricemia. We previously found that benzbromarone, a uricosuric agent, has a direct free radical scavenging effect in vitro. The antioxidant effects of benzbromarone were evaluated in vivo via oral administration of benzbromarone for 4 weeks to model rats with angiotensin II- and salt-induced hypertension. Benzbromarone did not alter plasma uric acid levels or blood pressure but significantly reduced the levels of advanced oxidation protein products, which are oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, dihydroethidium staining of the kidney revealed a reduction in oxidative stress after benzbromarone administration. These results suggest that benzbromarone has a direct antioxidant effect in vivo and great potential to prevent CVD and CKD.
We recently developed a cell-penetrating drug carrier composed of albumin (HSA) combined with palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12. While it is possible that the palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA enters the cell mainly via macropinocytosis, the mechanism responsible for the induction of macropinocytosis and endosomal escape remain unknown. We report herein that palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA might interact with heparan sulfate proteoglycan and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 followed by multiple activations of the PKC/PI3K/JNK/mTOR signaling pathways to induce macropinocytosis. This result was further confirmed by a co-treatment with 70 kDa dextran, a macropinocytosis marker. Using liposomes that mimic endosomes, the leakage of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein from liposome was observed in the presence of palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA only in the case of the anionic late endosome-like liposomes but not the neutral early endosome-like liposomes. Heparin largely inhibited this leakage, suggesting the importance of electrostatic interactions between palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA and the late-endosomal membrane. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting data indicated that the intact HSA could be transferred from endosomes to the cytosol. These collective data suggest that the palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA is internalized via macropinocytosis and intact HSA is released from the late endosomes to the cytoplasm before the endosomes fuse with lysosomes. Palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA not only functions as an intracellular drug delivery carrier but also as an inducer of macropinocytosis.
Nanosize plasma proteins could be used as a biomimetic drug delivery system (DDS) for cancer treatment when loaded with anticancer drugs based on the fact that plasma proteins can serve as a source of nutrients for cancer cells. This prompted us to investigate the potential of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) for this role because it is a nanosize plasma protein and binds a variety of anticancer agents. Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that AGP is distributed more extensively in tumor tissue than human serum albumin, which was already established as a cancer DDS carrier. AGP is possibly being incorporated into tumor cells via endocytosis pathways. Moreover, a synthetic AGP-derived peptide which possesses a high ability to form an α-helix, as deduced from the primary structure of AGP, was also taken up by the tumor cells. AGP loaded with anticancer agents, such as paclitaxel or nitric oxide, efficiently induced tumor cell death. These results suggest that AGP has the potential to be a novel DDS carrier for anticancer agents.
Because of its multifaceted anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, delivering type-I interferon to Kupffer cells has the potential to function as a novel type of therapy for the treatment of various types of hepatitis. We report herein on the preparation of a Kupffer cell targeting type-I interferon, an albumin-IFNα2b fusion protein that contains highly mannosylated N-linked oligosaccharide chains, Man-HSA(D494N)-IFNα2b, attached by combining albumin fusion technology and site-directed mutagenesis. The presence of this unique oligosaccharide permits the protein to be efficiently, rapidly and preferentially distributed to Kupffer cells. Likewise IFNα2b, Man-HSA(D494N)-IFNα2b caused a significant induction in the mRNA levels of IL-10, IL-1Ra, PD-L1 in RAW264.7 cells and mouse isolated Kupffer cells, and these inductions were largely inhibited by blocking the interferon receptor. These data indicate that Man-HSA(D494N)-IFNα2b retained the biological activities of type-I interferon. Man-HSA(D494N)-IFNα2b significantly inhibited liver injury in Concanavalin A (Con-A)-induced hepatitis model mice, and consequently improved their survival rate. Moreover, the post-administration of Man-HSA(D494N)-IFNα2b at 2 h after the Con-A challenge also exerted hepato-protective effects. In conclusion, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates the therapeutic effectiveness and utility of Kupffer cell targeting type-I interferon against hepatitis via its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions.
Human serum albumin (HSA) is a superior carrier for delivering extracellular drugs. However, the development of a cell-penetrating HSA remains a great challenge due to its low membrane permeability. We report herein on the design of a series of palmitoyl-poly-arginine peptides (CPPs) and an evaluation of their cell-penetrating effects after forming a complex with HSA for use in intracellular drug delivery. The palmitoyl CPPs forms a stable complex with HSA by anchoring itself to the high affinity palmitate binding sites of HSA. Among the CPPs evaluated, a cyclic polypeptide composed of D-dodecaarginines, palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12 was the most effective for facilitating the cellular uptake of HSA by HeLa cells. Such a superior cell-penetrating capability is primarily mediated by macropinocytosis. The effect of the CPP on pharmacological activity was examined using three drugs loaded in HSA via three different methods: a) an HSA-paclitaxel complex, b) an HSA-doxorubicin covalent conjugate and c) an HSA-thioredoxin fusion protein. The results showed that cell-penetrating efficiency was increased with a corresponding and significant enhancement in pharmacological activity. In conclusion, palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA is a versatile cell-penetrating drug delivery system with great potential for use as a nano-carrier for a wide diversity of pharmaceutical applications.