Lipid-polymer membranes as carriers for L-tryptophan : Molecular and metabolic properties

Polymerized liposomes encapsulating L-tryptophan were studied with the aim to characterize them as drug delivery systems for the treatment of several metabolic diseases that need an increased systemic L-tryptophan concentration, polymerized liposomes were obtained by UV irradiation of vesicles containing 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) in a 1:1 molar ratio, in the presence of 10 and 50 mol% of L-tryptophan (respect to total lipid concentration). Polymerization efficiency was studied spectrophotometrically. Also, bilayer packing at the polar head region was followed with the Merocyanine 540 (MC540) and specific interactions in the lipopolymers were studied by FTIR. High L-tryptophan concentrations (50 mol% respect to total lipid concentration) induced a higher amount of six- and nine-unit polymers. This phenomenon was induced because the L-tryptophan located outside the lipid membrane was included in it during the polymerization process and was thus responsible for the better accommodate of the polar head region. This was not possible with the lower amount of L-tryptophan (10 mol%). The stability of lipopolymers with different amounts of L-tryptophan was studied through release profiles. Polymerized liposomes with 50 mol% of L-tryptophan were able to retain around 80% of the amino acid after 24 hours, whereas those with 10 mol % of the amino acid were able to retain 20%. The metabolic activity of the Caco-2 cell line was also studied. Cytotoxic effects were low in the presence of polymerized liposomes, rendering a maximum percentage of cell death of 30%. In summary, this work stresses the relevance of nonspecific drug-polymerized membrane binding on L-tryptophan pharmacological interaction with possible pharmaceutical applications in liposomal drug delivery. Moreover, the absence of significant cytotoxic effects allows the system proposed to be applied in human health.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula

Lipid-polymer membranes as carriers for L-tryptophan : Molecular and metabolic properties

Polymerized liposomes encapsulating L-tryptophan were studied with the aim to characterize them as drug delivery systems for the treatment of several metabolic diseases that need an increased systemic L-tryptophan concentration, polymerized liposomes were obtained by UV irradiation of vesicles containing 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) in a 1:1 molar ratio, in the presence of 10 and 50 mol% of L-tryptophan (respect to total lipid concentration). Polymerization efficiency was studied spectrophotometrically. Also, bilayer packing at the polar head region was followed with the Merocyanine 540 (MC540) and specific interactions in the lipopolymers were studied by FTIR. High L-tryptophan concentrations (50 mol% respect to total lipid concentration) induced a higher amount of six- and nine-unit polymers. This phenomenon was induced because the L-tryptophan located outside the lipid membrane was included in it during the polymerization process and was thus responsible for the better accommodate of the polar head region. This was not possible with the lower amount of L-tryptophan (10 mol%). The stability of lipopolymers with different amounts of L-tryptophan was studied through release profiles. Polymerized liposomes with 50 mol% of L-tryptophan were able to retain around 80% of the amino acid after 24 hours, whereas those with 10 mol % of the amino acid were able to retain 20%. The metabolic activity of the Caco-2 cell line was also studied. Cytotoxic effects were low in the presence of polymerized liposomes, rendering a maximum percentage of cell death of 30%. In summary, this work stresses the relevance of nonspecific drug-polymerized membrane binding on L-tryptophan pharmacological interaction with possible pharmaceutical applications in liposomal drug delivery. Moreover, the absence of significant cytotoxic effects allows the system proposed to be applied in human health.Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celula

Non-β-Blocking Carvedilol Analog, VK-II-86, Prevents Ouabain-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

Background It has been shown that carvedilol and its non β-blocking analog, VK-II-86, inhibit spontaneous Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The aim of this study is to determine whether carvedilol and VK-II-86 suppress ouabain-induced arrhythmogenic Ca2+ waves and apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. Methods and Results: Rat cardiac myocytes were exposed to toxic doses of ouabain (50 µmol/L). Cell length (contraction) was monitored in electrically stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. Ouabain treatment increased contractility, frequency of spontaneous contractions and apoptosis compared to control cells. Carvedilol (1 µmol/L) or VK-II-86 (1 µmol/L) did not affect ouabain-induced inotropy, but significantly reduced the frequency of Ca2+ waves, spontaneous contractions and cell death evoked by ouabain treatment. This antiarrhythmic effect was not associated with a reduction in Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity, phospholamban and ryanodine receptor phosphorylation or SR Ca2+ load. Similar results could be replicated in human cardiomyocytes derived from stem cells and in a mathematical model of human myocytes. Conclusions Carvedilol and VK-II-86 are effective to prevent ouabain-induced apoptosis and spontaneous contractions indicative of arrhythmogenic activity without affecting inotropy and demonstrated to be effective in human models, thus emerging as a therapeutic tool for the prevention of digitalis-induced arrhythmias and cardiac toxicity.Centro de Investigaciones CardiovascularesConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica