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Use of block copolymers of poly(ortho esters) and poly (ethylene glycol) micellar carriers as potential tumour targeting systems.

Amphiphilic AB and ABA block copolymers have been prepared from poly (ortho esters) and poly (ethylene glycol). Such block copolymers readily form micellar dispersions in water, or buffers. The CMC is in the range of 3 x 10(-4)-5 x 10(-4) g/l which is a value low enough to assure retention of micelle integrity upon intravenous injection. The size, as determined by dynamic light scattering was in the 40-70 nm range. The micelles can be stored in lyophilized form for at lest 8 months and easily reconstituted to the original properties. The micelles are stable in PBS at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C for 3 days and in a citrate buffer at pH 5.5 and 37 degrees C for 2 h. Stability in the presence of bovine serum albumin depends on the structure of the block copolymer and especially the length of the POE block.

Drug Carriers↗

Freeze-drying and lyopreservation of diblock and triblock poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PLA-PEO) copolymer nanoparticles.

In this study, the formulation and process parameters that determine successful production and long-term stability of freeze-dried poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles with "hairy-like" poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) surfaces were investigated. Nanoparticles with grafted (covalently bound) PEO coatings were produced by the salting-out method from blends of PLA and PLA-PEO diblock or triblock copolymers. PLA nanoparticles with physically adsorbed PEO were also produced. The redispersibility of the nanoparticles after freeze-drying under various conditions was assessed. The surface of the nanoparticles was characterized and classified in terms of "brush" and "loop" conformations. Upon freeze-drying, it appeared that the presence of PEO at the nanoparticle surface could severely impair the redispersibility of the particles, especially in the PEO-grafted systems. This effect was shown to be related to the amount and molecular weight of PEO in the various formulations. In most cases, particle aggregation was prevented by use of trehalose as lyoprotective agent. Increasing the concentration of particles in the suspension to be freeze-dried was shown to induce much less damage to the nanoparticles, and freezing the suspension at a very low temperature (-196 degrees C) was found to further improve the lyoprotective effect. Most of the lyoprotected nanoparticles remained stable for at least 12 weeks at 4 and -25 degrees C. The production and preservation of freeze-dried PLA-PEO diblock and triblock copolymer nanoparticles is feasible under optimized lyoprotective conditions.

Drug Delivery Systems↗

Poly(propylene fumarate) and poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) as scaffold materials for solid and foam-coated composite tissue-engineered constructs for cranial reconstruction.

This pilot study investigates the osseointegration of four types of critical-size (1.5-cm diameter) rabbit cranial defect (n = 35) bone graft scaffolds. The first is a solid poly(propylene fumarate)/beta-tricalcium phosphate(PPF/beta-TCP) disk; the three remaining constructs contain a PPF/beta-TCP core coated with a 1-mm resorptive porous foam layer of PPF or PLGA [poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)], and bone marrow. Animals were killed at 6, 12, and 20 weeks. There was no evidence of a foreign body inflammatory response at any time during the study. Histomorphometric analyses of new bone formation sorted lineal and areal measures of new bone into three cranial layers (i.e., external, middle, and internal). Statistical analyses revealed significantly more bone in the PLGA foam-coated constructs than in the PPF foam-coated constructs (p < 0.03). No implant fixation was used; there is no strength at time 0. Twenty percent of all explants were tested for incorporation strength with a one-point "push-in" test, and failure ranged from 8.3 to 34.7 lb. The results of this study support the use of PPF as a biocompatible material that provides both a structural and osteogenic substrate for the repair of cranial defects.

Animals↗

Technique paper for wet-spinning poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) monofilament fibers.

A simple and repeatable method is described for wet-spinning poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) monofilament fibers. These fibers are strong, elastic, and suitable for many applications, including use as tissue-engineering scaffolds. The PLLA wet-extruded fibers do not show additional strain-induced crystallization as a result of drawing the fibers during fabrication; however, there is an apparent increase in crystallinity late in the degradation process in saline at 37 degrees C. We have measured the molecular weight degradation in saline at 37 degrees C for fibers of both PLLA and PLGA. Changing solvent systems, polymer blends, and winding rates alters mechanical and morphological properties of these fibers for specific applications. The authors discuss a possible theoretical explanation for these observed changes due to changes in polymer concentration, solvent system, and coagulation bath properties. This wet-extrusion process is simple and inexpensive enough to be carried out in almost any laboratory interested in tissue engineering.

Absorbable Implants↗

Poly(ethylene imine)-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers facilitate efficient delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to nuclei of mature muscle cells of mdx mice.

Antisense oligonucleotides (AO) can facilitate dystrophin expression via targeted exon skipping in cultured cells of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients and in the mouse model of DMD (mdx mice). However, the lack of effective means to deliver AO to myonuclei remains the foremost limitation to their usefulness in DMD gene therapy. In this study we show that copolymers of cationic poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) facilitated efficient cellular uptake and nuclear delivery of AO in mature skeletal muscle fibers isolated from mdx mice. Confocal analysis of dual fluorescently tagged PEG-PEI-AO polyplexes, 24 hr after transfection, showed that the copolymer and AO were colocalized within punctate membrane- associated structures. Importantly, AO was efficiently translocated into myonuclei, whereas the copolymer was mostly excluded. The morphology of all transfected myofibers was perfectly maintained with no indication of damage or cytotoxicity. Quantitative fluorescence analysis showed that transfection with PEG-PEI-AO resulted in a 6-fold higher uptake of AO into myonuclei compared with transfections of AO alone. Interestingly, transfections with rhodamine-labeled PEG-PEI copolymers yielded an approximately 2- fold higher uptake of AO into myonuclei compared with transfections of unlabeled copolymers. Attempts to further increase AO delivery by addition of insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS) to the medium showed no further improvement in AO delivery. Dose-response analysis indicated saturation of endocytotic uptake of the polyplex. Overall, we conclude that PEG-PEI copolymers represent high-capacity, nontoxic carriers for efficient delivery of AO to nuclei of mature myofibers.

Animals↗

Evaluation of in vitro drug release, pH change, and molecular weight degradation of poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) fibers.

Biodegradable fibers of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) that encapsulated a water-soluble drug were created by a patented technique consisting of wet-spinning a water-in-oil emulsion. These fibers are 2.4% by mass drug, which is slowly released, making these fibers potential candidates for implantation as drug delivery devices and/or tissue-engineering substrates. Drug release kinetics and changes in molecular weight were investigated over time. This study demonstrated that drug release rates and molecular weight degradation are a function of the amount of aqueous phase added as an emulsion during fabrication. The type of polymer used (PLLA or PLGA) determines the molecular weight degradation rates, but has little effect on drug release kinetics.

Absorbable Implants↗

Induction of a distinct nuclear poly(A) polymerase and the production of anti-tumor poly(A) polymerase antibodies in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Primary hepatomas induced in rats by an azo dye contained a distinct nuclear poly(A) polymerase which was different from the corresponding normal liver enzyme with respect to molecular weight and peptide map. The two enzymes could also be distinguished by their immunological characteristics. Sera from the carcinogen-fed rats contained antibodies to the tumor poly(A) polymerase even before the appearance of neoplastic nodules.

Animals↗

Repair of O6-methylguanine, by mammalian cell extracts, in alkylated DNA and poly(dG-m5dC).(poly dG-m5dC) in B and Z forms.

The ability of rat hepatoma cells extracts to repair O6-methylguanine was measured using as substrate alkylated DNA and alkylated poly(dG-m5dC).poly(dG-m5dC) either in the B or in the Z conformation. The O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase had similar activities on DNA and on the right-handed polymer. However, when the polymer was in the Z conformation, the protein activity represented approximately 10% of that measured on DNA. Therefore the efficiency of O6-methylguanine repair is related to the DNA conformation and is markedly reduced during the B to Z transition of the substrate.

Alkylation↗

Conformational transitions of poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT) induced by high salt or in ethanolic solution.

Poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT) was studied by circular dichroism in the presence of high CsCl concentrations and in ethanolic solutions. This alternating purine-pyrimidine duplex may undergo two conformational transitions from a B-type to a novel structure and subsequently into an A-form. Cs+ ions or increasing ethanol concentrations induced a change of the B-type CD spectrum and an inversion of the long wavelength CD band. Lowering the temperature below 0 C or addition of small amounts of Ca++ ions were particularly potent in producing a large negative CD band. A modified B-type structure or a conversion into a left-handed Z-form is considered for this conformational transition.

Circular Dichroism↗

An unusually long poly(purine)-poly(pyrimidine) sequence is located upstream from the human thyroglobulin gene.

A region of human genomic DNA encompassing the 5' end of the thyroglobulin gene has been sequenced and the position of the transcriptional start site has been determined. The 5' non-translated portion of the mRNA displays a quasi-palindromic sequence which could allow this region to adopt a hairpin structure. The first exon of the gene encodes a 19 amino-acids signal peptide and the 3 first amino acids of the mature protein. Apart from the canonical TATA-Box and from a CAAT-Box homology, the promoter region contains a 209 bp-long poly(purine)-poly (pyrimidine) sequence located between positions-512 and -304 relative to the transcription start. When contained in a supercoiled plasmid, this sequence exhibits sensitivity to S1 nuclease at two distinct positions. A precise mapping of the borders of the sensitive regions was achieved by extending primers from both ends of the sequence after digestion by the enzyme. The resulting data can be explained by a model involving the formation of a triple helix structure.

Base Sequence↗

A left-handed (Z) conformation of poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT) induced by polyamines.

Blocks of potential Z-DNA forming alternating purine-pyrimidine (APP) sequences are widely dispersed in native DNAs. We have studied the effects of naturally occurring polyamines on the conformation of a synthetic APP sequence, poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT) by circular dichroism spectroscopy. In the presence of micromolar concentrations of spermidine (125 microM) and spermine (16 microM), this polymer undergoes B to Z transition in low ionic strength (2 mM Na+) buffers. The concentration of polyamines required for B to Z transition increases with Na+ in the buffer and a straight line is obtained on plotting ln[Na+] vs. ln [spermidine 3+]. However, at concentrations of polyamines higher than those necessary to induce B to Z transition, Z-DNA converts to psi-DNA, an ordered, twisted, tight packing arrangement of the double helix. These results suggest a pathway for the transient formation of Z-DNA segments in vivo by interaction of the ubiquitous polyamines with naturally occurring blocks of APP sequences.

Base Sequence↗

Z form of poly d(A-C).poly d(G-T) in solution studied by Raman spectroscopy.

Poly d(A-C).poly d(G-T) structures have been studied in solution by Raman spectroscopy, in presence of Na+, Mn2+ and Ni2+ counterions. Increase of the Na+ concentration or addition of Mn2+ ions up to 1M MnCl2 does not modify the B geometry of the polynucleotide. On the contrary, in conditions of low water activity (4M NaCl), the presence of small amounts of nickel ions (65 mM) induces a left-handed geometry of the DNA. The shift of the guanine line located at 682 cm-1 in B form to 622 cm-1 reflects unambiguously the C2'-endo/anti-greater than C3'-endo/syn reorientation of the deoxyribose-purine entities. Moreover modifications in the phosphate backbone lines indicate that the polymer is in a Z conformation. New or displaced lines corresponding to adenosine vibrations are correlated with the left-handed structure. An interaction of the Ni2+ ions specifically with the N7 site of purines, combined with a low water activity is necessary to promote the B-greater than Z transition.

Cations↗

Influence of tetraalkyl ammonium ions on the structure of poly (rG-dC).poly (rG-dC): unexpected transitions among the Z, A and B conformations.

The conformation of the double-stranded, mixed ribodeoxyribo polynucleotide, poly (rG-dC).poly (rG-dC), has been examined in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium ions. Tetramethyl ammonium ion stabilizes the "low salt" Z conformation (1) of the polymer from submillimolar to molar concentrations of the counterion. In the presence of tetraethyl and tetrapropyl ammonium ions the polymer exists in the low salt Z form up to 2 mM concentration of the counterions and then flips to the right hand helical A form. With tetrabutyl ammonium counterions the polymer is in an A conformation at low ion concentrations and converts to a B form at concentrations greater than thirty millimolar. These results are interpreted in terms of electrostatic and solvent interactions of the polynucleotide.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Stabilization of the Z' form of poly(dGdC):poly(dGdC) in solution by multivalent ions relates to the ZII form in crystals.

Both multivalent ions and 85% ethanol are required to produce the original Z' form of poly(dGdC):poly(dGdC) in solution. When multivalent impurities are removed by dialysis against 0.5 M NaCl and 1 mM EDTA, the circular dichroism retains features of the standard Z form. Addition of Ca+2 nearly reverses this effect. Analysis by singular value decomposition of near-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra collected during titrations of polynucleotide in 60% ethanol with multivalent ions reveal that, at concentrations below .5 per nucleotide, they stabilize Z'-like forms in a two-state equilibrium with the Z form. Differences among the Z' spectra produced by the different ions suggest that at least three families of Z' structures exist. Furthermore, comparison with crystal data indicates that the Z' form in solution is related to the ZII form in crystals.

Calcium↗

Helical nature of poly(dI-dC).poly(dI-dC). Vibrational circular dichroism results.

Poly(dI-dC).poly(dI-dC) was studied using vibrational circular dichroism and IR spectroscopy in both the base deformation C = O and symmetric PO2- stretching regions. VCD spectra of this duplex under low salt conditions are consistent with its having a B-form structure. Addition of 5 M NaCl leads to relatively uniform VCD intensity loss which is consistent with loss of helical structure rather than formation of an intermediate state between the B and Z forms. This duplex polymer under high salt conditions with added NiCl2 shows aggregation effects, but its IR and VCD spectra have characteristic features of the Z-form DNA conformation. The cooperative change of backbone and base pair structure upon thermal denaturation is indicated by the simultaneous collapse of the VCD at 65 degrees C in both the PO2- and C = O stretching regions. This study further demonstrates that the VCD bandshape of a specific localized nucleic acid vibrational transition can be a useful indicator of the helical handedness. The empirical conformational interpretations are supported by simulated VCD spectra, which are in excellent agreement with the experimental results, based on dipole coupling calculations.

Circular Dichroism↗

Protonated polynucleotides structures - 23. The acid-base hysteresis of poly(dG).poly(dC).

The large hysteresis observed during the acid-base titration of poly(dG). poly (dC) was studied by CD and potentiometric scanning curves. Intermediate scanning loops as well as the equilibrium and metastable branches of the hysteresis loop have been determined. The potentiometric titrations showed, however, that the various complexes were not discrete entities, but were linked in "polycomplexes" as had been already suggested. This prevented a thermodynamic study of the system. The acid-base titration was further investigated as a function of ionic strength and temperature. The pK's showed considerably lower ionic strength dependence than observed for polyribonucleotide complexes. The thermal transitions permitted to establish the relative stabilities of the various complexes between pH 2.5 and pH 12.0.

Circular Dichroism↗

The high salt form of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) is left-handed Z-DNA: Raman spectra of crystals and solutions.

The laser-Raman spectra of crystalline d(CpGpCpGpCpG) and of aqueous poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) in high salt (4M NaCl) and low salt (0.1M NaCl) solutions have been measured and compared. The spectra of the crystal and the high-salt solution show a striking congruence, which indicates clearly that the high-salt form of the aqueous polymer has the left-handed Z-DNA structure of the crystalline oligomer. These two spectra differ substantially from that of the low-salt form of the polymer, which has been found previously to have spectral characteristics of the B-form of DNA. The high salt spectrum shows a unique line due to guanine residues at 625 cm-1 which should be useful for qualitative and possibly quantitative assessment of the amount of Z-structure present in a sample of DNA.

Crystallization↗