Artículos de revista (Inst. Salud Tropical)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10171/52056

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    Mixed micelles and gels of a hydrophilic poloxamine (Tetronic 1307) and miltefosine: Structural characterization by small-angle neutron scattering and in vitro evaluation for the treatment of leishmaniasis
    (Elsevier, 2023) González-Gaitano, G. (Gustavo); El-Dirany, R. (Rima); Nguewa, P.A. (Paul Alain); Smith, G.N. (Gregory N.); Dirany, Z. (Zeinab)
    Hypothesis/background: Tetronic is a family of four-armed amphiphilic block copolymers of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polypropylene oxide (PPO) that self-aggregate to form micelles and hydrogels. Due to their temperature and pH-responsiveness, they are emerging as smart nanomaterials in the area of drug delivery. Here we propose the use of Tetronic 1307 (T1307) as a nanocarrier of miltefosine (MF), a zwitterionic alkylphospholipid highly active against leishmaniasis, one of the most threating neglected tropical diseases. Given the amphiphilic nature of the drug, both surfactants can combine to form mixed micelles, reducing the cytotoxicity of MF by lowering its dose and improving its internalization, hence its antileishmanial effect. Experiments: The structure of the T1307 micelles, MF micelles, mixed micelles and hydrogels, formed in buffered solution (pH = 7.4) at different concentrations has been investigated in-depth by a combination of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), fluorescence spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance methods (1D, 2D NOESY, and diffusion NMR). The cytotoxicity of the aggregates in macrophages has been assessed, as well as the antileishmanial activity in both Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes. Findings: T1307 and MF combine into mixed aggregates over a wide range of temperatures and compositions, forming ellipsoidal core–shell mixed micelles. The shell is highly hydrated and comprises most of the PEO blocks, while the hydrophobic core contains the PO blocks and the MF along with a fraction of EO and water molecules, depending on the molar ratio in the mixture. The combination with T1307 amplified the leishmanicidal activity of the drug against both forms of the parasite and dramatically reduced drug cytotoxicity. T1307 micelles also showed a considerable leishmanicidal activity without exhibiting macrophage toxicity. These results support the use of T1307 as a MF carrier for the treatment of human and animal leishmaniasis, in its different clinical forms.
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    Oral efficacy of a diselenide compound loaded in nanostructured lipid carriers in a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis
    (2021) Almeida, A.J. (Antonio J.); Alvarez-Galindo, J.I. (José Ignacio); Sanmartin-Grijalba, C. (Carmen); Etxebeste-Mitxeltorena, M. (Mikel); Calvo-Bacaicoa, A. (Alba); Plano-Amatriain, D. (Daniel); Gonzalez-Peñas, E. (Elena); Espuelas, S. (Socorro); Carvalheiro, M. (Manuela); Navarro-Blasco, I. (Iñigo); Moreno-Amatria, E. (Esther); Irache, J.M. (Juan Manuel)
    Leishmaniasis urgently needs new oral treatments, as it is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases that affects people with poor resources. The drug discovery pipeline for oral administration currently discards entities with poor aqueous solubility and permeability (class IV compounds in the Biopharmaceutical Classification System, BCS) such as the diselenide 2m, a trypanothione reductase (TR) inhibitor. This work was assisted by glyceryl palmitostearate and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether-based nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to render 2m bioavailable and effective after its oral administration. The loading of 2m in NLC drastically enhanced its intestinal permeability and provided plasmatic levels higher than its effective concentration (IC50). In L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice, 2m-NLC reduced the parasite burden in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow by at least 95% after 5 doses, demonstrating similar efficacy as intravenous Fungizone. Overall, compound 2m and its formulation merit further investigation as an oral treatment for visceral leishmaniasis.
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    Evaluation of skin permeation and retention of topical dapsone in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions
    (2019) Sanmartin-Grijalba, C. (Carmen); Schwartz, J. (Juana); Calvo-Bacaicoa, A. (Alba); Gonzalez-Peñas, E. (Elena); Espuelas, S. (Socorro); Navarro-Blasco, I. (Iñigo); Moreno-Amatria, E. (Esther); Irache, J.M. (Juan Manuel)
    The oral administration of dapsone (DAP) for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is effective, although serious hematological side effects limit its use. In this study, we evaluated this drug for the topical treatment of CL. As efficacy depends on potency and skin penetration, we first determined its antileishmanial activity (IC50 = 100 ¿M) and selectivity index in vitro against Leishmania major-infected macrophages. In order to evaluate the skin penetration ex vivo, we compared an O/W cream containing DAP that had been micronized with a pluronic lecithin emulgel, in which the drug was solubilized with diethylene glycol monoethyl ether. For both formulations we obtained similar low flux values that increased when the stratum corneum and the epidermis were removed. In vivo efficacy studies performed on L. major-infected BALB/c mice revealed that treatment not only failed to cure the lesions but made their evolution and appearance worse. High plasma drug levels were detected and were concomitant with anemia and iron accumulation in the spleen. This side effect was correlated with a reduction of parasite burden in this organ. Our results evidenced that DAP in these formulations does not have an adequate safety index for use in the topical therapy of CL.