chondroitin-sulfates and Colitis--Ulcerative

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a high incidence disease worldwide and clinically presents as relapsing and incurable inflammation of the colon. Bilirubin (BR), a natural antioxidant with significant anti-colitic effects, is utilized in preclinical studies as an intestinal disease therapy. Due to their water-insolubility, the design of BR-based agents usually involves complicated chemosynthetic processes, introducing various uncertainties in BR development. After screening numerous materials, it is identified that chondroitin sulfate can efficiently mediate the construction of BR self-assembled nanomedicine (BSNM) via intermolecular hydrogen bonds between dense sulfate and carboxyl of chondroitin sulfate and imino groups of BR. BSNM exhibits pH sensitivity and reactive oxygen species responsiveness, enabling targeted delivery to the colon. After oral administration, BSNM significantly inhibits colonic fibrosis and apoptosis of colon and goblet cells; it also reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, BSNM maintains the normal level of zonula occludens-1 and occludin to sustain the integrity of intestinal barrier, regulates the macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 type, and promotes the ecological recovery of intestinal flora. Collectively, the work provides a colon-targeted and transformable BSNM that is simple to prepare and is useful as an efficient targeted UC therapy.

Topics: Animals; Bilirubin; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Despite the progress in the therapy of ulcerative colitis (UC), long-lasting UC remission can hardly be achieved in the majority of UC patients. The key pathological characteristics of UC include an impaired mucosal barrier and local inflammatory infiltration. Thus, a two-pronged approach aiming at repairing damaged mucosal barrier and scavenging inflammatory mediators simultaneously might hold great potential for long-term remission of UC. A rectal formulation can directly offer preferential and effective drug delivery to inflamed colon. However, regular intestinal peristalsis and frequent diarrhea in UC might cause transient drug retention. Therefore, a bioadhesive hydrogel with strong interaction with intestinal mucosa might be preferable for rectal administration to prolong drug retention. Here, we designed a bioadhesive hydrogel formed by the cross-linking of sulfhydryl chondroitin sulfate and polydopamine (CS-PDA). The presence of PDA would ensure the mucosa-adhesive behavior, and the addition of CS in the hydrogel network was expected to achieve the restoration of the intestinal epithelial barrier. To scavenge the key player (excessive reactive oxygen species, ROS) in inflamed colon, sodium ferulic (SF), a potent ROS inhibitor, was incorporated into the CS-PDA hydrogel. After rectal administration, the SF-loaded CS-PDA hydrogel could adhere to the colonic mucosa to allow prolonged drug retention. Subsequently, sustained SF release could be achieved to persistently scavenge ROS in inflammatory areas. Meanwhile, the presence of CS would promote the restoration of the mucosal barrier. Ultimately, scavenging ROS and restoring the mucosal barrier could be simultaneously achieved via this SF-loaded bioadhesive hydrogel scaffold. Our two-pronged approach might provide new insight for effective UC treatment.

Topics: Animals; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Hydrogels; Intestinal Mucosa; Reactive Oxygen Species

An oral nanoparticle (NPs) encapsulated in chitosan/alginate hydrogel (CA-Gel) with dual-sensitive in pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was developed to load curcumin (CUR) based on the intracellular-specific characteristics of macrophages. Chondroitin sulfate (CS) wrapped PBAE-SA-PAPE with intracellular pH/ROS dual-sensitive characteristics and CUR via a simple nanoprecipitation method to form NPs (CS-CUR-NPs), and mixed CA-Gel to acquire the final preparation (CS-CUR-NPs-Gel). CS-CUR-NPs displayed an ideal average particle size (179.19±5.61nm) and high encapsulating efficiency (94.74±1.15%). CS showed a good targeting ability on macrophages and the CA-Gel contribution in protecting NPs from being destroyed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. As expected, CS-CUR-NPs-Gel could significantly alleviate inflammation in DSS-induced UC mice via TLR4-MAPK/NF-κB pathway. This study is the first to attempt to design a novel pH/ROS dual-stimulated release strategy in helping intracellular CUR delivery and anticipated for efficient anti-UC therapy.

Topics: Animals; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Curcumin; Drug Carriers; Drug Delivery Systems; Esters; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Macrophages; Mice; Nanoparticles; Particle Size; Reactive Oxygen Species

Although magnolol (Mag), an anti-inflammatory natural compound, has been demonstrated to play protective effects on ulcerative colitis (UC), its application as an alternative therapeutic reagent for UC treatment is still greatly impeded due to its poor stability in the gastrointestinal tract and insufficient accumulation in the inflamed colon lesion. Nano-/microsized drug delivery systems can potentially overcome some challenges regarding the oral administration of phytochemicals, which still confront premature early drug release, degradation of NPs, or the sustained drug release of MPs. In this study, we primarily loaded Mag into the core-shell zein-based nanoparticles with chondroitin sulfate coating (Mag@CS-Zein NPs) with an average size of 142.27 ± 5.11 nm, showing significant macrophage-targeting and enhanced colon epithelial cellular uptake capacity. Then, we embedded Mag@CS-Zein NPs into hydrogel microspheres via an electrospraying technology. The Mag@CS-Zein NPsinMPs presented a uniform-sized sphere with an average size of 164.36 ± 6.29 μm and sustained drug-release profiles. Compared to CS-Zein NPs, the developed CS-Zein NPsinMPs exhibited prolonged colon retention on the inflammatory surface, as seen from

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Biphenyl Compounds; Cell Line, Tumor; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Dextran Sulfate; Drug Carriers; Drug Liberation; Humans; Hydrogels; Lignans; Male; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microspheres; Nanoparticles; Occludin; Zein; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein

The research focused on the diagnostic usefulness of urinary glycosaminoglycans excretion as new markers related to the ECM remodeling in the intestine. Their possible suitability in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment monitoring in the course of the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), i.e. ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were assessed in this study. Urinary excretion of total sulfated glycosaminoglycans (TGAG) and fraction of chondroitin sulfates (CS) were analysed in 47 patiens with IBD, including 31 patients with UC and 16 patients with CD at baseline and after one year of therapy. Sulfated GAGs excreted in urine were quantitated using standardized dye-binding method. A several-fold increase in urinary excretion of total GAG and CS fraction in both UC and CD patients compared to healthy subjects indicates the potential usefulness of quantitative urinary GAG analysis in the diagnosis of IBD. No differences were found in the amount of GAG excreted in the urine in patients with UC and CD. Adalimumab resulted in a decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process and the activity of the disease expressed in the Mayo scale, which was accompanied by an increase in the amount of CS excreted in the urine of UC patients. Moreover, significant correlation was found between Mayo scale and urinary total GAG and CS excretion in UC patients. The quantitative assessment of total glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulfates fraction in urine may be a marker helpful in the early diagnosis of IBD.

Topics: Adalimumab; Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Crohn Disease; Female; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Young Adult

Orally targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to macrophages has attracted great attention for minimizing the symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this investigation, we encapsulated curcumin (CUR) into polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), and conjugated chondroitin sulfate (CS) to their surfaces. The resulting CS-NPs had an average diameter of 281 nm, monodisperse size distribution and negatively charged surface. Cell experiments indicated that these NPs showed excellent biocompatibility, and yielded significantly higher cell internalization efficiency in Raw 264.7 macrophages than their counterparts (carboxymethyl cellulose-functionalized CUR-encapsulated NPs, CUL-NPs). Moreover, CS-NPs exhibited a dramatically stronger capacity to inhibit the secretion of the major pro-inflammatory cytokines from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages compared with CUL-NPs. In vivo experiments revealed that oral administration of chitosan/alginate hydrogel embedding CS-NPs achieved better therapeutic outcomes against UC comparied with CUL-NPs. Collectively, our results demonstrated that CS-NP-embedded hydrogel held a great promise to be developed as a macrophage-targeted drug delivery system for UC treatment.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Curcumin; Cytokines; Drug Delivery Systems; Lipopolysaccharides; Macrophages; Mice; Nanoparticles; Particle Size; RAW 264.7 Cells; Surface Properties

The requirement for the favorable therapeutics against ulcerative colitis (UC) is that anti-inflammatory drugs can be specifically internalized by macrophages and subsequently be on-demand released to suppress inflammation. Herein, we developed a type of multi-bioresponsive anti-inflammatory drug (curcumin, CUR)-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) that were derived from natural silk fibroin and followed by surface functionalization with chondroitin sulfate (CS). The generated CS-CUR-NPs had a desired average particle size (175.4 nm), a uniform size distribution and negative surface charge (-35.5 mV). Strikingly, these NPs exhibited excellent bioresponsibility when triggered with the intrinsic stimuli (acidity, glutathione and reactive oxygen species) within activated macrophages, indicating that they could conceivably confer the on-demand intracellular drug release. Furthermore, we found that CS functionalization yielded notably targeted drug delivery to macrophages, and thereby enhanced the anti-inflammatory activities of NPs. Most importantly, animal experiments revealed that these nanotherapeutics could remarkably alleviate the symptoms of UC, maintain the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota and improve the survival rate of mice with UC through the route of oral administration or intravenous injection. Our results suggest that these facilely fabricated CS-CUR-NPs, which exhibit excellent biocompatibility, multi-bioresponsive drug release and macrophage-targeted capacity, could be exploited as a promising therapeutic platform for clinical UC treatment.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Biocompatible Materials; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Curcumin; Cytoplasm; Drug Liberation; Endocytosis; Fibroins; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Hyaluronan Receptors; Mice; Nanoparticles; RAW 264.7 Cells; Tissue Distribution

A conjugate between chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glycyl-prednisolone (GP), named CS-GP, was produced by carbodiimide coupling at a high GP/CS ratio. CS-GP was not water-soluble and gave a nanogel (NG) in aqueous solution. Two types of nanogels, NG(I) and NG(II), with prednisolone (PD) contents of 5.5 and 21.1% (w/w), respectively, were obtained. They had particle sizes of approximately 280 and 570 nm, respectively, and showed negative ζ-potentials of approximately -40 mV. The PD release rate was slower in the nanogels than in a solution of CS-GP with a PD content of 1.4% (w/w). The PD release rate was slower in NG(II) than in NG(I), and was elevated at pH 7.4 than at pH 6.8. NG(II) was applied in vivo to rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis, and its therapeutic efficacy and pharmacokinetic features were investigated. The therapeutic efficacy of NG(II) was slightly better than that of PD alone. Drug delivery to the lower intestines was enhanced with NG(II). The CS-GP nanogel has potential as a potent DDS for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Liberation; Gels; Intestinal Mucosa; Male; Nanoparticles; Prednisolone; Rats, Wistar

Topics: Biological Availability; Cell Line; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drug Carriers; Drug Compounding; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Mesalamine; Monocytes; Prodrugs; Tissue Distribution; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Differential counts of the faecal flora of patients with ulcerative colitis showed a dysbiotic flora with a 100-fold increase of group-D streptococci and a reduction of bifidobacteria in comparison with the stable eubiotic flora of healthy subjects. The increase in number in group-D streptococci was accompanied by an increase in variety. About four different varieties of enterococci were found in faeces from patients compared with one or two in samples from healthy subjects. The strains isolated from patients were more active in mucin breakdown, and only strains from patients were able to break down hyaluronic acid. Lactic acid could be formed from these substrates. The increased secretion of mucin in colitis and the presence of unprotected hyaluronic acid in ulcers seem to select these organisms which are probably the cause of the high lactic-acid content of the faeces in such patients.

Topics: Actinomycetaceae; Bacteria; Bacteroides; Chondroitin Sulfates; Colitis, Ulcerative; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterococcus faecalis; Escherichia coli; Feces; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid; Lactates; Lactobacillus; Mucins; Sialic Acids; Species Specificity; Streptococcus