Phase-separated chitosan–fibrin microbeads for cell delivery

Matrix-enhanced delivery of cells is a promising approach to improving current cell therapies. Our objective was to create cell-laden composite microbeads that combine the attractive features of the natural polymers chitosan and fibrin. Liquid polydimethylsiloxane was used to emulsify a chitosan–fibrinogen solution containing suspended human fibroblast cells, followed by initiation of thrombin-mediated polymerization of fibrin and thermal/pH-mediated gelation of chitosan. Chitosan/fibrin weight percent (wt%) ratios of 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 and 25/75 were investigated. Microbead diameters ranged from 275?±?99?µm to 38?±?10?µm using impeller speeds from 600 to 1400?rpm. Fibroblasts remained viable on day 1 post-fabrication in all matrices, but cell viability was markedly higher in high-fibrin microbeads by day 8 post-fabrication. Cell spreading and interaction with the extracellular matrix was also markedly increased in high-fibrin matrices. Such composite microbeads containing viable entrapped cells have potential for minimally invasive delivery of cells for a variety of tissue repair applications.     

微包囊优化制备及复合自体微小颗粒骨异位成骨的实验研究

目的探讨优化生长因子微包囊制作方法,观察其释放规律和复合微小颗粒骨异位成骨的效果。方法正交设计优化聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物(poly-DL-lactide-co-glycolide,PLGA)微包囊制作工艺,于2、4、8、12、24、36、48、60、72、84、96、120、144、168、192、216、240和264h计算微包囊的累计释放量。实验取24只Wistar大鼠,随机分为4组(n=6),每只大鼠于双侧股部作1cm切口,制备臀大肌肌袋模型。A组双侧植入胶原,B组双侧植入胶原和颗粒骨,C组双侧植入胶原和重组人骨形成蛋白2(recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein2,rhBMP-2)/PLGA缓释微包囊;D组双侧植入胶原、颗粒骨与rhBMP-2/PLGA缓释微包囊。于术后3、4和5周取样(n=2)行大体和组织学观察。结果各优化变量对微包囊粒径及其包封率均有影响,包囊表面光滑,成球较好。体外能够在11d内缓慢释放。术后3周大体观察,A组未触及移植物,B、C、D组可触及,微包囊呈白色颗粒包裹于组织中。组织学观察:术后3周,A组胶原已经完全吸收,其余3组可见残余胶原;术后4周,A组胶原已不易见到,B组可见微小颗粒骨继续吸收,体积变小;C组包囊体积缩小,囊间成骨性细胞增多;D组微小颗粒骨和微包囊继续吸收,成骨性细胞和软骨性细胞团增多;术后5周,B、C、D组均可见植入物体积减小,包囊被吸收破碎,但颗粒骨和包囊周围的软骨性细胞、成骨性细胞更加密集。结论优化PLGA微包囊制备工艺,使其在体外能够长时间缓释。自体微小颗粒骨可在臀大肌肌袋内异位诱导生成大量成骨性细胞,PLGA微包囊可以与其有机复合,并在减少生长因子用量的同时协同微小颗粒骨成骨。     

Drug delivery system using microspheres that contain tacrolimus in porcine small bowel transplantation

Rejection remains a major barrier to successful bowel transplantation, in spite of improved immunosuppressive techniques. Therefore, new, more effective, immunosuppressants, with fewer side effects, are needed. Biodegradable microspheres containing tacrolimus (FK506) were used in an experimental porcine small bowel transplantation. Twenty pigs underwent transplantation and were divided into four groups according to the immunosuppressive regimen. Group A (n=5): no immunosuppression; group B (n=6): 0.2 mg/kg per day of FK506; group C (n=3): 1.0 mg/kg per day of FK506; group D (n=6): 0.04 mg/kg per day of FK506 contained in biodegradable microspheres. Rejection was diagnosed macroscopically by endoscopic examination and histologically by biopsy specimen analysis. The mean survival time and standard deviation (SD) were 8.8±3.5, 11.0±1.4, 9.7±2.5 and 28.6±22.5 days for groups A, B, C, and D, respectively, with a statistically significant difference found between group D, on the one hand, and groups A, B and C, on the other. The mean trough blood concentration of FK506 was 10.5±2.2, 27.9±6.0 and 10.5±3.5 ng/ml in groups B, C and D, respectively. In groups A and B, all pigs died of rejection, without infection. In group C, all died of infection, without rejection. In contrast, none of the pigs in group D developed rejection or infection. Our results clearly show that the drug delivery system using biodegradable microspheres that contain FK506 is effective for controlling rejection with fewer side effects in the porcine small bowel transplantation.     

Time course study of the antigen-specific immune response to a PLGA microparticle vaccine formulation

Microparticle-based vaccine delivery systems are known to promote enhanced immune responses to protein antigens and can elicit T_H1-biased responses when used in combination with Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. It is important to understand the kinetics of the immune responses to microparticle-based protein vaccines in order to predict the duration of protective immunity and to optimize prime-boost vaccination regimens. We carried out a 10-week time course study to investigate the magnitude and kinetics of the antibody and cellular immune responses to poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles containing 40 μg ovalbumin (OVA) protein and 16 μg CpG-ODN adjuvant (MP/OVA/CpG) in comparison to OVA-containing microparticles, soluble OVA plus CpG, or OVA formulated with Alhydrogel^® aluminum adjuvant. Mice vaccinated with MP/OVA/CpG developed the highest T_H1-associated IgG2b and IgG2c antibody titers, while also eliciting T_H2-associated IgG1 antibody titers on par with Alhydrogel^®-formulated OVA, with all IgG subtype titers peaking at day 56. The MP/OVA/CpG vaccine also induced the highest antigen-specific splenocyte IFN-γ responses, with high levels of IFN-γ responses persisting until day 42. Thus the MP/OVA/CpG formulation produced a sustained and heightened humoral and cellular immune response, with an overall T_H1 bias, while maintaining high levels of IgG1 antibody equivalent to that seen with Alhydrogel^® adjuvant. The time course kinetics study provides a useful baseline for designing vaccination regimens for microparticle-based protein vaccines.     

Gas-generating polymeric microspheres for long-term and continuous in vivo ultrasound imaging

Ultrasound (US) imaging is one of the most common biomedical imaging methods, due to the easy assessment and noninvasive way. For more precise and accurate US imaging, many contrast agents have been developed in a form of microbubbles composed of inner gas and shell materials. However, microbubbles showed undesirable short half-life under acoustic field during US imaging and insufficient in vivo stability in blood flow due to diffusion or bubble destruction. Therefore, the improvement of the half-life and stability of microbubbles under in vivo condition is highly needed for long-term in vivo US imaging. Herein, we developed rationally designed gas-generating polymeric microsphere (GGPM) that can produce microbubbles without encapsulation of gas for long-term and continuous US imaging. The poly(cholesteryl γ-butyrolactone-b-propylene oxide), poly(CB-PO), with carbonate side chains was synthesized as gas-generating polymer by ring-opening polymerization of cholestryl γ-butyrolactone (CB) and propylene oxide (PO). As optimal structure for intense US signal generation, porous GGPMs (p-GGPMs) with the average size about 3-5 μm were prepared with poly(CB-PO) by double emulsion method. These p-GGPMs generated continuous US signals over 70 min, while the signals from Sonovue^®, a commercial US contrast agent were completely attenuated within 15 min. This long-term signal duration of p-GGPM was also reproduced when they were subcutaneously injected under the skin of mouse. Moreover, as advanced in vivo application, the fine US imaging of heart in rat was enabled by intravenous injection of p-GGPM. Therefore, these overall results showed the great potential of p-GGPM as gas-generating US contrast agent for in vivo biomedical imaging and diagnosis.     

胰岛血液微循环及其调节

胰岛细胞功能和胰岛血液微循环密切相关,利用微球技术可定量测定动物模型的胰岛血流,研究其不同影响因素:胰岛血流灌注受年龄、性别、血压等影响,其中血糖是最强的影响因子,血清胰岛素水平则和血流无确切相关性.胰岛血流灌注显著高于胰腺外分泌腺,其调节独立于胰腺外分泌腺,是神经(迷走神经)和激素(胰高血糖素样肽-1)、系统和局部(一氧化氮)共同作用的结果.糖耐量异常和糖尿病动物模型均存在胰岛血流灌注和调节异常,改善胰岛高灌注和毛细血管内高压有利于保护β细胞功能,延缓糖尿病的发生.     

葛根素壳聚糖微球的制备及体外释药特性

目的：以脱乙酰壳聚糖为药物载体,制备了葛根素壳聚糖微球,考察葛根素壳聚糖微球在体外药物释放特性。方法以液体石蜡为油相,采用乳化-交联法制备葛根素壳聚糖微球,高效液相色谱法测定葛根素的含量。结果制备的葛根素壳聚糖微球形态圆整,大小均匀,表面光滑,平均粒径为9．56μm ,葛根素包封率为72．20％,平均载药量为17．82％。结论体外药物释放结果显示：以壳聚糖为载体,采用乳化-交联法制备的葛根素壳聚糖微球具有良好的缓释效果。     

响应曲面法优化陈皮挥发油β-环糊精微球包合物制备工艺

目的 采用Box-Behnken设计方案、响应曲面设计法(RSM)优化陈皮挥发油β-环糊精微球包合物的制备工艺,考察其物理表征及热稳定性。 方法 采用反相乳液聚合法和饱和水溶液法,以挥发油与微球投料比、微球与水投料比、包合温度为影响因素,包合率为响应值,建立回归模型,优化制备工艺。通过显微、红外、差示扫描量热法和热稳定性试验,表征陈皮挥发油β-环糊精微球包合物。 结果 陈皮挥发油β-环糊精微球包合物的最佳制备工艺为：挥发油与微球投料比为1∶10(V∶m)、微球与水投料比为1∶15(m∶V)、温度41 ℃,平均包合率为62.21%,平均产率为85.24%。物理表征和热稳定试验表明包合物成功且热稳定良好。 结论 优化所得的陈皮挥发油β-环糊精微球包合物的制备工艺可行。