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Jun-Yong Wu,1–3* Yong-Jiang Li,1–3* Xin-Yi Liu,1–3 Jia-Xin Cai,1–3 Xiong-Bin Hu,1–3 Jie-Min Wang,1–3 Tian-Tian Tang,1–3 Da-Xiong Xiang1–3 1Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 3Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Da-Xiong XiangDepartment of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail xiangdaxiong@csu.edu.cnBackground: 3,5,4′-trimethoxy-trans-stilbene (BTM) is a methylated derivative of resveratrol. To improve the pharmaceutical properties of BTM, BTM loaded PEG-PE micelles (BTM@PEG-PE) were fabricated and its anti-cancer efficacy against colon cancer was evaluated.Methods: BTM@PEG-PE micelles were prepared by the solvent evaporation method and were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), size, zeta potential, polymer disperse index (PDI) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cellular uptake, cell viability assay, caspase-3 activity assay and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the cell internalization and anti-cancer efficacy of BTM@PEG-PE micelles in vitro. Pharmacokinetic profiles of BTM and BTM@PEG-PE micelles were compared and in vivo anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy and safety of BTM@PEG-PE micelles on CT26 xenograft mice were evaluated.Results: BTM was successfully embedded in the core of PEG-PE micelles, with a drug loading capacity of 5.62±0.80%. PEG-PE micelles facilitated BTM entering to the CT26 cells and BTM@PEG-PE micelles exerted enhanced anti-cancer efficacy against CT26 cells. BTM@PEG-PE micelles showed prolonged half-life and increased bioavailability. More importantly, BTM@PEG-PE micelles treatment suppressed tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice and prolonged survival with minimal damage to normal tissues.Conclusion: Altogether, the BTM@PEG-PE micelles might be a promising strategy to enhance the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic potentials of BTM for colon cancer therapy.Keywords: 3,5,4′-trimethoxy-trans-stilbene, bioavailability, colon cancer, drug delivery, micelles

Xiong-Bin Hu,1–3 Tian-Tian Tang,1–3 Yong-Jiang Li,1–3 Jun-Yong Wu,1–3 Jie-Min Wang,1–3 Xin-Yi Liu,1–3 Da-Xiong Xiang1–31Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 3Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410011, People’s Republic of ChinaPurpose: The aim of this research was to develop a phospholipid complex based nanoemulsion system for oral insulin delivery.Methods: Insulin-phospholipid complex (IPC) was firstly prepared by an anhydrous co-solvent lyophilization method, and then encapsulated into the oil phase of nanoemulsion to obtain the IPC-based nanoemulsion (IPC-NE). Both water-in-oil (W/O) IPC-NE and oil-in-water (O/W) IPC-NE were formulated and evaluated for comparison.Results: The obtained W/O IPC-NE and O/W IPC-NE were both spherical in shape with a mean particle size of 18.6±0.79 nm and 27.3±1.25 nm, respectively. While both IPC-NEs exhibited enhanced Caco-2 cell monolayers permeability than IPC and insulin solution, W/O IPC-NE showed relatively greater protective effects against enzymatic degradation than O/W IPC-NE. Moreover, oral administration of W/O IPC-NE exhibited significant hypoglycemic effects, with 12.4-fold and 1.5-fold higher oral bioavailability compared with insulin solution and O/W IPC-NE, respectively.Conclusion: IPC-NEs, especially the W/O IPC-NE showed promising efficiency in vitro and in vivo, thus could be a potential strategy for oral insulin delivery.Keywords: insulin, phospholipid complex, oral drug delivery, nanoemulsion, hypoglycemic effect

Jun-Yong Wu,1–3,* Yong-Jiang Li,1–3,* Ting-Ting Liu,1–3 Ge Ou,1–3 Xiong-Bin Hu,1–3 Tian-Tian Tang,1–3 Jie-Min Wang,1–3 Xin-Yi Liu,1–3 Da-Xiong Xiang1–3 1Department of Pharmacy, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People’s Republic of China; 3Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drugs, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) is one of the most commonly utilized drugs in psoralen-ultraviolet A therapy for treatment of vitiligo. However, poor skin retention and systemic side effects limit the clinical application of 8-MOP. Methods: Microemulsions (MEs) and chitosan derivative-coated 8-MOP MEs were developed and compared for dermal delivery of 8-MOP. Ex vivo skin retention/permeation study was performed to select the ME formulation with the highest retention:permeation ratio. Four different chitosan-coated MEs were prepared and compared with the ME formulation for their ability to distribute 8-MOP in the skin.Results: Among various ME formulations developed, a formulation containing 2.9% ethyl oleate, 17.2% Cromophor EL35, 8.6% ethanol and 71.3% water showed the highest ex vivo skin retention:permeation ratio (1.98). Of four chitosan-coated MEs prepared, carboxymethyl chitosan-coated MEs (CC-MEs) and hydroxypropyl chitosan-coated MEs (HC-MEs) showed higher ex vivo skin retention:permeation ratio (1.46 and 1.84). and were selected for in vivo pharmacokinetic study. AUCskin (0–12 h) for 8-MOP MEs (4578.56 h·ng·mL-1) was higher than HC-MEs (3422.47 h·ng·mL-1), CC-MEs (2808.51 h·ng·mL-1) and tincture (1500.16 h·ng·mL-1). Also, AUCplasma (0–12 h) for MEs (39.35±13.90 h·ng·mL-1) was significantly lower than HC-MEs (66.32 h·ng·mL-1), CC-MEs (59.70 h·ng·mL-1) and tincture (73.02 h·ng·mL-1).Conclusion: These combined results suggested that the MEs developed could be a promising and safe alternative for targeted skin delivery of 8-MOP. Keywords: 8-methoxypsoralen, microemulsion, chitosan-coated microemulsion, ex vivo permeation, microdialysis, pharmacokinetics

Ying Yang,1 Hai-yong Ao,1 Sheng-bing Yang,1 Yu-gang Wang,1 Wen-tao Lin,2 Zhi-feng Yu,1 Ting-ting Tang1 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 2Department of Orthopedics, Fuzhou Second Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Titanium-based implants have been widely used in orthopedic surgery; however, failures still occur. Our in vitro study has demonstrated that gentamicin-loaded, 80nm-diameter nanotubes possessed both antibacterial and osteogenic activities. Thus, the aim of this study was to further investigate the in vivo anti-infection effect of the titanium implants with gentamicin-loaded nanotubes. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish an implant-associated infection model. A volume of 50µL Staphylococcus aureus suspension (1×105CFU/mL) was injected into the medullary cavity of the left femur, and then the titanium rods without modification (Ti), titanium nanotubes without drug loading (NT), and gentamicin-loaded titanium nanotubes (NT-G) were inserted with phosphate-buffered saline-inoculated Ti rods as a blank control. X-ray images were obtained 1day, 21days, and 42days after surgery; micro-computed tomography, microbiological, and histopathological analyses were used to evaluate the infections at the time of sacrifice. Radiographic signs of bone infection, including osteolysis, periosteal reaction, osteosclerosis, and damaged articular surfaces, were demonstrated in the infected Ti group and were slightly alleviated in the NT group but not observed in the NT-G group. Meanwhile, the radiographic and gross bone pathological scores of the NT-G group were significantly lower than those of the infected Ti group (P

Shengbing Yang,1,* Shuogui Xu,2,* Panyu Zhou,2,* Jing Wang,3 Honglue Tan,4 Yang Liu,5 TingTing Tang,4 ChangSheng Liu1,3,5 1The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Changhai Hospital, Department of Orthopedics, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implant, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai 9th People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine China, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 5Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Osteoinductive and biodegradable composite biomaterials for bone regeneration were prepared by combining poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) with siliceous mesostructured cellular foams (SMC), using the porogen leaching method. Surface hydrophilicity, morphology, and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 adsorption/release behavior of the SMC/PHBHHx scaffolds were analyzed. Results of scanning electron microscopy indicated that the SMC was uniformly dispersed in the PHBHHx scaffolds, and SMC modification scaffolds have an interconnected porous architecture with pore sizes ranging from 200 to 400 µm. The measurements of the water contact angles suggested that the incorporation of SMC into PHBHHx improves the hydrophilicity of the composite. In vitro studies with simulated body fluid show great improvements to bioactivity and biodegradability versus pure PHBHHx scaffolds. Cell adhesion and cell proliferation on the scaffolds was also evaluated, and the new tools provide a better environment for human mesenchymal stem cell attachment, spreading, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation on PHBHHx scaffolds. Moreover, micro-computed tomography and histological evaluation confirmed that the SMC/PHBHHx scaffolds improved the efficiency of new bone regeneration with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability and faster and more effective osteogenesis in vivo. Keywords: stem cells, mesoporous, scaffolds, bone regeneration, rhBMP-2

Rui Ma,1 Songchao Tang,2 Honglue Tan,1 Wentao Lin,1 Yugang Wang,1 Jie Wei,2 Liming Zhao,2 Tingting Tang1 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 2Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education and The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Abstract: A bioactive composite was prepared by incorporating 40 wt% nano-­hydroxyapatite (nHA) into polyetheretherketone (PEEK) through a process of compounding, injection, and molding. The mechanical and surface properties of the nHA/PEEK composite were characterized, and the in vitro osteoblast functions in the composite were investigated. The mechanical properties (elastic modulus and compressive strength) of the nHA/PEEK composite increased significantly, while the tensile strength decreased slightly as compared with PEEK. Further, the addition of nHA into PEEK increased the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of the nHA/PEEK composite. In cell tests, compared with PEEK and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, it was found that the nHA/PEEK composite could promote the functions of MC3T3-E1 cells, including cell attachment, spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium nodule formation, and expression of osteogenic differentiation-related genes. Incorporation of nHA into PEEK greatly improved the bioperformance of PEEK. The nHA/PEEK composite might be a promising orthopedic implant material. Keywords: polyetheretherketone, nano-hydroxyapatite, biocomposite, osteoblast functions, orthopedic implant material

Wen-tao Lin,1 Hong-lue Tan,1 Zhao-ling Duan,2 Bing Yue,1 Rui Ma,1 Guo He,2 Ting-ting Tang1 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China Abstract: Titania nanotubes loaded with antibiotics can deliver a high concentration of antibiotics locally at a specific site, thereby providing a promising strategy to prevent implant-associated infections. In this study we have fabricated titania nanotubes with various diameters (80, 120, 160, and 200 nm) and 200 nm length via electrochemical anodization. These nanotubes were loaded with 2 mg of gentamicin using a lyophilization method and vacuum drying. A standard strain, Staphylococcus epidermidis (American Type Culture Collection 35984), and two clinical isolates, S. aureus 376 and S. epidermidis 389, were selected to investigate the anti-infective ability of the gentamicin-loaded nanotubes (NT-G). Flat titanium (FlatTi) and nanotubes with no drug loading (NT) were also investigated and compared. We found that NT-G could significantly inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation compared to FlatTi or NT, and the NT-G with 160 nm and 200 nm diameters had stronger antibacterial activity because of the extended drug release time of NT-G with larger diameters. The NT also exhibited greater antibacterial ability than the FlatTi, while nanotubes with 80 nm or 120 nm diameters had better effects. Furthermore, human marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells were used to evaluate the effect of nanotubular topographies on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Our results showed that NT-G and NT, especially those with 80 nm diameters, significantly promoted cell attachment, proliferation, spreading, and osteogenic differentiation when compared to FlatTi, and there was no significant difference between NT-G and NT with the same diameter. Therefore, nanotube modification and gentamicin loading can significantly improve the antibacterial ability and osteogenic activity of orthopedic implants. Keywords: titania nanotubes, gentamicin, bacteria adhesion, biofilm formation, osteogenic activity

Tian-Tian Tang,1,2,3 Xiong-Bin Hu,1,2,3 De-Hua Liao,1,2,3 Xin-Yi Liu,1,2,3 Da-Xiong Xiang1,2,31Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China; 2Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory for New Technology of Chinese Medicine Preparations of Hunan Province, Changsha, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: The purpose of the present work was to determine the mechanisms by which microemulsions (MEs) enhance the oral bioavailability of puerarin. The in situ perfusion method was used in rats to study the absorption mechanisms of an oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion (O/W-ME) and a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion (W/O-ME). The possibility of lymphatic transport of the MEs was investigated using a chylomicron flow blocking approach. The results for the absorption mechanisms in the stomach and intestines indicated that the absorption characteristics of the O/W-ME and W/O-ME depend on the segment. The W/O-ME had higher internal membrane permeability than the O/W-ME. The results of the lymphatic transport analyses showed that both the O/W-ME and W/O-ME underwent lymphatic transport and that this pathway was a major contributor to the oral bioavailability of MEs. Furthermore, the type of ME can significantly affect the absorption of puerarin through the lymphatic system due to the oil content and the form of the microemulsion after oral administration. In conclusion, these data indicate that microemulsions are an effective and promising delivery system to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.Keywords: microemulsion, lymphatic transport, oral bioavailability, chylomicron