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The brain as a target for drug delivery is a challenge in pharmaceutical research. Among the several proposed strategies, the intranasal route represents a good strategy to deliver drugs to the brain. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential use of oxcarbazepine (OXC) to enhance brain targeting efficiency after intranasal (IN) administration. As well as attempting to use as low a dose as possible to obtain therapeutic effect. Our results showed that, after IN administrations, the dose of OXC that was effective in controlling epileptic seizures was 0.5 mg/kg (1 dose, every 20 min for 1 h) in rodents, confirmed by Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) bioavailability. With the aim of reducing the number of administrations, sustaining drug release and increasing brain targeting, OXC was loaded into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). The selected nanoformulation for in vivo studies was obtained re-suspending the freeze-dried and cryo-protected OXC loaded PLGA NPs. The translocation of 1-1′-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine Iodide loaded PLGA NPs, from nose to the brain, was confirmed by Fluorescence Molecular Tomography, which also evidenced an accumulation of NPs in the brain after repeated IN administrations. IN administrations of OXC loaded PLGA NPs reduced the number of administrations to 1 over 24 h compared to the free drug thus controlling seizures in rats. Immunohistochemical evaluations (anti-neurofilament, anti-beta tubulin, and anti-caspase3) demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of OXC PLGA NPs after 16 days of treatment. These encouraging results confirmed the possibility of developing a novel non-invasive nose to brain delivery system of OXC for the treatment of epilepsy.

The brain as a target for drug delivery is a challenge in pharmaceutical research. Among the several proposed strategies, the intranasal route represents a good strategy to deliver drugs to the brain. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential use of oxcarbazepine (OXC) to enhance brain targeting efficiency after intranasal (IN) administration. As well as attempting to use as low a dose as possible to obtain therapeutic effect. Our results showed that, after IN administrations, the dose of OXC that was effective in controlling epileptic seizures was 0.5 mg/kg (1 dose, every 20 min for 1 h) in rodents, confirmed by Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) bioavailability. With the aim of reducing the number of administrations, sustaining drug release and increasing brain targeting, OXC was loaded into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). The selected nanoformulation for in vivo studies was obtained re-suspending the freeze-dried and cryo-protected OXC loaded PLGA NPs. The translocation of 1-1′-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine Iodide loaded PLGA NPs, from nose to the brain, was confirmed by Fluorescence Molecular Tomography, which also evidenced an accumulation of NPs in the brain after repeated IN administrations. IN administrations of OXC loaded PLGA NPs reduced the number of administrations to 1 over 24 h compared to the free drug thus controlling seizures in rats. Immunohistochemical evaluations (anti-neurofilament, anti-beta tubulin, and anti-caspase3) demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of OXC PLGA NPs after 16 days of treatment. These encouraging results confirmed the possibility of developing a novel non-invasive nose to brain delivery system of OXC for the treatment of epilepsy.

The difficulties encountered in the treatment of brain diseases with conventional pharmacological tools have created the need for innovative strategies. The combination of nanocarriers and alternative administration routes could represent an efficient approach to reach the brain. Intranasal administration (IN) provides a non-invasive option to deliver drugs to the brain, bypassing the BBB, reducing the first-pass effect and enhancing patient compliance. The objective of the present study was to investigate the biodistribution and bioavailability to the brain of polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) after IN administration in healthy mice. PNPs were prepared with poly-lactide-co-glycolide polymer using nanoprecipitation method. PNPs had a polymodal distribution around 350 nm. The biodistribution of DiR-loaded PNPs was evaluated by means of 3D fluorescence tomography imaging. Our results show that 3h after a single IN administration, more than 5% of the injected dose was detectable in the brain. PNPs were quickly cleared from the thorax and the abdominal cavity, while the brain fluorescence slowly decreased ranging from 3.7% to 2.3% between 24h and 96h. Repeated IN administrations (2 administrations, 24h apart) provided a significant increment of PNPs-associated fluorescence in the brain, without affecting PNPs accumulation in other organs. These findings support nose-to-brain translocation of PNPs as a noninvasive strategy to enhance the bioavailability of therapeutics to the brain

The difficulties encountered in the treatment of brain diseases with conventional pharmacological tools have created the need for innovative strategies. The combination of nanocarriers and alternative administration routes could represent an efficient approach to reach the brain. Intranasal administration (IN) provides a non-invasive option to deliver drugs to the brain, bypassing the BBB, reducing the first-pass effect and enhancing patient compliance. The objective of the present study was to investigate the biodistribution and bioavailability to the brain of polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) after IN administration in healthy mice. PNPs were prepared with poly-lactide-co-glycolide polymer using nanoprecipitation method. PNPs had a polymodal distribution around 350 nm. The biodistribution of DiR-loaded PNPs was evaluated by means of 3D fluorescence tomography imaging. Our results show that 3h after a single IN administration, more than 5% of the injected dose was detectable in the brain. PNPs were quickly cleared from the thorax and the abdominal cavity, while the brain fluorescence slowly decreased ranging from 3.7% to 2.3% between 24h and 96h. Repeated IN administrations (2 administrations, 24h apart) provided a significant increment of PNPs-associated fluorescence in the brain, without affecting PNPs accumulation in other organs. These findings support nose-to-brain translocation of PNPs as a noninvasive strategy to enhance the bioavailability of therapeutics to the brain