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Novel glutathione (GSH)-dependent micelles based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) were developed for triggered intracellular release of doxorubicin (DOX). DOX-33′-Dithiobis (N-hydroxysuccinimidyl propionate)-CMCS (DOX-DSP-CMCS) prodrugs were synthesized. DOX was attached to the amino group on CMCS via disulfide bonds and drug-loaded micelles were formed by self-assembly. The micelles formed core–shell structure with CMCS and DOX as the shell and core, respectively, in aqueous media. The structure of the prodrugs was confirmed by IR and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The drug-loading capacity determined by UV spectrophotometry was 4.96% and the critical micelle concentration of polymer prodrugs determined by pyrene fluorescence was 0.089 mg/mL. Micelles were spherical and the mean size of the nanoparticles was 174 nm, with a narrow polydispersity index of 0.106. Moreover,in vitrodrug release experiments showed that the micelles were highly GSH-sensitive owing to the reductively degradable disulfide bonds. Cell counting kit (CCK-8) assays revealed that DOX-DSP-CMCS micelles exhibited effective cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. Moreover, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated that DOX-DSP-CMCS micelles could efficiently deliver and release DOX in the cancer cells. In conclusion, the DOX-DSP-CMCS nanosystem is a promising drug delivery vehicle for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of methotrexate (MTX), an anticancer drug for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, has been limited in the clinical application due to its poor water solubility, high clearance rate, and lack of target specificity. To solve these problems, O, N-carboxymethyl chitosan-dipeptide-MTX conjugates have been synthesized and characterized by fourier transform infrared radiation spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR). All polymeric conjugates showed satisfactory water solubility. The results of the study revealed that drug release and toxicity were affected by employing polymeric conjugation strategy and dipeptide spacers [glycylglycine (Gly-Gly), glycyl- l-phenylalanine (Gly-Phe), glycyl- l-tyrosine (Gly-Tyr)]. It has been found that drugs could be effectively loaded and released when polymeric prodrugs were combined with a dipeptide spacer. In conclusion, O, N-CMCS-dipeptide-MTX polymeric prodrugs could potentially be used as responsive drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The liver targeting and controlled release nanoparticles based on carboxymethyl chitosan derivatives were prepared: firstly, novel thiolated lactosaminated carboxymethyl chitosan (LAC-CMC) was synthesized, its chemical structure was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Then, glycyrrhizic acid was chosen as model drug and encapsulated within thiolated LAC-CMC nanoparticles through ionic gelification. The crosslinked glycyrrhizic acid-loaded nanoparticles dissociated to release drug in the presence of glutathione (GSH) at a concentration comparable to the intracellular environment, featuring the potential ability of this system for intracellular delivery. Crosslinked nanoparticles modify the tissue distribution profile of the glycyrrhizic acid solution, the kidney excretion rate is reduced and the drug accumulation in the liver is increased. According to these results, the nanoparticles have the potential to be used as drug delivery system with hepatic targeting and controlled release properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]