Haibing He

Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

Are you Haibing He?

Claim your profile

Publications (30)73.23 Total impact

  • Article: Application and functional characterization of POVACOAT, a hydrophilic co-polymer poly(vinyl alcohol/acrylic acid/methyl methacrylate) as a hot-melt extrusion carrier.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of POVACOAT(TM), a hydrophilic PVA copolymer, as a solid dispersion (SD) carrier for hot-melt extrusion (HME). Methods: Bifendate (DDB), a water-insoluble drug, was chosen as the model drug. DDB was hot-melt extruded by a co-rotating twin screw extruder with POVACOAT(TM). The SD formability of POVACOAT(TM) was investigated by varying the composition ratios. Solid state characterization was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. In order to have a better knowledge of the mechanism of dissolution enhancement, dissolution study, phase solubility study and crystallization study of DDB from supersaturated solutions were performed. In addition, the storage stability of the extrudate containing 10% DDB was investigated. Results: Physical characterizations showed that DDB was amorphous up to 15% drug loading. The phase solubility study revealed an A(L)-type curve. Moreover, POVACOAT(TM) was found to have an inhibitory effect on crystallization from supersaturated solutions. Compared with the pure DDB and physical mixture, the dissolution rate and solubility of extrudates were significantly enhanced and the drug loading markedly affected the dissolution of SDs. Furthermore, the stability test indicated that 10% DDB-SD was stable during storage (40 °C/75% RH). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that POVACOAT(TM) is a valuable excipient for the formulation of solid dispersions prepared by HME to improve dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 01/2013; · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: Clarithromycin-loaded liposomes offering high drug loading and less irritation.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to develop an efficient method of preparing less irritant clarithromycin-loaded liposomes (CLA-Lip) for injection with a high drug loading and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics before and after lyophilization. CLA-Lip were prepared using the film-dispersion method with sodium cholesterol sulfate (SCS) and n-hexyl acid as the regulators and then lyophilized. The liposomes were characterized in terms of their size, size distribution, zeta potential, morphology, in vitro release, haemolysis, and lyophilization and irritation testing was carried out. The TEM images revealed that the structure of the CLA-Lip were multilamellar and of a regular size of around 100nm. In addition, the lyophilized CLA-Lip were characterized by DSC and Infrared spectroscopy to confirm the structure. H-bonding and salt-forming reactions were used to ensure that clarithromycin (CLA) was stably encapsulated in the liposomes. This method provided a 30-fold increase in the concentration of clarithromycin relative to that in aqueous solution. Sucrose was found to be the best protective agent and was added in an amount of 12.5% (w/v). According to the mouse scratch test and the rat paw lick test, the pain of CLA-Lip was significantly reduce by approximately 80% compared with the solution of clarithromycin phosphate. In addition, rabbit ear vein experiments produced similar results. These findings suggested that CLA-Lip was a stable delivery system with less irritation, which should be extremely suitable for clinical application.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 01/2013; · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preclinical evaluations of norcantharidin-loaded intravenous lipid microspheres with low toxicity.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic preclinical evaluation of norcantharidin (NCTD)-loaded intravenous lipid microspheres (NLM). Research design and methods: Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, antitumor efficacy and drug safety assessment (including acute toxicity, subchronic toxicity, hemolysis testing, intravenous stimulation and injection anaphylaxis) of NLM were carried out in comparison with the commercial product disodium norcantharidate injection (NI). Results: The pharmacokinetics of NLM in rats was similar to that of NI, and a non-linear correlation was observed between AUC and dose. A comparable antitumor efficacy of NLM and NI was observed in mice inoculated with A549, BEL7402 and BCAP-37 cell lines. It was worth noting that the NLM produced a lower drug concentration in heart compared with NI, and significantly reduced the cardiac and renal toxicity. The LD(50) of NLM was twice higher than that of NI. In NLM, over 80% of NCTD was loaded in the lipid phase or bound with phospholipids. Thus, NCTD was sequestered by direct contacting with body fluids and largely avoided distribution into tissues, consequently leading to significantly reduced cardiac and renal toxicity. Conclusions: These preclinical results suggested that NLM could be a useful potential carrier for parenteral administration of NCTD, while providing a superior safety profile.
    Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery 09/2012; · 4.90 Impact Factor
  • Article: Thiolated Eudragit nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery: preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: In the present study thiolated Eudragit L100 (Eul) based polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) were employed to develop an oral insulin delivery system. Sulfydryl modification was achieved by grafting cysteine to the carboxylic acid group of Eudragit L100, which displayed maximum conjugate level of 390.3±13.4 μmol thiol groups per gram. Eudragit L100-cysteine (Eul-cys) and Eul nanoparticles were prepared by the precipitation method, in which reversible swelling of pH-sensitive material was used for insulin loading and release. Nanoparticles were characterized in terms of their particle size, morphology, loading efficiency (LE%) and in vitro insulin release behavior. The NPs had an average size of 324.2±39.0 nm and 308.8±35.7 nm, maximal LE% of 92.2±1.7% and 96.4±0.5% for Eul-cys and Eul, respectively. The release profile of NPs in vitro showed pH-dependent behavior. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy analysis proved that the secondary structure of the insulin released from NPs was unchanged compared with native insulin. The mucoadhesion study in vitro showed that Eul-cys NPs produced a 3-fold and 2.8-fold increase in rat jejunum and ileum compared with unmodified polymer NPs, respectively, which was due to the immobilization of thiol groups on Eudragit L100. Oral administration of insulin-loaded Eul-cys NPs produced a higher and prolonged hypoglycemic action, and the corresponding relative bioavailability of insulin was found to be 7.33±0.33%, an increase of 2.8-fold compared with Eul NPs (2.65±0.63%). This delivery system is a promising novel tool to improve the absorption of protein and peptide drugs in the intestinal tract.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 07/2012; 436(1-2):341-50. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preparation of lipid aspirin sustained-release pellets by solvent-free extrusion/spheronization and an investigation of their stability.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: A novel solvent-free extrusion/spheronization technique was investigated for preparing stable aspirin sustained-release pellets. Lipids as binders and the matrix in this technique were extruded below their melting points, and spheronized in a thermomechanical process. Four types of lipids (adeps solidus, Compritol(®) 888 ATO, Precirol(®) ATO5 and Compritol(®) HD5 ATO) and their admixture in different ratios were used to obtain spherical and extended-release pellets. Pellets containing 80% aspirin, 15% adeps solidus and 5% Compritol(®) 888 ATO had the best spherical geometry and met the dissolution requirements of aspirin extended-release tablets in USP 31. Storage stability studies showed that the content of free salicylic acid increased sharply in the traditional pellets produced by wet extrusion/spheronization, from 1.91 to 7.84%, whereas there was little increase in the lipid pellets (from 0.48 to 1.08%). The dissolution rate from the optimal pellets (F11) stored at 26°C did not change, but became faster at 40°C/RH75% after 5 months. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the physical properties of the pellets during stability testing. The increase in the rate of drug release from aged pellets (40°C/RH75%) may result from the partially melted adeps solidus observed in SEM photographs. This study suggests that it is possible to prepare sustained-release pellets by solvent-free extrusion/spheronization using an appropriate mixture of lipids with high stability. In particular, this novel technique is excellent for hygroscopic drugs.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 06/2012; 38(10):1221-9. · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: Lipid nanoparticles for chemotherapeutic applications: strategies to improve anticancer efficacy.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy remains the major form of treatment for cancer. However, chemotherapy often fails due to a variety of barriers, resulting in a limited intratumoral drug disposition. Recently, lipid nanoparticles (LNs, i.e., solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs)) have been shown to provide a favorable means for efficiently delivering drugs to tumor sites, while minimizing their side effects. AREAS COVERED: The delivery of drugs to tumors is restricted by a series of barriers, including the tumor abnormalities, strong adverse effects and poor specificity of cytotoxic drugs, and the induction of multidrug resistance (MDR). The present review summarizes the strategies using SLNs and/or NLCs to improve the anticancer efficacy of cytotoxic drugs, including passive targeting, active targeting, long circulating and MDR reversing. Specifically, the most significant in vitro and in vivo results on the use of SLNs and/or NLCs are highlighted. EXPERT OPINION: The future success of SLNs and NLCs for administration of cytotoxic drugs will depend on their ability to efficiently encapsulate and release drugs, the possibility for large-scale production, selective tumor cells targeting and increased antitumor efficacy with reduced tissue toxicity.
    Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery 05/2012; 9(7):767-81. · 4.90 Impact Factor
  • Article: A floating multiparticulate system for ofloxacin based on a multilayer structure: In vitro and in vivo evaluation.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research was to develop a novel gastroretentive multiparticulate system with floating ability. This system was designed to provide drug-loaded pellets coated with three successive coatings-the retarding film (ethyl cellulose), the effervescent layer (sodium bicarbonate) and the gas-entrapped polymeric membrane (Eudragit RL 30D). The floating pellets were evaluated for SEM, floating characteristic parameters, in vitro release and bioavailability in New Zealand rabbits. The zero-order release theory model is designed to interpret the release processes. Due to the swelling property, high flexibility and high water permeability, Eudragit RL 30D was used as a gas-entrapped polymeric membrane. The obtained pellets exhibit excellent floating ability and release characteristics. Analysis of the release mechanism showed a zero-order release for the first 8h because of the osmotic pressure of the saturated solution inside of the membrane, which was in accordance with that predicted. Abdominal X-ray images showed that the gastroretention period of the floating barium sulfate-labeled pellets was no less than 6h. The relative bioavailability of the floating pellets compared with reference tablets was 113.06 ± 23.83%. All these results showed that the floating pellets are a feasible approach for the gastroretentive drug delivery system.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 04/2012; 430(1-2):141-50. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Sterilization stability of vesicular phospholipid gels loaded with cytarabine for brain implant.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the sterilization stability of cytarabine (Ara-C) loaded vesicular phospholipid gels (VPGs). VPGs were prepared by high pressure homogenization method intended for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in brain as injectable implant. The particle size of VPGs after redispersion was 119.6 ± 66.24 nm, and entrapment efficiency (EE) was 32.6 ± 2.1%. Drug release in vitro from VPGs sustained for 80 h with 48.1% initial release within 1h, and rheological studies demonstrated a gel-like behavior. Comparatively, after autoclaved sterilization, increased particle size and EE were obtained as 165.6 ± 71.89 nm and 62.6 ± 2.3%, respectively. Additionally, characteristics of drug release were significantly altered with obviously prolonged release time to 450 h and remarkable reduced initial release to 24.7%. Also, the viscoelasticity was reinforced with clearly decreased fluidity. This result could be explained by the fusion of small vesicles witnessed in TEM observation, which resulted in percentages change of vesicle groups with different size. However, reduced Ara-C and increased lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) were observed. Among the stabilizers, addition of sodium sulfite showed best effects with high stability of Ara-C and phospholipids. This may be explained by the presence of SO(3)(-), free radicals produced by sodium sulfite. Being an hydroxyl radical scavenger, it can reduce the generation of HO free radicals. These results show that, with addition of appropriate stabilizers, VPGs can be autoclaved with high stability, and it is a promising dosage form for treatment of GBM after injection into resectable or nonresectable neoplasms with sustained release properties.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 02/2012; 427(2):234-41. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Improved dissolution rate and bioavailability of fenofibrate pellets prepared by wet-milled-drug layering.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the wet-milled-drug layering process which could significantly improve the dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of fenofibrate pellets. Methods: Fenofibrate was milled with HPMC-E5 to prepare a uniform suspension in the micrometer and nanometer range, and this suspension was then layered on to sugar spheres to form the pellets (F1, F2). Results: The particle size was significantly reduced (from 1000 µm to 1-10 µm and 400 nm) but the fenofibrate in suspension retained its crystallinity from the results of DSC and PXRD investigations. The dissolution rate of F1-F2 and Antara® capsules was 55.47 %, 61.27 % and 58.43 %, respectively, in 0.01 mol/L SDS solution over 60 min. In addition, F1, F2, and Antara® capsules were given orally to 6 beagle dogs to determine the bioavailability. The C(max) of F1, F2 (8.21 ± 2.55 and 9.33 ± 2.37 μg/mL)and the AUC((0-t)) of F1, F2 (152.46 ± 78.89 and 172.17 ± 67.58 μg/mL·h)were higher than those of Antara® (6.02 ± 3.34 μg/mL and 89.82 ± 46.46 μg/mL·h) and, F1, F2 reached their C(max) earlier than Antara® (F1: 2.0 ± 1.1 h; F2: 1.8 ± 1.2 h; Antara®: 6.0 ± 8.9 h). Conclusion: These results show that the wet-milled-drug layering technique is a powerful method to improve the dissolution rate and the bioavailability of fenofibrate.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 01/2012; 38(11):1344-53. · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preparation and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of none gastric resident dipyridamole (DIP) sustained-release pellets with enhanced bioavailability.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to develop none gastric resident sustained-release pellets loaded with dipyridamole with a high bioavailability. Two different kinds of core pellets, one containing citric acid as a pH-modifier (CAP) and, the other without pH-modifier (NCAP) were prepared by extrusion-spheronization and then coated with mixtures of enteric soluble and insoluble polymers (referred to as CAP(1) and NCAP(1)) or insoluble polymer alone (referred to as CAP(2) and NCAP(2)). The relative bioavailability of the sustained-release pellets was studied in fasted beagle dogs after oral administration using a commercially available immediate release tablet (IRT) as a reference. The in vitro release, in vivo absorption and in vitro-in vivo correlation were also evaluated. Results revealed that the plasma drug concentrations after administration of CAP(2), NCAP(1) and NCAP(2) were undetectable, indicating that the drug release was almost zero from the preparations throughout the gastro-intestinal tract. The C(max), T(max) and AUC((0→24)) of CAP(1) were 0.78 ± 0.23 (μg/ml), 3.80 ± 0.30 (h), and 6.74 ± 0.47 (μg/mlh), respectively. While the corresponding values were 2.23 ± 0.32 (μg/ml), 3.00 ± 0.44 (h) and 9.42 ± 0.69 (μg/mlh) for IRT. The relative bioavailability of CAP(1) was 71.55% compared with IRT. By combined incorporation of a pH-modifier into the core of pellets to modify the inner micro-environment and employing mixtures of enteric soluble and insoluble polymers as a retarding layer, drugs with high solubility in stomach and limited solubility in small intestine, such as DIP, could be successfully formulated as sustained release preparations with no pH-dependence in drug release and enhanced bioavailability.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 01/2012; 422(1-2):9-16. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: A novel risperidone-loaded SAIB-PLGA mixture matrix depot with a reduced burst release: effects of solvents and PLGA on drug release behaviors in vitro/in vivo.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to develop an in situ forming SAIB (sucrose acetate isobutyrate)-PLGA (poly (d, lactide-co-glycolide)) mixture matrix depot for sustained release of risperidone. The factors affecting the risperidone release kinetics were investigated to obtain further insight into the drug release mechanisms. The burst release in vitro was significantly reduced (4.95%) by using DMSO as solvent. And, increasing the PLGA content from 2 to 10% w/w decreased the initial release from 6.95 to 1.05%. The initial release in vivo decreased with increasing PLGA content (2.0% w/w PLGA, C(max) = 1161.7 ± 550.2 ng ml(-1); 10% w/w PLGA, C(max) = 280.3 ± 98.5 ng ml(-1)). The persistence (AUC(4-20 days)) over 20 days increased from 76.8 ± 20.7 to 362.8 ± 75.0 ng d ml(-1) by inclusion of 10% PLGA compared with the PLGA-free depot. These results demonstrate that the SAIB-PLGA mixture matrix depot could be useful as a sustained delivery system for risperidone.
    Journal of Materials Science Materials in Medicine 12/2011; 23(2):443-55. · 2.32 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preparation of lovastatin matrix sustained-release pellets by extrusion-spheronization combined with microcrystal dispersion technique.
    Haibing He, Bo Shi, Cuifang Cai, Xing Tang
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The poorly water-soluble drug lovastatin (LVA) is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase and has a slow dissolution rate. In this study, a microcrystal dispersion (MCD) technique was used in the preparation of LVA to increase its dissolution rate and then combining with an extrusion-spheronization method, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) matrix sustained-release pellets containing LVA-MCD were developed and characterized in vitro. Photomicrographs indicated that LVA-MCD existed as fine crystals, of which the mean particle size was reduced from 65.75 μm to 3.97 μm and the dried LVA-MCD powders released completely within 2 hours. SEM results during the release process showed that pellets possessed a matrix structure and after the dissolution test, this matrix structure became loose and porous. The release of LVA was fast and complete, and accumulated release by the optimal formulation was: 0.5 h (20.23 ± 3.40%), 2 h (56.87 ± 2.85%), 4 h (78.71 ± 3.42%), and 8 h (96.81 ± 3.30%). The 3 months accelerating test at 40°C and 75% RH demonstrated that drug release of pellets was not changed and drug degradation was less than 1%. Thus, a novel MCD process with MCC matrix was feasible and effective to get complete release without a lag time for the poorly water soluble drug, LVA, with high stability.
    Archives of Pharmacal Research 11/2011; 34(11):1931-8. · 1.59 Impact Factor
  • Article: Evaluation of submicron emulsion as vehicles for rapid-onset intranasal delivery and improvement in brain targeting of zolmitriptan.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: This study was to evaluate submicron emulsion as a drug carrier for intranasal delivery of zolmitriptan (ZT). Since the drug distribution in submicron emulsion might influence the nasal absorption, two different formulations separately incorporating the drug in oily phase (ZTSE-1) and aqueous phase (ZTSE-2) were assessed. To find the better formulation for rapid-onset intranasal delivery and improvement in brain targeting of ZT, the in vivo nasal absorption of these two formulations was evaluated. The blood and cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) pharmacokinetics of ZTSE-1, ZTSE-2 and ZT solution (ZTS) were evaluated after intranasal administered to anesthetized Wistar rats. The results demonstrated that ZT from ZTSE-1 and ZTSE-2 had better brain targeting efficiency than the ZTS. In plasma and CSF, the ZTSE-2 reached peak concentration much faster than ZTSE-1 and ZTS. The ZTSE-2 also presented significantly higher initial ZT levels in CSF compared with the ZTSE-1 and ZTS. The results indicated that incorporation of ZT in the aqueous phase of submicron emulsion was effective for rapid intranasal delivery of drug to blood and brain, which would offer patients the benefits of rapid relief from migraine.
    Drug Delivery 08/2011; 18(8):578-85. · 1.46 Impact Factor
  • Article: Enhancing effects of chitosan and chitosan hydrochloride on intestinal absorption of berberine in rats.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Berberine chloride (BBR) is a plant alkaloid that has been used for centuries for treatment of inflammation, dysentery, and liver diseases. It is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and its various clinical uses are limited because of its poor bioavailability. The object of the present study was to investigate the absorption enhancing effect of chitosan on BBR. Mixtures of BBR and chitosan were prepared and the absorption enhancement was investigated in rats. The results showed a dose-dependent absorption enhancement produced by chitosan. Formulations containing 0.5%, 1.5%, and 3.0% chitosan resulted in improvement of AUC(0-36 h) values by 1.9, 2.2, 2.5 times. The absorption enhancing ability of chitosan may be due to its ability to improve the BBR paracellular pathway in the intestinal tract. Chitosan hydrochloride, a salt of chitosan, was also investigated in this study. However, the addition of 2.0% and 3.3% chitosan hydrochloride to BBR solution did not produce any increase in either C(max) or AUC(0-36 h) of BBR. Subsequent solubility studies suggested that the reduced berberine chloride solubility in chitosan hydrochloride may limit the enhancement ability. This study showed that the optimum formulation producing the highest BBR absorption is the BBR solution containing 3.0% chitosan.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 07/2011; 38(1):104-10. · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preparation and evaluation of zolmitriptan submicron emulsion for rapid and effective nasal absorption in beagle dogs.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Submicron emulsion was prepared for rapid and effective nasal absorption of zolmitriptan (ZT). The different charge inducers and pH values of the formulations were evaluated to optimize the formulations. Submicron emulsion prepared by using stearylamine as positive charge inducer with pH of 5.0 was stable and most of ZT was freely dispersed in the aqueous phase of the preparation. In vitro release study demonstrated that ZT from the submicron emulsion preparation could be released as fast as that from the solution preparation. The pharmacokinetics was studied after intranasal administration of the submicron emulsion and solution preparation of ZT to beagle dogs. ZT from the submicron emulsion was absorbed much more rapidly and the absolute availability of the submicron emulsion preparation was significantly higher compared with the solution preparation. The nasal ciliotoxicity of the preparations was evaluated by using in situ toad palate model, which indicated that the submicron emulsion of ZT did not exhibit any obvious nasal ciliotoxicity. These results demonstrated that the submicron emulsion preparation of ZT was a relatively safe dosage form for rapid and effective intranasal delivery of ZT.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 06/2011; 37(12):1509-16. · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: Preparation and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of double layer coated and matrix sustained release pellet formulations of diclofenac potassium.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was to prepare matrix extended release pellets of diclofenac potassium using low amount of release-modifying agents and, to compare its performance in vivo with coated pellets and matrix tablets. Coated pellets were prepared by extrusion-spheronization, followed by double layer coating using different polymers separately. Matrix pellets with different release rate in vitro were prepared by extrusion-spheronization with different kinds of retarding materials. Bioavailability study of different coated pellets revealed that the drug concentration in plasma of beagle dogs was too low to be detected and, implied that the drug was nearly not released from the preparations before reaching colon due to the appearance of lag time in the dissolution process. The phenomenon indicated that slow-release pellets of diclofenac potassium perhaps should not be developed as double membrane-controlled type. The AUC((0 → 24)) of the immediate release pellets, the two matrix pellets and the reference were 304.4, 87.7, 204.1 and 179.1 μg h/ml, respectively. The C(max) of the formulations mentioned above were 46.3, 13.0, 33.6 and 32.1 μg/ml, respectively. All the matrix formulations, including the reference, exhibited incomplete absorption due to the short small intestine transit time and termination of the drug release in the colon because of its limited solubility. The matrix pellets were bioequivalent with the commercially available tablet (Voltaren(®)) although the drug release in vitro of the former was much faster, while the bioavailability of the matrix pellets with similar in vitro drug release to the reference (Voltaren(®)) was much lower than the latter. The results perhaps was caused by lacking of physical robustness in the waxy tablet formulation, resulted in low wet strength and easily destroyed by the mechanical destructive forces and finally introduced faster drug release rate in vivo. It is apparent that preparations with similar performance in vitro may differ a lot in vivo because of the differences in drug release rate in vivo owing to various wet strengths of excipients contained, especially for sustained release products.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 03/2011; 406(1-2):84-90. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Injectable nimodipine-loaded nanoliposomes: preparation, lyophilization and characteristics.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The main purpose of this study was to prepare nimodipine-loaded nanoliposomes for injection and evaluate their characteristics after lyophilization. Nimodipine-loaded nanoliposomes were prepared by the emulsion-ultrasonic method with sodium cholesterol sulfate (SCS) as the regulator and then lyophilized by adding different cryoprotectants. SCS was used as a blender of regulator and surfactant and helped to prepare smaller liposomes due to the steric hindrance of the sulfate group. The results showed that nimodipine-loaded nanoliposomes with a 20:1 of egg yolk lecithin PL-100M vs. SCS ratio had a particle size of 86.8±42.007 nm, a zeta potential of -13.94 mV and an entrapment efficiency (EE) of 94.34% and could be stored for 12 days at 25°C. Because of the good bulking effect of mannitol and the preservative effect of trehalose, they were used to obtain suitable lyophilized nanoliposomes. The lyophiles containing 10% mannitol and 20% trehalose had a good appearance and a slightly altered particle size after rehydration. In addition, the lyophilized products were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, which confirmed the morphous state of trehalose, mannitol and the mixture. Trehalose could inhibit mannitol crystallization to some extent. The drug release from nanoliposomes before and after lyophilization in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer containing 30% ethanol was also examined and both profiles were found to fit the Viswanathan equation. This means that the drug release was controlled by the pore diffusion resistance.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 03/2011; 410(1-2):180-7. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: Evaluation of the efficacy, toxicity and safety of vinorelbine incorporated in a lipid emulsion.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: To reduce the severe adverse effects of vinorelbine (VRB) with the aim of improving patient compliance, a parenteral vinorelbine-loaded lipid emulsion (VLE) has been developed. The objective of the present study was to get insight into the preclinical antitumor efficacy, toxicity and safety of VLE, and compare this with that of the commercial product, Navelbine(®) i.v. (VS). Comparable antitumor efficacy of VLE and VS was observed in tumor-bearing nude mouse models inoculated with A549 human lung cancer, hepatoma solidity (Heps) G2 cancer and BCAP-37 human breast cancer cells. The median lethal dose (LD(50)) in mice was 29.3mg/kg (male) and 32.1mg/kg (female) for VLE, while the corresponding value was 30.5mg/kg (male and female) for VS. In the long-term toxicity study, VLE significantly reduced the decreases in RBC, HC, WBC and WBC differential count (DC) levels. Lesions in spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, bone marrow, testis, ovary and injection site induced by VS were much more severe compared with VLE. VLE also exhibited less local venous irritation than VS, as well as no hemolysis or hypersensitivity. Consequently, these observations clearly indicate that the lipid emulsion could be a useful potential parenteral carrier for VRB with equivalent efficacy and lower toxicity.
    International journal of pharmaceutics 03/2011; 411(1-2):188-96. · 2.96 Impact Factor
  • Article: The influence of lipid characteristics on the formation, in vitro release, and in vivo absorption of protein-loaded SLN prepared by the double emulsion process.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: To study the influence of lipid characteristics on the formation, in vitro release, and in vivo absorption of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) prepared by the double emulsion method. Stearic acid (SA), octadecyl alcohol (OA), cetyl palmitate (CP), glyceryl monostearate (GM), glyceryl palmitostearate (GP), glyceryl tripalmitate (GT), and glyceryl behenate (GB) were selected as the representatives of different kinds of lipids, insulin and thymopentin (TP5) were selected as the model protein drugs. Before preparation, the contact angles between water and lipids were determined to investigate their hydrophobicity. The influence of lipid hydrophobicity or lipid solution viscosity on the preparation of primary emulsion, double emulsion, and SLN were studied by evaluating the particle size, state, and stability of the systems. CP-SLN, GT-SLN, and GP-SLN were selected to be loaded with insulin and TP5 for the in vitro release and in vivo absorption examination. After oral administration to diabetic rats, the pharmacological availability (PA) of insulin-CP-SLN, insulin-GP-SLN, and insulin-GT-SLN were determined. The hydrophobicity order of the lipids was GM<GP<GT<GB<SA<OA<CP. SLNs could be prepared successfully by CP, GT, and GP, and their particle size was 447.5 ± 50.8, 444.8 ± 72.5, and 213.7 38.4 nm, respectively. All of the three SLNs exhibited burst release, and the percentage insulin released in 4 hours from these three SLNs were 76.37%, 45.36%, and 33.28%, respectively, and the corresponding TP5 release percentages were 75.72%, 56.89%, and 47.43%. Particle sizes increased significantly for CP-SLN and GP-SLN after a 24 hours release study in simulated gastrointestinal fluid. The PA of insulin-CP-SLN, insulin-GT-SLN, and insulin-GP-SLN were 2.92%, 3.44%, and 4.53%, respectively. This study suggested that GP with a suitable hydrophobicity, relatively lower burst release, and higher PA was the most promising lipid material of SLN for oral delivery of proteins.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 02/2011; 37(2):139-48. · 1.49 Impact Factor
  • Article: A lyophilized etoposide submicron emulsion with a high drug loading for intravenous injection: preparation, evaluation, and pharmacokinetics in rats.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: To develop a submicron emulsion for etoposide with a high drug loading capacity using a drug-phospholipid complex combined with drug freeze-drying techniques. An etoposide-phospholipid complex (EPC) was prepared and its structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. A freeze-drying technique was used to produce lyophilized etoposide emulsions (LEPE), and LEPE was investigated with regard to their appearance, particle size, and zeta potential. The pharmacokinetic study in vivo was determined by the UPLC/MS/MS system. It showed that EPC significantly improved the liposolubility of etoposide, indicating a high drug loading intravenous emulsion could be easily prepared by EPC. Moreover, the obtained loading of etoposide in the submicron emulsion was 3.0 mg/mL, which was three times higher than that of the previous liquid emulsions. The optimum cryoprotectant was trehalose (15%) in freeze-drying test. The median diameter, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of the optimum formulation of LEPE were 226.1 ± 5.1 nm, 0.107 ± 0.011, and -36.20 ± 1.13 mV, respectively. In addition, these parameters had no significant change during 6 months storage at 4 ± 2°C. The main pharmacokinetic parameters exhibited no significant differences between LEPE and etoposide commercial solution except for area under the concentration-time curve and clearance. The stable etoposide emulsion with a high drug loading was successfully prepared, indicating the amount of excipients such as the oil phase and emulsifiers significantly decreased following administration of the same dose of drug, effectively reducing the metabolism by patients while increasing their compliance. Therefore, LEPE has a great potential for clinical applications.
    Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 12/2010; 36(12):1444-53. · 1.49 Impact Factor