Cited by 81Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsNanoparticle-Based Drug DeliveryInhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery

The nasal delivery of nanoencapsulated statins – an approach for brain delivery

Open access
Clementino, Adryana, Batger, Mellissa, Garrastazu, Gabriela, Pozzoli, Michele, Del Favero, Elena, Rondelli, Valeria, Gutfilen, Bianca, Barboza, Thiago +4 more·2016·International Journal of Nanomedicine

Abstract

Purpose: Along with their cholesterol-lowering effect, statins have shown a wide range of pleiotropic effects potentially beneficial to neurodegenerative diseases. However, such effects are extremely elusive via the conventional oral administration. The purpose of the present study was to prepare and characterize the physicochemical properties and the in vivo biodistribution of simvastatin-loaded lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (SVT-LCNs) suitable for nasal administration in view of an improved delivery of the statins to the brain. Materials and methods: Chitosan, lecithin, and different oil excipients were used to prepare nanocapsules loaded with simvastatin. Particle size distribution, surface charge, structure, simvastatin loading and release, and interaction with mucus of nanoparticles were determined. The nanoparticle nasal toxicity was evaluated in vitro using RPMI 2651 nasal cell lines. Finally, in vivo biodistribution was assessed by gamma scintigraphy via Tc99m labeling of the particles. Results: Among the different types of nanoparticles produced, the SVT-LCN_MaiLab showed the most ideal physicochemical characteristics, with small diameter (200 nm), positive surface charge (+48 mV) and high encapsulation efficiency (EE; 98%). Size distribution was further confirmed by nanoparticle tracking analysis and electron microscopy. The particles showed a relatively fast release of simvastatin in vitro (35.6%±4.2% in 6 hours) in simulated nasal fluid. Blank nanoparticles did not show cytotoxicity, evidencing that the formulation is safe for nasal administration, while cytotoxicity of simvastatin-loaded nanoparticles (IC 50 ) was found to be three times lower than the drug solution (9.92 vs 3.50 µM). In rats, a significantly higher radioactivity was evidenced in the brain after nasal delivery of simvastatin-loaded nanoparticles in comparison to the administration of a similar dose of simvastatin suspension. Conclusion: The SVT-LCNs developed presented some of the most desirable characteristics for mucosal delivery, that is, small particle size, positive surface charge, long-term stability, high EE, and mucoadhesion. In addition, they displayed two exciting features: First was their biodegradability by enzymes present in the mucus layer, such as lysozyme. This indicates a new Trojan-horse strategy which may enhance drug release in the proximity of the nasal mucosa. Second was their ability to enhance the nose-to-brain transport as evidenced by preliminary gamma scintigraphy studies. Keywords: nose-to-brain, simvastatin, nanoparticles, neurodegenerative diseases, gamma scintigraphy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), lysozyme, biodegradable nanoparticles

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.2147/ijn.s119033

Cites

81 of 81 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

1 retracted

Flagged first, then by citations

2 of the 83 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Clementino, A., Batger, M., Garrastazu, G., Pozzoli, M., Del Favero, E., Rondelli, V., Gutfilen, B., Barboza, T., Sukkar, M. B., Souza, S. A. L., Cantù, L., & Sonvico, F.
Affiliations
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BR)
  • University of Technology Sydney (AU)
  • University of Milan (IT)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Corresponding author
Sonvico, Fabio
Venue
International Journal of Nanomedicine
Published
2016-12
Volume
Volume 11
Pages
6575-6590
ISSN
  • 1176-9114 (ISSN-L)
  • 1178-2013
OpenAlex
W2560199151
Cited by
81
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1
FWCI
4.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Nanomedicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Dove Medical Press (Taylor and Francis Group) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Technology Sydney
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmaceutical Science › Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Inhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery
Keywords
simvastatin, intranasal drug delivery, brain drug delivery, nanocapsules, nose-to-brain transport, tissue distribution, mucoadhesion, Trojan horse strategy, nasal toxicity, neurodegenerative diseases, statins, scintigraphy, encapsulation efficiency
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Animals, Brain, Male, Nasal Mucosa, Particle Size, Tissue Distribution, Drug Delivery Systems, Rats, Wistar, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Simvastatin, Chitosan, Rats, Nanoparticles, Drug Liberation

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review