Blood vessel functionality is crucial for efficient tumor-targeted drug delivery. Heterogeneous distribution and perfusion of angiogenic blood vessels contribute to suboptimal accumulation of (nano-) therapeutics in tumors and metastases. To attenuate pathological angiogenesis, an L-RNA aptamer inhibiting the CC motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) was administered to mice bearing orthotopic 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer tumors. The effect of CCL2 inhibition on tumor blood vessel functionality and tumor-targeted drug delivery was evaluated via multimodal and multiscale optical imaging, employing fluorophore-labeled polymeric (10 nm) and liposomal (100 nm) nanocarriers. Anti-CCL2 treatment induced a dose-dependent anti-angiogenic effect, reflected by a decreased relative blood volume, increased blood vessel maturity and functionality, and reduced macrophage infiltration, accompanied by a shift in the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) towards a less M2-like and more M1-like phenotype. In line with this, CCL2 inhibitor treatment improved the delivery of polymers and liposomes to tumors, and enhanced the antitumor efficacy of free and liposomal doxorubicin. Together, these findings demonstrate that blocking the CCL2-CCR2 axis modulates TAM infiltration and polarization, resulting in vascular normalization and improved tumor-targeted drug delivery.

• MeSH
• chemokin CCL2 * farmakologie   MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• makrofágy MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory * patologie   MeSH
• nanomedicína MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesics remain widely used for pain treatment despite the related serious side effects. Some of those, such as opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia may be at least partially due to modulation of opioid receptors (OR) function at nociceptive synapses in the spinal cord dorsal horn. It was suggested that increased release of different chemokines under pathological conditions may play a role in this process. The goal of this study was to investigate the crosstalk between the μOR, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor and C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) chemokine and the involvement of spinal microglia in the modulation of opioid analgesia. METHODS: Patch-clamp recordings of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and dorsal root evoked currents (eEPSC) in spinal cord slices superficial dorsal horn neurons were used to evaluate the effect of μOR agonist [D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO), CCL2, TRPV1 antagonist SB366791 and minocycline. Paw withdrawal test to thermal stimuli was combined with intrathecal (i.t.) delivery of CCL2 and DAMGO to investigate the modulation in vivo. RESULTS: Application of DAMGO induced a rapid decrease of mEPSC frequency and eEPSC amplitude, followed by a delayed increase of the eESPC amplitude, which was prevented by SB366791. Chemokine CCL2 treatment significantly diminished all the DAMGO-induced changes. Minocycline treatment prevented the CCL2 effects on the DAMGO-induced eEPSC depression, while mEPSC changes were unaffected. In behavioral experiments, i.t. injection of CCL2 completely blocked DAMGO-induced thermal hypoalgesia and intraperitoneal pre-treatment with minocycline prevented the CCL2 effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that opioid-induced inhibition of the excitatory synaptic transmission could be severely attenuated by increased CCL2 levels most likely through a microglia activation-dependent mechanism. Delayed potentiation of neurotransmission after μOR activation is dependent on TRPV1 receptors activation. Targeting CCL2 and its receptors and TRPV1 receptors in combination with opioid therapy could significantly improve the analgesic properties of opioids, especially during pathological states.

• MeSH
• anilidy farmakologie   MeSH
• chemokin CCL2 farmakologie   MeSH
• cinnamáty farmakologie   MeSH
• enkefalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- farmakologie   MeSH
• excitační postsynaptické potenciály účinky léků   MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mícha účinky léků   MeSH
• miniaturní postsynaptické potenciály účinky léků   MeSH
• nervový přenos účinky léků   MeSH
• neurony účinky léků   MeSH
• nocicepce účinky léků   MeSH
• opioidní analgetika farmakologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• zadní rohy míšní účinky léků   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH