Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8), composed of zinc ion and dimethylimidazole, is widely used in drug delivery, due to the easy fabrication process and the good biosafety. However, ZIF-8 suffers from low affinity to non-electric-rich drugs and does not have surface functional groups. Here, to target deliver doxorubicin (DOX) with ZIF-8, DOX was firstly modified with pH-sensitive linker containing two carboxyl groups to form the inactive prodrug CAD and subsequently seeded inside ZIF-8 by a 5 min mineralization process. CAD has high affinity to ZIF-8 due to the carboxyl groups and can anchor to the ZIF-8 surface to enable the surface modification with folic acid for tumor targeting. Moreover, the DOX release is precisely controlled by three steps of acidic pH-response, with the dissociation of FA layer, the breakdown of ZIF-8 structure, and the cleavage of pH-sensitive linker in prodrug. This novel “prodrug-ZIF-8” strategy has opened new horizon in drug delivery.

Nao-Qing solution has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The purpose of this study was to improve the pharmacokinetics and brain uptake of Nao-Qing, administered as an oil-in-water microemulsion. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were given Nao-Qing microemulsion by intranasal or intragastric routes. Samples of blood, brain, heart, liver, lung and kidney were collected at pre-determined time intervals, and the contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 (active ingredients of the Nao-Qing microemulsion) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 in Nao-Qing microemulsion was 8475.13 ± 54.61 μg/ml and 6633.42 ± 527.27 μg/ml, respectively, and that the particle size, pH and viscosity of the microemulsion were 19.9 ± 5.07 nm, 6.1 and 3.056 × 10⁻³Pas, respectively. Absorption of ginsenoside Rg1 was higher than that of ginsenoside Rb1, which was barely detectable after intragastric administration; furthermore, the concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 in blood and other tissues at each time point was lower for intragastric than for intranasal administration. Compared with intragastric administration, intranasal administration resulted in a shorter t_max (0.08 versus 1 h), a higher C_max (16.65 versus 11.29 μg/ml), and a higher area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) (592.91 versus 101.70 μgċh/ml) in the brain. The relative rates of uptake (R_e) and the ratio of peak concentration (C_e) in the brain were 126.31% and 147.48% for ginsenoside Rg1, respectively. These data illustrate that intranasal administration can promote the absorption of drugs in Nao-Qing microemulsion and achieve fast effect.

Background: If erythromycin is micronized into microspheres with suitable particle size, it can improve pulmonary drug concentration to maximize its effectiveness and minimize the adverse side effects. Aim: In this study, erythromycin gelatin microspheres (EM-GMS) were prepared and some characteristics of EM‐GMS were investigated. The drug-targeting index (DTI) of EM-GMS was evaluated to predict their potential as a targeted delivery system. Method: Erythromycin was microencapsulated with gelatin by a double emulsion solvent evaporation method. Some characteristics of EM-GMS, including morphology, particle size, in vitro release, and safety were researched. Results: EM-GMS had a spherical shape and smooth surface morphology. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency of EM-GMS were 13.56 ± 0.25% and 55.82 ± 2.23%, respectively. The release of erythromycin from EM-GMS showed an initial burst and following a sustained release, with an accumulate release of 80% at 4 hours. The EM-GMS was safe since there was no vein irritation and no hemolysis on the erythrocyte of rabbit at 3.5 mg/mL and a LD50 of 173.07 mg/kg. After administering EM-GMS to rabbits, the concentration of erythromycin in lung was 15.92 times higher than that in plasma and the DTI of EM-GMS in lung was 6.65 as compared with erythromycin lactobionate. Conclusions: The preparation technology of EM-GMS for lung targeting was successful and the quality of microspheres was good.