La bêta-lapachone (b-lap) est une substance active présentant des activités trypanocides, anti-infectieuses et anticancéreuses, avec une sélectivité thérapeutique. Cependant, en raison de sa faible hydrosolubilité et de sa toxicité, b-lap n'est pas encore appliquée en clinique. Nous avons étudié son encapsulation dans des vésicules phospholipidiques, complexée ou non par des cyclodextrines. Nous avons d'abord analysé l'interaction de b-lap avec des excipients lipidiques par des mesures de pression de surface, DSC et SAXS. Elles ont montré que blap est insérée dans les bicouches lipidiques, proche des têtes polaires avec une solubilité maximale d'environ 3,5 mol%. Les résultats expérimentaux ont été confirmés par des simulations de dynamique moléculaire. Le taux d'encapsulation (ER%) de b-lap dans les liposomes s’est avéré en accord avec sa solubilité maximale dans les lipides. Des complexes b-lap:cyclodextrines ont été formés et incorporés dans le coeur aqueux de liposomes déjà chargés en b-lap. Des ER% plus élevés ont été obtenus, mais avec une efficacité d'encapsulation plus faible. Des tests in vitro sur des lignées cellulaires épithéliales et tumorales de prostate ont démontré la cytotoxicité élevée de b-lap, sans différence toutefois entre b-lap libre et formulée, ni entre les cellules normales et les cellules cancéreuses. / Beta-lapachone (b-lap) is a potential drug with trypanocidal, anti-infectious and anticancer activities with reported selectivity of effects. However, due to its poor water solubility and toxicity, b-lap is not yet applied in therapeutics. We have studied the encapsulation of b-lap in conventional phospholipid vesicles and in-cyclodextrin-in-liposomes. We first analyzed the interaction of b-lap with lipid excipients by surface pressure measurements, DSC and SAXS. They showed that b-lap inserts in lipid bilayers close to polar head groups with a maximum solubility of about 3.5 mol%. The experimental results were supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Encapsulation rates (ER%) of b-lap in liposomes were consistent with b-lap maximal solubility in lipids. B-lap:cyclodextrin complexes were formed and entrapped in the aqueous core of blap-loaded liposomes. Higher ER% were obtained, but with lower encapsulation efficiency. In vitro tests on prostate epithelial and tumor cell lines demonstrated the high cytotoxicity of b-lap, however, without difference between formulated and free b-lap, nor between normal and cancer cells.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is a metabolic situation, observed in different physiological conditions. When their production is exacerbated, there is an efficient antioxidant system able to control and re-install the homeostasis. Oxidative stress results from an acute and chronic imbalance between the production of ROS and antioxidant capacities of living cells and organisms. In the present case, the release of bursts of ROS and RNS by individual macrophages RAW 264.7 was investigated, in real time, in absence and presence of quinones (alpha- and beta-lapachones) and ascorbic acid. A selective electrochemical detection of each ROS or RNS was conducted at platinized carbon fiber microelectrodes positioned at micrometric distances from single cells, always compared to controls. The results show that the presence of beta-lapachone with 0.1 to 100 µM, within one hour of incubation, leads to a decrease of RONS release by macrophages. Conversely, when the incubation time increases (4 hours and more), for concentrations of 1 µM of ortho-quinone, the quantity of the released species increases. Finally, the increasing of the concentration up to 10 µM with four hours of incubation and more is associated to cell death. The exact nature of the released electroactive species was characterized and the original flux could be reconstructed in terms of O2• and NO•. In the first hour, with 10 µM, the decrease of the oxidative burst concerns mainly the RNS species. The amount of ROS, quantified in terms of H2O2 was shown to be higher than in control. At concentration of 1 µM and after longer time incubation, i. e., 4 hours, the amount of ROS, quantified in terms of H2O2 and O2• and NO2- was shown to be higher than in control. It was observed which ONOO- was decreased in both situations. On the other hand, alpha-lapachone was unable to significantly increase ROS and RNS production in macrophage cells, even after 24 hours of incubation. The cytotoxic concentration observed for alpha-lapachone was ten times higher when compared with beta-lapachone. To overcome solubility and bioavailability problems with beta-lapachone, beta-cyclodextrin was used. UV/vis spectroscopy has been used to monitor the inclusion phenomena of beta-lapachone within the cavity of beta-cyclodextrin, together with studies concerning the competitive effects of ethanol concentration on this behavior. A value of 15 ± 5 M-1 was found for the association constant between beta-lapachone and beta-cyclodextrin in phosphate buffer. This clearly indicates that the equilibrium between the free and the complexed substrate is decreased in the presence of EtOH. Amperometry at platinized carbon fiber ultramicroelectrodes allowed quantitative and kinetic investigations of the overall effect of ascorbic acid on oxidative stress responses produced by single cells pertaining to two different cell lines derived from immune cells: macrophages RAW 264.7 and phagocytes PLB-985. These fine and minute amperometric measurements performed on single cells confirmed that in contradiction with its alleged universal anti-oxidant properties, ascorbic acid may affect positively or negatively the RNS content of oxidative bursts produced by each cell type, through affecting the primary production of NO• by the cells. So, vitamin C acts exclusively as an anti-oxidant (viz., reduced the primary NO• flux) onto PMA-treated PLB 985 cells, thus decreasing the quantity of RNS released by these granulocyte-type cells. Conversely, it gives rise to a prooxidant activity (viz., increased the primary NO• flux) onto RAW267.4 macrophage cells, increasing their production of RNS species. These studies demonstrate the advantage of electrochemical methods for analyzing in real-time and quantitatively the effect of pharmacologically active compounds in cells, in case of oxidative burst. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio (ERO), de nitrogênio (ERN), entre outras espécies reativas, é parte integrante do metabolismo e é observada em diversas condições fisiológicas. Quando sua produção é exacerbada, o organismo dispõe de um eficiente sistema antioxidante que consegue controlar e restabelecer o equilíbrio. O estresse oxidativo resulta do desequilíbrio entre o sistema pró e antioxidante, com predomínio dos oxidantes. A liberação de ERO e ERN em macrófagos individuais da linhagem RAW 264.7 foi estudada em tempo real, em ausência e presença de quinonas (alfa- e beta-lapachonas) e de ácido ascórbico. A detecção eletroquímica seletiva de ERO e ERN, em conjunto e individualmente foi conduzida, utilizando-se microeletrodos de fibra de carbono platinizada, posicionados a distâncias micrométricas de uma célula, sempre em relação a controles. Os resultados do tratamento com beta-lapachona (0,1 a 100 µM), com 1 hora de incubação, mostram que ocorre a diminuição de ERON liberados pelos macrófagos. Contrariamente, quando o tempo de tratamento aumenta (4 e 6 horas) para a concentração de 1 µM, ocorre o aumento da quantidade de espécies reativas liberadas. Em concentração de 10 µM e com tempo de tratamento acima de 4 horas ocorre morte celular. A natureza exata das espécies eletroativas liberadas foi caracterizada e o fluxo original foi determinado em termo de O2• e NO•. No tratamento de 1 hora com 10 µM de beta-lapachona, houve diminuição do surto oxidativo relacionado principalmente às ERNs. A quantidade de ERO, em termos de H2O2 foi muito maior do que o controle. Em diferentes condições, com 1 µM com 4 horas de tratamento, a quantidade de ERO, em termos de H2O2, O2• e NO2-, foi maior que o controle. Nas duas condições, obteve-se a diminuição acentuada de ONOO-. Por outro lado, a incubação com alfa-lapachona não foi capaz de alterar significantemente a liberação de ERON pelos macrófagos, mesmo após 24 horas de tratamento. A concentração citotóxica observada para a alfa-lapachona foi dez vezes maior quando comparada com a beta-lapachona. Para contornar problemas relacionados à solubilidade e biodisponibilidade da beta-lapachona, fez-se uso da ciclodextrina. A espectroscopia no UV/Vis foi utilizada para monitorar o fenômeno de inclusão de beta-lapachona na cavidade da beta-ciclodextrina, com análise do efeito competitivo do etanol. O valor da constante de associação entre a beta-lapachona e a beta-ciclodextrina, em tampão fosfato, foi de 15 ± 5 M-1, mostrando que a presença de etanol afeta a formação do complexo. A amperometria utilizando ultramicroeletrodos de fibra de carbono platinizada permitiu investigar quantitativa e cineticamente o efeito total do ácido ascórbico no surto oxidativo produzido por células individuais pertencentes a duas diferentes linhagens derivadas de células imunes: macrófagos (RAW 264.7) e fagócitos PLB-985. Medidas amperométricas finas realizadas em células individuais confirmaram que o ácido ascórbico pode estimular ou atenuar o surto oxidativo produzido por cada linhagem celular, afetando a produção primária de NO• das células. Assim, a vitamina C reduz o fluxo primário de NO• nas células PLB-985 pré-tratadas com PMA, enquanto aumenta o fluxo primário de NO• em macrófagos RAW 264.7. Esses estudos demonstram a vantagem dos métodos eletroquímicos para analisar em tempo real e quantitativamente o efeito farmacológico de compostos ativos em células, no caso de surto oxidativo.

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