Anomalous solubility behavior of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin encapsulated in liposomes: a 1H-NMR study

Determination of detoxification to Daphnia magna of four pharmaceuticals and seven surfactants by activated sludge

Pharmaceuticals are bioactive compounds generally resistant to biodegradation, which can make them problematic when they are released into nature. The use pattern for pharmaceuticals means that they are discharged into water via sewage treatment plants. Also surfactants are discharged through sewage treatment plants, primarily due to their use in detergents and shampoos and other cleaners. In this study the acute toxicity to Daphnia magna of four pharmaceuticals (ciprofloxacin, ibuprofen, paracetamol and zinc pyrithione) and seven surfactants (C8 alkyl glucoside, C6 alkyl glucoside, sodium caprylimidiopropionate, tallow-trimethyl-ammonium chloride, potassium decylphosphate, propylheptanol ethoxylate and alkylmonoethanolamide ethoxylate) was determined. Abiotic (without activated sludge bacteria) and biotic (with activated sludge bacteria) detoxification was also determined. The 24-h EC50s ranged from 2 μg L(-1) for the most toxic substance (zinc pyrithione) to 2 g L(-1) for the least toxic compound (C6 alkyl glucoside). Detoxification rates determined as the ratio between initial EC50 and EC50 after 1 week in water with activated sludge bacteria ranged from 0.4 (paracetamol) to 13 (zinc pyrithione). For most of these chemicals detoxification rate decreased after 1 week, but for one (alkylmonoethanolamide ethoxylate) it increased from about 2 to 30 times after 2 weeks. Many of these chemicals were "detoxified" also abiotically at about the same rate as biotically. Further studies are needed to determine the degradation products that were precipitated (aggregated) for some of the tested chemicals. Altogether, this study has shown that there are large differences in toxicity among chemicals entering sewage treatment plants, but also that the detoxification of them can differ. Therefore, the detoxification should receive more attention in the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals entering sewage treatment plants.

Preparation, characterization and in vitro antimicrobial activity of liposomal ceftazidime and cefepime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic microorganism with the ability to respond to a wide variety of environmental changes, exhibiting a high intrinsic resistance to a number of antimicrobial agents. This low susceptibility to antimicrobial substances is primarily due to the low permeability of its outer membrane, efflux mechanisms and the synthesis of enzymes that promote the degradation of these drugs. Cephalosporins, particularty ceftazidime and cefepime are effective against P. aeruginosa, however, its increasing resistance has limited the usage of these antibiotics. Encapsulating antimicrobial drugs into unilamellar liposomes is an approach that has been investigated in order to overcome microorganism resistance. In this study, antimicrobial activity of liposomal ceftazidime and cefepime against P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and P. aeruginosa SPM-1 was compared to that of the free drugs. Liposomal characterization included diameter, encapsulation efficiency and stability. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined for free and liposomal forms of both drugs. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) was determined at concentrations 1, 2 and 4 times MIC. Average diameter of liposomes was 131.88 nm and encapsulation efficiency for cefepime and ceftazidime were 2.29% end 5.77%, respectively. Improved stability was obtained when liposome formulations were prepared with a 50% molar ratio for cholesterol in relation to the phospholipid. MIC for liposomal antibiotics for both drugs were 50% lower than that of the free drug, demonstrating that liposomal drug delivery systems may contribute to increase the antibacterial activity of these drugs.

Designing a novel in vitro drug-release-testing method for liposomes prepared by pH-gradient method

In order to evaluate the drug-release behavior from pH-gradient liposomal formulation, a simple release-testing method without using biological components was newly designed on the basis of inversed ammonia gradient principle. Various factors influencing drug-release (releasing factor) were examined. As a result, releasing factor's concentration, pH, osmolarity in test fluid, and releasing factor's structure were found to be the critical factors to be optimized. Various vincristine-loaded liposomes with different lipid compositions or with different lipid/cholesterol ratio were tested for drug-release behavior and successfully obtained drug-release profiles reflecting differences in the physicochemical properties of individual liposomes. Furthermore, since the comparative release study of vincristine-loaded liposomes and doxorubicin-loaded liposomes could reproduce the phenomena as other researchers recently reported, a possibility was suggested for the proposed method to estimate the physicochemical status of drug inside of liposomes. Proof of concept study concluded, as a whole, that the novel release-testing method would be useful for a formulation study and also useful as a tool for the quality assurance or quality control in the manufacturing of pH-gradient liposomal products.

Polyvinyl alcohol-pectin cryogel films for controlled release of enrofloxacin

The release of enrofloxacin entrapped in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogel at pH 5.5 showed a first-order kinetic, releasing 69.7% of the antibiotic after 4.5 h at 37 °C. In order to slow down the fluoroquinolone release rate, high-methoxylated pectin was added into the cryogel (PVA-P). A film containing 1.0% (w/v) HM pectin and 5.0 μg/ml enrofloxacin released only 3.7% of the antibiotic after 4.5 h. Since the FTIR spectrum showed that most of the interactions between PVA-P matrix and enrofloxacin were due to polar groups (carboxylate and amine), a two-layer film system was designed to modulate the releasing rate of the drug. The top film equilibrated with 0.75 or 1.5 M NaCl release up to 41.9% and 89.0% of the enrofloxacin in 4 h, respectively. The release rate of enrofloxacin was found dependent on NaCl concentration in the upper gel layer. The two-layer cryogel system showed attractive features for transcutaneous antibiotic delivery.

Synergistic interaction of the triple combination of amphotericin B, ciprofloxacin, and polymorphonuclear neutrophils against Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus is damaged by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) by means of nonoxidative and oxidative mechanisms, which may be affected by antifungal and antibacterial agents that patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis often receive. The pharmacodynamic interactions among deoxycholate amphotericin B (AMB), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and human PMNs against Aspergillus fumigatus growth are unknown. We therefore studied the interactions between 0.032 to 2.0 μg/ml of AMB, 0.1 to 50 μg/ml of CIP at a fixed AMB/CIP ratio of 1:3.125, and PMNs from six donors at an effector-to-target (E:T) ratio of 400:1 against a clinical A. fumigatus isolate using an XTT metabolic assay and the Bliss independence pharmacodynamic-interaction model. CIP exhibited no antifungal activity alone or in combination with PMNs. Synergy was found between AMB and PMNs, with interaction indices (II) of 0.06 to 0.21; the highest interaction of 21% ± 3.6% was observed at 0.22 ± 0.09 μg/ml of AMB. The AMB and CIP (AMB+CIP) combination was synergistic (II = 0.39) at low AMB concentrations and antagonistic (II = 1.39) at high AMB concentrations, with a maximal synergistic interaction of 16% ± 3.7% observed at 0.16 ± 0.08 μg/ml of AMB. The triple combination AMB+CIP+PMNs was synergistic, with interaction indices of 0.05 to 0.20, and a maximal synergistic interaction of 24% ± 4% was observed at 0.20 ± 0.07 μg/ml of AMB. The increased percentage of Bliss synergy of the triple combination AMB+CIP+PMNs (24% ± 4%) was the product of those of the constituent double combinations AMB+PMNs (21% ± 3.6%) and AMB+CIP (16% ± 3.7%). Thus, the antifungal activity of AMB, at clinically relevant concentrations, was enhanced in combination with PMNs and CIP against A. fumigatus growth in a concentration-dependent manner.

Direct effects of non-antifungal agents used in cancer chemotherapy and organ transplantation on the development and virulence of Candida and Aspergillus species

Conventional antineoplastic, novel immunosuppressive agents and antibiotics used in cancer treatment can directly affect the growth, development and virulence of Candida and Aspergillus species. Cytotoxic and cisplatin compounds have anti-Candida activity and may be synergistic with antifungal drugs; they also inhibit Candida and Aspergillus filamentation/conidation and effect increased virulence in vitro. Glucocorticoids enhance Candida adherence to epithelial cells, germination in serum and in vitro secretion of phospholipases and proteases, as well as growth of A. fumigatus. Calcineurin and target of rapamycin inhibitors perturb Candida and Aspergillus morphogenesis, stress responses and survival in serum, reduce azole tolerance in Candida, but yield conflicting in vivo data. Inhibition of candidal heat shock protein 90 and candidal-specific histone deacetylase represent feasible therapeutic approaches for candidiasis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors inhibit fungal cell entry into epithelial cells and phagocytosis. Quinolone and other antibiotics may augment activity of azole and polyene agents. The correlation of in vitro effects with clinically meaningful in vivo systems is warranted. 

Active methods of drug loading into liposomes: recent strategies for stable drug entrapment and increased in vivo activity

INTRODUCTION

The use of liposomes increases the therapeutic index of many drugs, and also offers drug targeting and controlled release. The commercial impact of liposomes is strengthened by the invention of several active drug encapsulation methods, allowing the encapsulation of several weak base or weak acid drugs with very high drug-to-lipid ratios.

AREAS COVERED

In recent years, there have been reports on several new approaches to retain more hydrophobic drugs inside liposomes, in the circulation. Most of these methods apply drug precipitation inside preformed liposomes, as low soluble complexes with ions or chemicals. In some cases, drug derivatization was applied to enable active encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs, previously not reported to encapsulate, by active or remote loading. This review presents and compares most of the existing methods of active drug encapsulation and outlines recent strategies to achieve stable drug encapsulation in vivo.

EXPERT OPINION

At present, there is no single universal encapsulation method that offers stable encapsulation of most drugs; each drug requires a different approach to manage all of its properties. Now is the time to combine all these strategies to achieve the goal of a complex, but successful, anticancer therapy.

The role of the transition metal copper and the ionophore A23187 in the development of Irinophore C™

PURPOSE

A liposomal irinotecan formulation referred to as Irinophore C relies on the ability of copper to complex irinotecan within the liposome. It is currently being evaluated for critical drug-loading parameters. Studies presented here were designed to determine the optimum copper concentration required for the effective encapsulation and retention of irinotecan into liposomes.

METHODS

Distearoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol liposomes were formulated using buffers containing various copper or manganese concentrations, and irinotecan loading was determined in the presence and absence of divalent metal ionophore A23187. The rate and extent of irinotecan encapsulation and the rate of irinotecan release from the liposomes were assessed. The amount of copper retained inside liposomes following irinotecan loading and the effect of copper on membrane permeability were determined.

RESULTS

Efficient (>98%) irinotecan loading was achieved using encapsulated copper concentrations of 50 mM. However, irinotecan release was copper concentration dependent, with a minimum 300 mM concentration required for optimal drug retention. The presence of copper increased liposomal membrane permeability.

CONCLUSION

Results explain why irinotecan loading rates are enhanced in the presence of formulations prepared with copper, and we speculate that the Irinophore C formulation exhibits improved drug retention, due to generation of a complex between copper and irinotecan.

A mathematical relationship for hydromorphone loading into liposomes with trans-membrane ammonium sulfate gradients

We have studied the loading of the opioid hydromorphone into liposomes using ammonium sulfate gradients. Unlike other drugs loaded with this technique, hydromorphone is freely soluble as the sulfate salt, and, consequently, does not precipitate in the liposomes after loading. We have derived a mathematical relationship that can predict the extent of loading based on the ammonium ion content of the liposomes and the amount of drug added for loading. We have adapted and used the Berthelot indophenol assay to measure the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes. Plots of the inverse of the fraction of hydromorphone loaded versus the amount of hydromorphone added are linear, and the slope should be the inverse of the amount of ammonium ions present in the liposomes. The inverse of the slopes obtained closely correspond to the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes measured with the Berthelot indophenol assay. We also show that loading can be less than optimal under conditions where osmotically driven loss of ammonium ions or leakage of drug after loading may occur.

Liposomes in double-emulsion globules

Tubular liposomes containing a hydrophilic model compound (fluorescein sodium salt, FSS) were entrapped inside the internal aqueous phase (W(1)) of water-in-oil-in-water (W(1)/O/W(2)) double-emulsion globules. Our hypothesis was that the oil membrane of double emulsions can function as a layer of protection to liposomes and their contents and thus better control their release. Liposomes were prepared in bulk, and their release was observed microscopically from individual double-emulsion globules. The liposomes containing FSS were released through external coalescence, and the behavior of this system was monitored visually by capillary video microscopy. Double-emulsion globules were stabilized with Tween 80 as the water-soluble surfactant, with Span 80 as the oil-soluble surfactant, while the oil phase (O) was n-hexadecane. The lipids in the tubular liposomes consist of L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine and Ceramide-VI. Variations of Tween 80 concentration in the external aqueous phase (W(2)) and Span 80 concentration in the O phase controlled the release of liposomes from the W(1) phase to the W(2) phase. The major finding of this work is that the sheer presence of liposomes in the W(1) phase is by itself a stabilizing factor for double-emulsion globules.

Modified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-bearing liposomes (MRBLs) are sensitive to EGF in solution

Cancers often overexpress EGF and other growth factors to promote cell replication and migration. Previous work has not produced targeted drug carriers sensitive to abnormal amounts of growth factors. This work demonstrates that liposomes bearing EGF receptors covalently crosslinked to p-toluic acid or methyl-PEO(4)-NHS ester (or, in short, MRBLs) exhibit an increased rate of release of encapsulated drug compounds when EGF is present in solution. Furthermore, the modified EGF receptors retain the abilities to form dimers in the presence of EGF and bind specifically to EGF. These results demonstrate that MRBLs are sensitive to EGF in solution and indicate that MRBL-reconstituted modified EGF receptors, in the presence of EGF in solution, form dimers which increase MRBL permeability to encapsulated compounds.

In Vitro Evaluation of Enrofloxacin-Loaded MLV Liposomes

Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that seem to reach their intracellular target site (DNA gyrase) in Escherichia coli by means of an uptake process through the outer and inner membranes. Delivery of quinolones with liposomes has many advantages than the free form of the drug. Liposomes may represent an excellent device for improving the selective transport of antibiotics in these respects. In this study, enrofloxacin-loaded multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) were prepared and the effects of formulation variables on the liposome characteristics were investigated. Liposomes were prepared by using the dry lipid film method. A number of variables, such as phospholipid (DL-alpha -phosphatidylcholine dipalmitoyl), cholesterol, enrofloxacin (ENF), stearylamine, and dicetyl phosphate molar ratios and alpha -tocopherol amounts, were studied. The liposome size, encapsulation capacity, drug release, stability, and electrophoretic mobility of ENF-loaded liposomes were determined. Using this method, spherical MLVs with high drug content could be produced. Particle size of liposomes changed between 1.63 and 3.31 micro m and liposome size was affected by all formulation variables (p < 0.05) except molar ratio of ENF. MLVs can be used as a carrier system for the controlled release of ENF. The highest encapsulation of ENF amount can be obtained using positively charged SA in the formulation and changing the formulation parameters can vary drug release patterns.

Isobolographic analysis of pharmacodynamic interactions between antifungal agents and ciprofloxacin against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus

Patients suffering from invasive mycoses often receive concomitant antifungal therapy and antibacterial agents. Assessment of pharmacodynamic interactions between antifungal and antibacterial agents is complicated by the absence of a common antifungal end point for both agents. Ciprofloxacin has no intrinsic antifungal activity but may interact with antifungal agents, since it inhibits DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II), which is abundant in fungi. We therefore employed isobolographic analysis adapted to incorporate a nonactive agent in order to analyze the potential in vitro interaction between the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin and several representative antifungal agents against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus strains by using a microdilution checkerboard technique. In agreement with earlier in vitro studies, conventional fractional inhibitory concentration index analysis was unable to detect interactions between ciprofloxacin and antifungal agents. However, isobolographic analysis revealed significant pharmacodynamic interactions between antifungal agents and ciprofloxacin against C. albicans and A. fumigatus strains. Amphotericin B demonstrated concentration-dependent interactions for both species, with synergy (interaction indices, 0.14 to 0.81) observed at ciprofloxacin concentrations of <10.64 microg/ml. Synergy (interaction indices, 0.10 to 0.86) was also found for voriconazole and caspofungin against A. fumigatus. Isobolographic analysis may help to elucidate the pharmacodynamic interactions between antifungal and non-antifungal agents and to develop better management strategies against invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis.

Liposome transport of hydrophobic drugs: gel phase lipid bilayer permeability and partitioning of the lactone form of a hydrophobic camptothecin, DB-67

The design of liposomal delivery systems for hydrophobic drug molecules having improved encapsulation efficiency and enhanced drug retention would be highly desirable. Unfortunately, the poor aqueous solubility and high membrane binding affinity of hydrophobic drugs necessitates extensive validation of experimental methods to determine both liposome loading and permeability and thus the development of a quantitative understanding of the factors governing the encapsulation and retention/release of such compounds has been slow. This report describes an efflux transport method using dynamic dialysis to study the liposomal membrane permeability of hydrophobic compounds. A mathematical model has been developed to calculate liposomal membrane permeability coefficients of hydrophobic compounds from dynamic dialysis experiments and partitioning experiments using equilibrium dialysis. Also reported is a simple method to study the release kinetics of liposome encapsulated camptothecin lactone in plasma by comparing the hydrolysis kinetics of liposome entrapped versus free drug. DB-67, a novel hydrophobic camptothecin analogue has been used as a model permeant to validate these methods. Theoretical estimates of DB-67 permeability obtained from the bulk solubility diffusion model and the "barrier-domain" solubility diffusion model are compared to the experimentally observed value. The use of dynamic dialysis in drug release studies of liposome and other nanoparticle formulations is further discussed and experimental artifacts that can arise without adequate validation are illustrated through simulations.

Multiple lipid compartments slow vesicle contents release in lipases and serum

Unilamellar vesicles or "liposomes" are commonly used as simple cell models and as drug delivery vehicles. A major limitation of unilamellar liposomes in these applications has been premature contents release in physiological environments. This premature release is likely due to enzyme degradation or protein insertion into the liposome membrane, which significantly increases the bilayer permeability. Encapsulating unilamellar liposomes within a second bilayer to form multicompartment "vesosomes" extends contents retention by 2 orders of magnitude by preventing enzymes and/or proteins from reaching the interior bilayers. The multicompartment structure of the vesosome can also allow for independent optimization of the interior compartments and exterior bilayer; however, just the bilayer-within-a-bilayer structure of the vesosome is sufficient to increase drug retention from minutes to hours. The vesosome is a better mimic of eukaryotic cell structure and demonstrates the benefits of multiple internal bilayer-enclosed compartments.

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as biocompatible carriers of quinolone antimicrobials: An in vitro study

Quinolones, an expanding class of clinically established potent antibiotics, is not freely soluble in water which prevents the design of liquid dosage forms and restricts their use in topical applications. In the present study we investigated the potential of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as drug carriers of quinolones (nadifloxacin and prulifloxacin) by aqueous solubility and antibacterial activity studies. Results showed that the aqueous solubility of nadifloxacin and prulifloxacin was significantly increased by PAMAM dendrimers. Microbiology studies showed that nadifloxacin and prulifloxacin still exhibit their strong antimicrobial activities in the presence of dendrimers. These studies indicated that PAMAM dendrimers might be considered as biocompatible carriers of quinolones under suitable conditions.

Characterization of the drug retention and pharmacokinetic properties of liposomal nanoparticles containing dihydrosphingomyelin

The drug retention and circulation lifetime properties of liposomal nanoparticles (LN) containing dihydrosphingomyelin (DHSM) have been investigated. It is shown that replacement of egg sphingomyelin (ESM) by DHSM in sphingomyelin/cholesterol (Chol) (55/45; mol/mol) LN results in substantially improved drug retention properties both in vitro and in vivo. In the case of liposomal formulations of vincristine, for example, the half-times for drug release (T(1/2)) were approximately 3-fold longer for DHSM/Chol LN as compared to ESM/Chol LN, both in vitro and in vivo. Further increases in T(1/2) could be achieved by increasing the drug-to-lipid ratio of the liposomal vincristine formulations. In addition, DHSM/Chol LN also exhibit improved circulation lifetimes in vivo as compared to ESM/Chol LN. For example, the half-time for LN clearance (Tc(1/2)) at a low lipid dose (15 micromol lipid/kg, corresponding to 8 mg lipid/kg body weight) in mice was 3.8 h for ESM/Chol LN compared to 6 h for DHSM/Chol LN. In addition, it is also shown that DHSM/Chol LN exhibit much longer half-times for vincristine release as compared to LN with the "Stealth" lipid composition. It is anticipated that DHSM/Chol LN will prove useful as drug delivery vehicles due to their excellent drug retention and circulation lifetime properties.

Direct comparison of two pegylated liposomal doxorubicin formulations: Is AUC predictive for toxicity and efficacy?

Rationally designed liposomes could improve the therapeutic indexes of chemotherapeutic drugs, which is due to alterations in the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of encapsulated drugs. For traditional drug delivery systems, the accumulation of drugs in healthy and malignant tissues could be correlated with toxicity and efficacy. Some previous studies also indicate that the higher tumor AUC, the better therapeutic efficacy, suggestive of the possible existence of positive correlation. Are AUC values of liposomal drugs really predictive? For the purpose to address this question, we designed two pegylated liposomal doxorubicin formulations (PLD-75 and PLD-100), which had the same lipid/drug ratio and bilayer composition, but different size and internal ammonium sulfate concentration. In vitro drug retention experiments revealed that drug was released at a faster rate from PLD-75, a small size formulation. The plasma pharmacokinetics of PLD-75 was similar to that of PLD-100, regardless of whether the mice were tumor-free or not. It should be noted, though, that in tumor-bearing mice the plasma doxorubicin level in PLD-75 group was only about 59% of that in PLD-100 group at 48 h post injection. Furthermore, their biodistribution behavior in S-180 tumor-bearing KM mice was significantly different. Compared with animals receiving PLD-100, those receiving PLD-75 showed a 19.2%, 27.8%, and 23.5% decrease in liver (p<0.01), spleen (p<0.001) and lung (p<0.05) AUC, respectively. In other healthy tissues except kidney, the drug deposition also reduced by 10-15%, but the difference was not significant. The tumor AUC after administration of PLD-100 and PLD-75 were 1285.3 ugh/g and 762.0 ugh/g, respectively (p<0.001). Maximum drug levels achieved in the tumors were 33.80 microg/g (for PLD-100) and 20.85 microg/g (for PLD-75), and peak tumor concentration was achieved faster in PLD-75 group. However, enhanced drug accumulation does not mean increased antineoplastic effect, and at the same doxorubicin dose level, PLD-75 was more efficacious. As for toxicity studies, PLD-75 caused more rapid and severe body weight loss despite the fact that drug accumulation in healthy tissues was reduced. Our data indicate that liposomal systems are more complicated than conventional drug delivery systems, and it is hard to predict the toxicity and efficacy of liposomal drugs through the measure of liposomal drug accumulation.

Release of Drugs from Liposomes Varies with Particle Size

The efficacy of many drugs is improved by liposomal formulations. The greatest improvements in therapeutic benefits are achieved if the drug is retained in the liposomes for several hours after administration. Many basic drugs can be concentrated efficiently into liposomes in response to a transmembrane pH gradient. However, the rate of release from liposomal formulations is drug-dependent; for example, doxorubicin is released slowly from liposomes whereas vincristine leaks out rapidly. The aim of this study was to identify the causes of the rapid release of drugs from liposomes and then to apply this knowledge to the development of more stable formulations. Our initial focus was to explore the influence of liposomal size on the rate of release of drugs. The retention of doxorubicin within liposomes was independent of the particle size as far as this experimental condition was concerned. However, the rate of release of vincristine varied in relation to the particle size of the liposomes; vincristine was retained more effectively in larger liposomes. Experimental data generated using (31)P-NMR analysis and trap volume measurements, indicated that the number of lipid bilayers in liposomes increased as the particle size was increased. Additional lipid bilayers are likely to present a more effective barrier thereby slowing the release of drugs.

A simply and sensitive fluorometric method for determination of gentamicin in liposomal suspensions

A new method for measuring gentamicin in liposomes fluorometrically is described. The assay is based on the reaction between the amino groups in the gentamicin molecule and o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA), under basic pH conditions; the product's fluorescence can be read directly on a simple fluorimeter. The effects of several factors (time of reaction, volume of the OPA reagent, and product stability) were investigated. The standard curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-4.0microg, showing an excellent determination coefficient of r(2)=0.99. Additionally, the influence of different liposomal lipids on gentamicin determination was tested. Liposomal lipids containing no free amino groups (PC, Chol, DOTAP) have no influence on the reaction when present in the reaction mixture. In contrast, amino groups containing lipid (SA) showed intense method interference. Therefore, a method of lipid extraction was adapted to remove undesired lipids. The described method was successfully utilised during 2 years of liposomal gentamicin experiments.

Therapeutically optimized rates of drug release can be achieved by varying the drug-to-lipid ratio in liposomal vincristine formulations

The anti-tumor efficacy of liposomal formulations of cell cycle dependent anticancer drugs is critically dependent on the rates at which the drugs are released from the liposomes. Previous work on liposomal formulations of vincristine have shown increasing efficacy for formulations with progressively slower release rates. Recent work has also shown that liposomal formulations of vincristine with higher drug-to-lipid (D/L) ratios exhibit reduced release rates. In this work, the effects of very high D/L ratios on vincristine release rates are investigated, and the antitumor efficacy of these formulations characterized in human xenograft tumor models. It is shown that the half-times (T(1/2)) for vincristine release from egg sphingomyelin/cholesterol liposomes in vivo can be adjusted from T(1/2) = 6.1 h for a formulation with a D/L of 0.025 (wt/wt) to T(1/2) = 117 h (extrapolated) for a formulation with a D/L ratio of 0.6 (wt/wt). The increase in drug retention at the higher D/L ratios appears to be related to the presence of drug precipitates in the liposomes. Variations in the D/L ratio did not affect the circulation lifetimes of the liposomal vincristine formulations. The relationship between drug release rates and anti-tumor efficacy was evaluated using a MX-1 human mammary tumor model. It was found that the antitumor activity of the liposomal vincristine formulations increased as D/L ratio increased from 0.025 to 0.1 (wt/wt) (T(1/2) = 6.1-15.6 h respectively) but decreased at higher D/L ratios (D/L = 0.6, wt/wt) (T(1/2) = 117 h). Free vincristine exhibited the lowest activity of all formulations examined. These results demonstrate that varying the D/L ratio provides a powerful method for regulating drug release and allows the generation of liposomal formulations of vincristine with therapeutically optimized drug release rates.

Formation of drug-arylsulfonate complexes inside liposomes: a novel approach to improve drug retention

The development of procedures to enhance drug retention in liposomes is important in order to achieve therapeutically optimized rates of drug release from liposomal carriers. In this study, the ability of lipophilic weak base drugs to complex with arylsulfonates resulting in formation of intravesicular precipitates is investigated as a means to enhance drug retention. It is shown that the arylsulfonates benzenesulfonate and hydroxybenzenesulfonate (HBS) induce precipitation of ciprofloxacin and vinorelbine, two representative weak base drugs that are difficult to retain in liposomal systems. The most complete precipitation was observed at pH values corresponding to charge neutralization of the drug-arylsulfonate complex. HBS is shown to be a much more effective precipitating agent than benzenesulfonate. It is also shown that vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin can be loaded into large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) containing the calcium salt of HBS using an ionophore-based loading method. Following drug loading, the formation of intravesicular drug-arylsulfonate precipitates of vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin was observed by cryo-electron microscopy. In vitro release experiments showed substantial improvements in drug retention for both vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin when HBS was present as compared to standard loading procedures employing MgSO4 as the entrapped solute. In vivo release experiments for vinorelbine in NuNu mice indicated a half-time for release for HBS-containing LUV of approximately 30 h, compared to 6.4 h for LUV loaded employing MgSO4. It is suggested that encapsulation procedures employing HBS in the internal medium can improve the retention of drugs that are difficult to retain in liposomes, possibly leading to enhanced therapeutic properties.

Liposome-encapsulated vincristine, vinblastine and vinorelbine: A comparative study of drug loading and retention

A comparative study of the loading and retention properties of three structurally very closely related vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinorelbine and vinblastine) in liposomal formulations has been performed. All three vinca alkaloids showed high levels of encapsulation when accumulated into egg sphingomyelin/cholesterol vesicles in response to a transmembrane pH gradient generated by the use of the ionophore A23187 and encapsulated MgSO4. However, despite the close similarities of their structures the different vinca drugs exhibited very different release behavior, with vinblastine and vinorelbine being released faster than vincristine both in vitro and in vivo. The differences in loading and retention can be related to the lipophilicity of the drugs tested, where the more hydrophobic drugs are released more rapidly. It was also found that increasing the drug-to-lipid ratio significantly enhanced the retention of vinca alkaloids when the ionophore-based method was used for drug loading. In contrast, drug retention was not dependent on the initial drug-to-lipid ratio for vinca drugs loaded into liposomes containing an acidic citrate buffer. The differences in retention can be explained on the basis of differences in the physical state of the drug inside the liposomes. The drug-to-lipid ratio dependence of retention observed for liposomes loaded with the ionophore technique may provide a way to improve the retention characteristics of liposomal formulations of vinca drugs.

Entrapment of small molecules and nucleic acid-based drugs in liposomes

In the past two decades there have been major advances in the development of liposomal drug delivery systems suitable for applications ranging from cancer chemotherapy to gene therapy. In general, an optimized system consists of liposomes with a diameter of approximately 100 nm that possess a long circulation lifetime (half-life >5 h). Such liposomes will circulate sufficiently long to take advantage of a phenomenon known as disease site targeting, wherein liposomes accumulate at sites of disease, such as tumors, as a result of the leaky vasculature and reduced blood flow exhibited by the diseased tissue. The extended circulation lifetime is achieved by the use of saturated lipids and cholesterol or by the presence of PEG-containing lipids. This chapter will focus on the methodology required for the generation of two very different classes of liposomal carrier systems: those containing conventional small molecular weight (usually anticancer) drugs and those containing larger genetic (oligonucleotide and plasmid DNA) drugs. Initially, we will examine the encapsulation of small, weakly basic drugs within liposomes in response to transmembrane pH and ion gradients. Procedures will be described for the formation of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) by extrusion methods and for loading anticancer drugs into LUVs in response to transmembrane pH gradients. Three methods for generating transmembrane pH gradients will be discussed: (1) the use of intravesicular citrate buffer, (2) the use of transmembrane ammonia gradients, and (3) ionophore-mediated generation of pH gradients via transmembrane ion gradients. We will also discuss the loading of doxorubicin into LUVs by formation of drug-metal ion complexes. Different approaches are required for encapsulating macromolecules within LUVs. Plasmid DNA can be encapsulated by a detergent-dialysis approach, giving rise to stabilized plasmid-lipid particles, vectors with potential for systemic gene delivery. Antisense oligonucleotides can be spontaneously entrapped upon electrostatic interaction with ethanol-destabilized cationic liposomes, giving rise to small multilamellar systems known as stabilized antisense-lipid particles (SALP). These vectors have the potential to regulate gene expression.

Interaction of rifampicin and isoniazid with large unilamellar liposomes: spectroscopic location studies

The location of isoniazid and rifampicin, two tuberculostatics commonly used for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex infectious diseases, in bilayers of dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoyl-L-a-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) have been studied by 1H NMR and fluorimetric methods. Steady-state fluorescence intensity and fluorescence energy transfer studies between rifampicin and a set of functionalized probes [n-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acids, n=2, 12] reveal that, in both systems, isoniazid is located at the membrane surface whereas rifampicin is deeply buried inside the lipid bilayers. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy studies performed with the probes 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and trimethylammonium-diphenylhexa-triene (TMA-DPH), not only corroborate the above results, but also show that no changes in membrane fluidity were detected in either liposome. The 1H NMR results, in DMPC liposomes, confirm the location of rifampicin near the methylene group of the acyl chains of the lipid bilayers.

Developments in liposomal drug delivery systems

Liposomes are the leading drug delivery systems for the systemic (iv.) administration of drugs. There are now liposomal formulations of conventional drugs that have received clinical approval and many others in clinical trials that bring benefits of reduced toxicity and enhanced efficacy for the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The mechanisms giving rise to the therapeutic advantages of liposomes, such as the ability of long-circulating liposomes to preferentially accumulate at disease sites including tumours, sites of infection and sites of inflammation are increasingly well understood. Further, liposome-based formulations of genetic drugs such as antisense oligonucleotides and plasmids for gene therapy that have clear potential for systemic utility are increasingly available. This paper reviews the liposomal drug delivery field, summarises the success of liposomes for the delivery of small molecules and indicates how this success is being built on to design effective carriers for genetic drugs.

Determination of the partition coefficients of a homologous series of ciprofloxacin: influence of the N-4 piperazinyl alkylation on the antimicrobial activity

Partitioning of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, and its N-piperazinyl alkyl derivatives, between octanol or Escherichia coli lipid membrane extract and aqueous buffer pH 7.4, was studied. The experimental partition coefficients (Pexp) were corrected at this pH using an expression that includes the microconstant values of each compound. The relationship between the corrected partition coefficients expressed as logP (thermodynamic partition coefficient) and the diffusion through the lipid bilayers ('hydrophobic pathway') of entry has been considered here. In this work, we have explored the possibility of using our model to provide physicochemical evidences to support such a via. The correlation between logP values and antibacterial activities (expressed as minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values) of the homologous series of antibiotics against different bacteria were studied. A parabolic behaviour was observed which evidenced that the only increase in lipophilicity does not result in an enhanced antimicrobial activity for the homologous family studied.

Determination by fluorimetric titration of the ionization constants of ciprofloxacin in solution and in the presence of liposomes

A fluorescence titration method was applied for the determination of pKa of ciprofloxacin (CPX) in solution. Values of 6.18 +/- 0.05 and 8.76 +/- 0.03 were obtained for pKa1 and pKa2, respectively. The method was used to determine the ionization constants in the presence of liposomes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and DPPC with 10 mol% of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol. A dependence on the surface charge of liposomes was found which supported the existence of a basic electrostatic interaction between CPX and the phospholipid bilayer. Both pK values for the N-4 butyl-piperazinyl derivative (BCPX) of the parent compound were also determined in solution and in the presence of liposomes. The competition of both drugs for the same binding site as 1-anilino-8-naphtalene sulfonate demonstrate that the interaction is governed by electrostatic forces.