Preparation and characterization of liposomes as therapeutic delivery systems: a review

Targeted delivery of antibiotics using liposomes and nanoparticles: research and applications

This review examines current technologies for increasing the bioavailability of antibiotics by means of liposomes or nanoparticles. The main focus is on liposomes. These carriers were preferentially developed because their composition is compatible with biological constituents. Biodegradable polymers in the form of colloidal particles have also been used and show promise for future applications in antimicrobial chemotherapy. The in vivo behaviour of both types of carriers and consequently their therapeutic potential, are determined by their route of administration. Conventional carrier strategies permit the mononuclear phagocyte system to be targeted by intravenous injection of antibiotics. Stealthy strategies avoid major uptake by these cells and extend the systemic presence of these carriers. The purpose of this review is to provide background information in antibiotic targeting gathered from papers published over the last twenty years. It seems clear that such drug carriers (liposomes, nanoparticles) allow increased drug concentration at infected sites but reduce drug toxicity.

Transdermal iontophoretic delivery of enoxacin from various liposome-encapsulated formulations

The major purpose of this work was to study the effect of various liposome formulations on the iontophoretic transport of enoxacin through excised rat skin. The electrochemical stability of these liposomes was also evaluated. The encapsulation percentage of enoxacin was significantly enhanced after 6 h incubation in an electric field; whereas the fusion of liposomes was inhibited by application of electric current. The results of iontophoretic drug transport showed that the permeability of enoxacin released from liposomes was higher compared with that of free drug. The iontophoretic permeability of enoxacin released from liposomes increased with a decrease in the fatty acid chain length of the phospholipid, which may be due to the different phase transition temperatures of the phospholipids. Incorporation of charged phospholipid resulted in an alteration of the transdermal behavior of enoxacin: the iontophoretic permeation as well as the amount of enoxacin partitioned in skin was greatly reduced after incorporation of stearylamine in liposomes, which can be attributed to the competitive ion effect. The enoxacin released from stratum corneum-based liposomes showed the highest amount of enoxacin partitioned into skin depot. The results of employing cathodal iontophoresis on negative charged liposomes suggested that the liposomal vesicles or phospholipids may carry enoxacin into deeper skin strata via the follicular route.

Encapsulation and stability of clofazimine liposomes

The entrapment of clofazimine (CLO) in a liposomal delivery system for topical application can protect it from absorption into the blood circulation and increase its residence time within the skin. This may reduce the very long mean period of leprosy treatment, as well as the side effects due to the long term administration of large doses of the drug. This investigation deals with critical parameters controlling the formulation and stabilization of liposomes with encapsulated CLO. The entrapment efficiency of CLO in liposomes was increased by altering the proportion of phosphatidyl choline (PC) and cholesterol (CHOL) in liposomes. The stability of liposomal suspensions and the liposomal gels (HPMC K4M) in terms of retention of CLO was measured at refrigeration temperature (2-8 degrees C), room temperature (25 +/- 2 degrees C) and body temperature (37 degrees C) for a period of 3 months. The results show that entrapment of CLO in liposomes can be increased by increasing the proportion of PC. However, the optimum encapsulation and retention of CLO was achieved only with a specific PC:CHOL molar ratio (5.13:1.00). An almost identical value of the entrapment efficiency was obtained when gel filtration and ultracentrifugation methods were used to separate the CLO-carrying liposomes from free drug. The effect of vortexing and sonication on the entrapment efficiency gave similar results, although the mean particle size was different. CLO liposomal gels were found to be stable at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Preparation of liposomes by reverse-phase evaporation using alternative organic solvents

The organic solvents employed in liposome preparation, such as chlorinated solvents, diethyl ether or methanol, although usually removed by evaporation, may remain as traces in the final formulation representing a possible risk for human health and influencing the stability of the vesicles. In order to solve the above mentioned disadvantages, this paper describes the use of different organic solvents, namely ethanol, ethyl acetate and two mixtures of ethanol/ethyl acetate, for the production of liposomes by the reverse phase evaporation technique. After preparation, liposomes were extruded through polycarbonate filters and then characterized by size and encapsulation efficacy. As model drugs retinyl acetate and sodium cromoglycate have been used. The association yield for the hydrophilic drug and the encapsulation yield for the hydrophilic model drug were found, in all the liposome preparations, to be satisfactory. In particular, the use of more polar organic solvents (with respect to diethyl ether) appear to enhance the encapsulation of the hydrophilic drug, sodium cromoglycate. The use of alternative organic solvents to diethyl ether can be proposed with the aim of reducing the toxic problems associated with the presence of residual traces of organic solvents in the final liposome formulation.

Cross-enzyme inhibition by gabexate mesylate: formulation and reactivity study

Gabexate mesylate (GM; commercialized under the brand name FOY) is a nonantigenic synthetic inhibitor of plasmatic and pancreatic serine proteinases that is used therapeutically in the treatment of pancreatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation and as a regional anticoagulant for hemodialysis. The inhibitory effect of GM on nitric oxide synthase as well as serine proteinases and swine kidney copper amine oxidase, all acting on cationic substrates, has been investigated. On the basis of the available X-ray crystal structures of the enzymes considered, the possible binding mode(s) of GM has(have) been analyzed. The enzyme cross-inhibition by GM suggests that the use of this drug should be under careful control. With the aim to improve the scarce plasma stability of GM, the positively charged drug has been complexed to the surface of preformed anionic liposomes. The liposome-complexed GM half-life increases about five-fold, indicating the protective effect of liposomes on GM degradation. Moreover, the GM complexation with liposomes does not alter its inhibitory activity on NOS-I and porcine pancreatic trypsin.

Cationic liposome--plasmid DNA complexes used for gene transfer retain a significant trapped volume

The goal of this study is to determine whether cationic liposomes retain any trapped volume after their complexation to plasmid DNA. This serves two purposes: to further the understanding of the physical nature of liposome/plasmid DNA complexes used in gene therapy and to investigate the potential for codelivery of other encapsulated molecules with the liposome-DNA complexes. Cationic liposomes composed of N,N-dioleoyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DODAC/DOPE, 50/50 mol %) encapsulating an aqueous trap marker were used to prepare liposome-DNA complexes at various charge ratios. The trapped volume before and after DNA binding was measured by two methods: dialysis and filtration. The effect of tissue culture medium on trapped volume was also investigated. A lipid-mixing assay was employed to further characterize the aggregation events that influence trap volume. The trapped volume (Vt) of neutral control liposomes was 1.1 +/- 0.04 microL/mumol, which was not affected by the addition of DNA. For cationic liposomes in the absence of DNA the Vt was 1.45 +/- 0.46 and 1.54 +/- 0.08 microL/mumol, as measured by the filtration and dialysis methods, respectively. After addition of DNA, the residual trapped volume (RVt) decreased to 0.43 +/- 0.1 microL/mumol and 0.47 +/- 0.05 microL/mumol, as determined by each method, respectively. RVt increased as the ratio of cationic lipid to DNA (nmol of lipid/mg of DNA) was increased above 10, a ratio that corresponds to a charge ratio (positively charged lipids to negatively charged phosphate groups) of 1.62. Aggregation and lipid-mixing were greatest at charge ratios coinciding with the lowest trapped volume. In the presence of tissue culture medium, the Vt of cationic liposomes but not neutral liposomes was reduced, suggesting that the salts have a direct effect on cationic liposomes in the absence of DNA. The RVt of both neutral and cationic liposomes in the presence of DNA, however, was not different from that of the liposomes in the absence of DNA. These results suggest that a significant trapped volume is retained by cationic liposomes after binding to plasmid DNA. This is an important finding with regard to the potential use of DNA/liposome complexes in the codelivery of other bioactive molecules at the time of cell transfection.

Application of liposomes for development of oral vaccines: study of in vitro stability of liposomes and antibody response to antigen associated with liposomes after oral immunization

In order to evaluate the usefulness of liposomes as oral vaccines, the stability of liposomes and serum IgA antibody response to antigen associated with liposomes after oral administration were examined. Liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS), and cholesterol (Chol) (1:1:2, molar ratio), distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and Chol (7:2, molar ratio), and DSPC, DPPS, and Chol (7:3:2 or 1:1:2, molar ratio) were stable in acidic solution (pH 2.0), bile, and pancreatin solution, whereas liposomes composed of DPPC and Chol (7:2, molar ratio) and DPPC, DPPS, and Chol (7:3:2, molar ratio) were unstable in pH 2.0 and/or bile solutions. After the oral immunization of antigen (ganglioside GM1)-containing liposomes composed of DPPC, DPPS, and Chol (1:1:2, molar ratio) to mice, the serum IgA antibody responses against ganglioside GM1 were found. Furthermore, when monophosphoryl lipid A was incorporated into liposomes containing ganglioside GM1, further augmentation of IgA responses to ganglioside GM1 was observed. On the other hand, the oral administration with liposomes composed of DPPC, Chol, and ganglioside GM1 (unstable liposomes), ganglioside GM1 mixed with liposomes composed of DPPC, DPPS and Chol, and ganglioside GM1 alone was unable to induce any detectable anti-ganglioside GM1 IgA antibody responses. These results suggest that liposomes which showed the stability to acidic solution, bile, and pancreatin solution would serve effectively as an oral delivery vehicle for inducing mucosal immune responses.