Synergistic co-delivery of doxorubicin and melittin using functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for cancer treatment: loading and in vitro release study by LC-MS/MS.
ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018;
46:S1226-S1235. [PMID:
30450981 DOI:
10.1080/21691401.2018.1536063]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In this study, citric acid-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (CA-MNPs) were prepared via a coprecipitation method and were fully characterized. Doxorubicin (DOX) and melittin (MEL), as anticancer agents, were loaded onto CA-MNPs surface through electrostatic interactions with the aim to achieve an effective co-delivery system for cancer therapy. The loading efficiency and in vitro release profiles of DOX and MEL were investigated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The MS/MS step was performed in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode which enabled simultaneous quantification of the analytes with high specificity and sensitivity. An excellent loading efficiency of about 100% was achieved for DOX and MEL in a drug to nanocarrier ratio of 1:10. The in vitro release of the drugs from CA-MNPs was evaluated for 8 h at pH 7.4, 5.5 and 4.5. The experimental results revealed that the release behaviour of both of the anticancer agents was strongly pH-dependent and significantly enhanced at pH 4.5. The in vitro MTT assay on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line exhibited a synergistic effect between DOX and MEL which led to substantially greater antitumor efficacy, compared to single administration of these anticancer agents at equivalent doses. The results indicated that the co-delivery system of (DOX/MEL)-loaded CA-MNPs is highly capable to be used in magnetically targeted cancer therapy.
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