Oxygenation capacity of hypotonized and crosslinked rat erythrocytes

Encapsulation and in vitro evaluation of amikacin-loaded erythrocytes

The aim of our present work was to establish the effect of the osmolality of the hypotonic buffer on the encapsulated amount and the in vitro properties of Amikacin-loaded erythrocytes. Amikacin was encapsulated in rat erythrocytes using a hypotonic dialysis method with hypotonic buffers of different osmolalities with mean values around 90 and 150 mOsm/kg. Morphological examination of the ghost erythrocytes was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The osmotic fragility of normal and loaded erythrocytes was tested using hypotonic solutions. Evaluation of the hematological parameters of the control and loaded erythrocytes was carried out using a hematology system analyzer. Amikacin release from loaded erythrocytes was tested in autologous plasma at 37 degrees C over a 24-h period. The quantification of Amikacin in loaded erythrocytes and in autologous plasma was performed using an HPLC technique. A higher osmotic fragility of loaded erythrocytes was observed using a low osmolality buffer. Some hematological parameters showed statistically significant differences between the loaded erythrocytes obtained using two buffers of different osmolalities with respect to untreated erythrocytes. According to our results, Amikacin carrier erythrocytes obtained by hypotonic dialysis using a low osmolality buffer (90 mOsm/kg) should afford a good encapsulation yield, appropriate morphological properties, and sustained release in vitro.

Factors associated with the performance of carrier erythrocytes obtained by hypotonic dialysis

Carrier erythrocytes containing drugs, enzymes or peptides can be used as a delivery system that allows changes in the kinetic behaviour and selective biodistribution of the substances encapsulated. Hypotonic dialysis is the method most commonly used in the preparation of carrier erythrocytes, but many factors affect the yield and characteristics of the ghost erythrocytes obtained using this method. This review analyses the factors that affect the performance of carrier erythrocytes prepared by hypotonic dialysis. Factors such as the composition and osmolality range of the hypotonic buffer used, the duration of the hypotonic dialysis, temperature, the volume ratio between the erythrocyte suspension and the dialysis buffer, the inclusion in the process of an annealing phase, the composition and osmolality of the resealing buffer, and the conditions under which the final washing of the erythrocytes is carried out may all affect the morphological properties and the later in vivo behaviour of the ghost erythrocytes obtained. Changes in the yield of the encapsulation process, the in vitro drug or enzyme controlled delivery, the pharmacokinetic properties or the in vivo tissue targeting may be modified depending on the conditions under which the preparation of carrier erythrocytes by hypotonic dialysis is carried out. Chemical alterations to the membrane of carrier erythrocytes obtained by hypotonic dialysis with substances such as glutaraldehyde, band 3 cross-linking reagents, trypsin or NHS-biotin, among others, may affect the release rate of the substances encapsulated and may increase the uptake of cells by macrophages both in vitro and in vivo.

In vitro and in vivo study of glutamate dehydrogenase encapsulated into mouse erythrocytes by a hypotonic dialysis procedure

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) has been encapsulated into mouse erythrocytes by a hypotonic dialysis/isotonic resealing method. Although a low GDH entrapment yield was achieved (3.8%), this percentage appeared sufficient enough to metabolize high quantities of ammonia. Carrier cell recovery yield was 56%. Due to the decrease in cell volume and haemoglobin content, constant mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values were obtained. The osmotic fragility curves (OFC) indicated that dialyzed/resealed-RBCs are more resistant to hypotonic haemolysis than native-RBCs. The successful in vitro ammonia degradation by GDH-RBCs was reflected in its total disappearance from the incubation medium at around 48 h. In contrast, initial ammonia levels were not affected during the incubation in the presence of native-RBCs and remained constant. Two different methods were used for the preparation of hyperammonaemic mice model. Since the intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of ammonium acetate produced high ammonia levels that lasted only a few minutes, the i.p. administration of urease was chosen, given that it generated elevated ammonia levels for longer periods of time. Hyperammonaemic mice quickly removed high levels of circulating ammonia in the presence of GDH-RBCs, whereas in the presence of native-RBCs ammonia was slowly metabolized. These results suggest that loaded GDH-erythrocytes can be used as a potential carrier systems for the in vivo removal of high levels of ammonia from blood.