Phase behavior of the DOPE + DOPC + alkanol system

Thermodynamic and Structural Study of Budesonide-Exogenous Lung Surfactant System

The clinical benefits of using exogenous pulmonary surfactant (EPS) as a carrier of budesonide (BUD), a non-halogenated corticosteroid with a broad anti-inflammatory effect, have been established. Using various experimental techniques (differential scanning calorimetry DSC, small- and wide- angle X-ray scattering SAXS/WAXS, small- angle neutron scattering SANS, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering DLS, and zeta potential), we investigated the effect of BUD on the thermodynamics and structure of the clinically used EPS, Curosurf®. We show that BUD facilitates the Curosurf® phase transition from the gel to the fluid state, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the main phase transition (Tm) and enthalpy (ΔH). The morphology of the Curosurf® dispersion is maintained for BUD < 10 wt% of the Curosurf® mass; BUD slightly increases the repeat distance d of the fluid lamellar phase in multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) resulting from the thickening of the lipid bilayer. The bilayer thickening (~0.23 nm) was derived from SANS data. The presence of ~2 mmol/L of Ca2+ maintains the effect and structure of the MLVs. The changes in the lateral pressure of the Curosurf® bilayer revealed that the intercalated BUD between the acyl chains of the surfactant's lipid molecules resides deeper in the hydrophobic region when its content exceeds ~6 wt%. Our studies support the concept of a combined therapy utilising budesonide-enriched Curosurf®.

Structural changes of a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelle induced by alcohol molecules

Coarse-grained dynamical simulations have been performed to investigate the behavior of a surfactant micelle in the presence of six different alcohols: hexanol, octanol, decanol, dodecanol, tetradecanol, and hexadecanol. The self-assembly of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is modified by the alcohol molecules into cylindrical and bilayer micelles as a function of the alcohol/SDS mass ratio. Therefore, in order to understand, from a molecular point of view, how SDS and alcohol molecules self-organize to form the new micelles, different studies were carried out. Analysis of micelle structures, density profiles, and parameters of order were conducted to characterize the shape and size of those micelles. The density profiles revealed that the alcohol molecules were located at the water-micelle interface next to the SDS molecules at low alcohol/SDS mass ratio. At high alcohol/SDS mass ratios, alcohol molecules moved to the middle of the micelle by increasing their size and by producing a structural change. Moreover, micelle structures and sizes were influenced not only by the alcohol/SDS mass ratio but also by the order of the SDS and alcohol tails. Finally, the size of the micelles and enthalpy calculations were used as order parameters to determine a structural phase diagram of alcohol/SDS mixtures in water. Graphical Abstract Structural transition of SDS/alcohol mixtures.