Impact of the physical-chemical properties of poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) polymeric nanoparticles on biodistribution.

Nanoparticle (NP) formulations are inherently polydisperse making their structural characterization and justification of specifications complex. It is essential, however, to gain an understanding of the physico-chemical properties that drive performance in vivo. To elucidate these properties, drug-containing poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block polymeric NP formulations (or PNPs) were sub-divided into discrete size fractions and analyzed using a combination of advanced techniques, namely cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, and hard-energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Together, these techniques revealed a uniquely detailed picture of PNP size, surface structure, internal molecular architecture and the preferred site(s) of incorporation of the hydrophobic drug, AZD5991, properties which cannot be accessed via conventional characterization methodologies. Within the PNP size distribution, it was shown that the smallest PNPs contained significantly less drug than their larger sized counterparts, reducing overall drug loading, while PNP molecular architecture was critical in understanding the nature of in vitro drug release. The effect of PNP size and structure on drug biodistribution was determined by administrating selected PNP size fractions to mice, with the smaller sized NP fractions increasing the total drug-plasma concentration area under the curve and reducing drug concentrations in liver and spleen, due to greater avoidance of the reticuloendothelial system. In contrast, administration of unfractionated PNPs, containing a large population of NPs with extremely low drug load, did not significantly impact the drug's pharmacokinetic behavior - a significant result for nanomedicine development where a uniform formulation is usually an important driver. We also demonstrate how, in this study, it is not practicable to validate the bioanalytical methodology for drug released in vivo due to the NP formulation properties, a process which is applicable for most small molecule-releasing nanomedicines. In conclusion, this work details a strategy for determining the effect of formulation variability on in vivo performance, thereby informing the translation of PNPs, and other NPs, from the laboratory to the clinic.

Control of the structure and morphology of polypeptide/surfactant spread films by exploiting specific interactions.

We demonstrate control of the structure and morphology of polypeptide/surfactant films at the air/water interface as a function of the maximum compression ratio of the surface area, exploiting a recently developed film formation mechanism that requires minimal quantities of materials involving the dissociation of aggregates. The systems studied are poly(L-lysine) (PLL) or poly(L-arginine) (PLA) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), chosen because the surfactant (i) interacts more strongly with the latter polypeptide due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the guanidinium group and its oxygen atoms, and (ii) induces bulk ß-sheet and α-helix conformations of the respective polypeptides. The working hypothesis is that such different interactions may be used to tune the film properties when compressed to form extended structures (ESs). Neutron reflectometry reveals that application of a high compression ratio (4.5 : 1) results in the nanoscale self-assembly of ESs containing up to two PLL-wrapped SDS bilayers. Brewster angle microscopy provides images of the PLL/SDS ESs as discrete regions on the micrometre scale while additional linear regions of PLA/SDS ESs mark macroscopic film folding. Ellipsometry demonstrates high stability of the different ESs formed. The collapse of PLL/SDS films upon compression to a very high ratio (10 : 1) is irreversible due to the formation of solid domains that remain embedded in the film upon expansion while that of PLA/SDS films is reversible. These findings demonstrate that differences in the side group of a polypeptide can have a major influence on controlling the film properties, marking a key step in the development of this new film formation mechanism for the design of biocompatible and/or biodegradable films with tailored properties for applications in tissue engineering, biosensors and antimicrobial coatings.

Understanding and optimising the transfection of lipopolyplexes formulated in saline: the effects of peptide and serum.

Lipopolyplexes (LPDs) are of considerable interest for use as gene delivery vehicles. Here LPDs have been prepared from cationic vesicles (composed of a 1 : 1 molar ratio of DOTMA with the neutral helper lipid, DOPE), singly branched cationic peptides and plasmid DNA. All peptides contained a linker sequence (cleaved by endosomal furin) attached to a targeting sequence selected to bind human airway epithelial cells and mediate gene delivery. The current study investigates the effects of novel Arg-containing cationic peptide sequences on the biophysical and transfection properties of LPDs. Mixed His/Arg cationic peptides were of particular interest, as these sequences have not been previously used in LPD formulations. Lengthening the number of cationic residues in a homopolymer from 6 to 12 in each branch reduced transfection using LPDs, most likely due to increased DNA compaction hindering the release of pDNA within the target cell. Furthermore, LPDs containing mixed Arg-containing peptides, particularly an alternating Arg/His sequence exhibited an increase in transfection, probably because of their optimal ability to complex and subsequently release pDNA. To confer stability in serum, LPDs were prepared in 0.12 M sodium chloride solution (as opposed to the more commonly used water) yielding multilamellar LPDs with very high levels of size reproducibility and DNA protection, especially when compared to the (unilamellar) LPDs formed in water. Significantly for the clinical applications of the LPDs, those prepared in the presence of sodium chloride retained high levels of transfection in the presence of media supplemented with fetal bovine serum. This work therefore represents a significant advance for the optimisation of LPD formulation for gene delivery, under physiologically relevant conditions, in vivo.

The Global Characterisation of a Drug-Dendrimer Conjugate - PEGylated poly-lysine Dendrimer.

The recent emergence of drug-dendrimer conjugates within pharmaceutical industry research and development introduces a range of challenges for analytical and measurement science. These molecules are very high molecular weight (100-200kDa) with a significant degree of structural complexity. The characteristics and quality attributes that require understanding and definition, and impact efficacy and safety, are diverse. They relate to the intact conjugate, the various building blocks of these complex systems and the level of the free and bound active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). From an analytical and measurement science perspective, this necessitates the measurement of the molecular weight, impurity characterisation, the quantitation of the number of conjugated versus free API molecules, the determination of the impurity profiles of the building blocks, primary structure and both particle size and morphology. Here we report the first example of a global characterisation of a drug-dendrimer conjugate - PEGylated poly-lysine dendrimer currently under development (AZD0466). The impact of the wide variety of analytical and measurement techniques on the overall understanding of this complex molecular entity is discussed, with the relative capabilities of the various approaches compared. The results of this study are an essential platform for the research and development of the future generations of related dendrimer-based medicines.

Analysis of Fixed and Live Single Cells Using Optical Photothermal Infrared with Concomitant Raman Spectroscopy.

This paper reports the first use of a novel completely optically based photothermal method (O-PTIR) for obtaining infrared spectra of both fixed and living cells using a quantum cascade laser (QCL) and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser as excitation sources, thus enabling all biologically relevant vibrations to be analyzed at submicron spatial resolution. In addition, infrared data acquisition is combined with concomitant Raman spectra from exactly the same excitation location, meaning the full vibrational profile of the cell can be obtained. The pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2 and the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 are used as model cells to demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrumentation. These combined modalities can be used to analyze subcellular structures in both fixed and, more importantly, live cells under aqueous conditions. We show that the protein secondary structure and lipid-rich bodies can be identified on the submicron scale.

Microfluidic-assisted preparation of RGD-decorated nanoparticles: exploring integrin-facilitated uptake in cancer cell lines.

This study is about fine tuning the targeting capacity of peptide-decorated nanoparticles to discriminate between cells that express different integrin make-ups. Using microfluidic-assisted nanoprecipitation, we have prepared poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles with a PEGylated surface decorated with two different arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides: one is cyclic (RGDFC) and has specific affinity towards αvß3 integrin heterodimers; the other is linear (RGDSP) and is reported to bind equally αvß3 and α5ß1. We have then evaluated the nanoparticle internalization in two cell lines with a markedly different integrin fingerprint: ovarian carcinoma A2780 (almost no αvß3, moderate in α5ß1) and glioma U87MG (very high in αvß3, moderate/high in α5ß1). As expected, particles with cyclic RGD were heavily internalized by U87MG (proportional to the peptide content and abrogated by anti-αvß3) but not by A2780 (same as PEGylated particles). The linear peptide, on the other hand, did not differentiate between the cell lines, and the uptake increase vs. control particles was never higher than 50%, indicating a possible low and unselective affinity for various integrins. The strong preference of U87MG for cyclic (vs. linear) peptide-decorated nanoparticles was shown in 2D culture and further demonstrated in spheroids. Our results demonstrate that targeting specific integrin make-ups is possible and may open the way to more precise treatment, but more efforts need to be devoted to a better understanding of the relation between RGD structure and their integrin-binding capacity.

Microfluidic-assisted nanoprecipitation of (PEGylated) poly (d,l-lactic acid-co-caprolactone): Effect of macromolecular and microfluidic parameters on particle size and paclitaxel encapsulation.

In this work we evaluate the effect of polymer composition and architecture of (PEGylated) polyesters on particle size and paclitaxel (PTX) loading for particles manufactured via microfluidic-assisted, continuous-flow nanoprecipitation using two microfluidic chips with different geometries and mixing principles. We have prepared poly (d,l-lactic acid-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) from ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of LA and CL mixtures and different (macro) initiators (namely, 1-dodecanol, a MeO-PEG-OH, and a 4-armed star PEG-OH), rendering polyesters that vary in monomer composition (i.e. LA/CL ratios) and architecture (i.e. linear vs 4-armed star). Continuous-flow nanoprecipitation was assayed using two microfluidic chips: a cross-flow chip with a X-shaped mixing junction (2D laminar flow focusing) and a micromixer featuring a Y-shaped mixing junction and a split and recombine path (2D laminar flow focusing convinced with stream lamination for faster mixing). Nanoparticle formulations were produced with Z-average sizes in the range of 30-160 nm, although size selectivity could be seen for different polymer/chip combinations; for instance, smaller particles were obtained with Y-shaped micromixer (30-120 nm), specially for the PEGylated polyesters (30-50 nm), whereas the cross-flow chip systematically produced larger particles (80-160 nm). Loading of the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) was also heavily influenced not only by the nature of the polyester, but also by the geometry of the microfluidic chip; higher drug loadings were obtained with the cross-flow reactor and the star block copolymers. Finally, decreasing the LA/CL ratio generally had a positive effect on drug loading.

Oil-in-water microemulsions stabilized by 3-(N,N- dimethylalkylammonio)propanesulfonate surfactants of varying alkyl chain length: Solubilisation of testos-terone propionate.

Solubilisation of the poorly-water soluble drug, testosterone propionate, in co-surfactant-free, dilutable, oil-in-water microemulsions stabilized by zwitterionic surfactants of varying alkyl chain length, namely 3-(N,N-dimethyloctylammonio)propanesulfonate and 3-(N,N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate and containing one of four ethyl ester oils, has been investigated. Both 3-(N,N-dimethyloctylammonio)propanesulfonate and 3-(N,N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate-stabilized microemulsions containing two short chain length oils, ethyl butyrate and ethyl caprylate, while only 3-(N,N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate formed microemulsions incorporating the longer chain length oils, ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate, albeit to a very much reduced extent. Significantly the microemulsions containing the short chain length oils, ethyl butyrate and ethyl caprylate solubilised more testosterone propionate than the corresponding micelles. However, an inverse correlation existed between testosterone propionate solubility in the bulk oil and solubilisation in the microemulsions, in that ethyl caprylate containing microemulsions solubilised more testosterone propionate than those containing an equivalent amount of ethyl butyrate, despite the drug being more soluble in ethyl butyrate. These results suggest that drug solubility in bulk oil is a poor indicator of drug solubility in microemulsions containing that oil, and whether or not the addition of oil improves drug solubility is dependent upon on how it is incorporated within the microemulsion. The longer the chain length of the oil, the more likely the oil is to form a core in the microemulsion droplet, resulting in an additional locus of drug solubilisation and the possibility of an enhanced solubilisation capacity.

Atypical effects of incorporated surfactants on stability and dissolution properties of amorphous polymeric dispersions.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the impact of ionic and non-ionic surfactants on the dissolution and stability properties of amorphous polymeric dispersions using griseofulvin (GF) as a model for poorly soluble drugs. METHODS: Solid dispersions of the poorly water-soluble drug, griseofulvin (GF) and the polymers, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PHPMA), have been prepared by spray drying and bead milling and the effect of the ionic and non-ionic surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and Tween-80, on the physico-chemical properties of the solid dispersions studied. KEY FINDINGS: The X-ray powder diffraction data and hot-stage microscopy showed a fast re-crystallisation of GF. While dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) measurements indicated an increased water uptake, slow dissolution rates were observed for the solid dispersions incorporating surfactants. The order by which surfactants free dispersions were prepared seemed critical as indicated by DVS and thermal analysis. Dispersions prepared by milling with SDS showed significantly better stability than spray-dried dispersions (drug remained amorphous for more than 6 months) as well as improved dissolution profile. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that surfactants can hinder the dissolution by promoting aggregation of polymeric chains, however that effect depends mainly on how the particles were prepared.

Delivery of siRNA using ternary complexes containing branched cationic peptides: the role of peptide sequence, branching and targeting.

Ternary nanocomplexes, composed of bifunctional cationic peptides, lipids and siRNA, as delivery vehicles for siRNA have been investigated. The study is the first to determine the optimal sequence and architecture of the bifunctional cationic peptide used for siRNA packaging and delivery using lipopolyplexes. Specifically three series of cationic peptides of differing sequence, degrees of branching and cell-targeting sequences were co-formulated with siRNA and vesicles prepared from a 1 : 1 molar ratio of the cationic lipid DOTMA and the helper lipid, DOPE. The level of siRNA knockdown achieved in the human alveolar cell line, A549-luc cells, in both reduced serum and in serum supplemented media was evaluated, and the results correlated to the nanocomplex structure (established using a range of physico-chemical tools, namely small angle neutron scattering, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurement); the conformational properties of each component (circular dichroism); the degree of protection of the siRNA in the lipopolyplex (using gel shift assays) and to the cellular uptake, localisation and toxicity of the nanocomplexes (confocal microscopy). Although the size, charge, structure and stability of the various lipopolyplexes were broadly similar, it was clear that lipopolyplexes formulated from branched peptides containing His-Lys sequences perform best as siRNA delivery agents in serum, with protection of the siRNA in serum balanced against efficient release of the siRNA into the cytoplasm of the cell.

Characterization of the aggregates formed by various bacterial lipopolysaccharides in solution and upon interaction with antimicrobial peptides.

The biophysical analysis of the aggregates formed by different chemotypes of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) before and after challenge by two different antiendotoxic antimicrobial peptides (LL37 and bovine lactoferricin) was performed in order to determine their effect on the morphology of LPS aggregates. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM) were used to examine the structures formed by both smooth and rough LPS chemotypes and the effect of the peptides, by visualization of the aggregates and analysis of the scattering data by means of both mathematical approximations and defined models. The data showed that the structure of LPS determines the morphology of the aggregates and influences the binding activity of both peptides. The morphologies of the worm-like micellar aggregates formed by the smooth LPS were relatively unaltered by the presence of the peptides due to their pre-existing high degree of positive curvature being little affected by their association with either peptide. On the other hand, the aggregates formed by the rough LPS chemotypes showed marked morphological changes from lamellar structures to ordered micellar networks, induced by the increase in positive curvature engendered upon association with the peptides. The combined use of cryoTEM and SANS proved to be a very useful tool for studying the aggregation properties of LPS in solution at biologically relevant concentrations.

Effect of drug-polymer interactions on the aqueous solubility of milled solid dispersions.

The role of molecular interactions in ball milled solid dispersions in determining the aqueous solubility of the poorly water-soluble drug, griseofulvin (GF) has been examined. Ball milled solid dispersions of GF and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and GF and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were prepared and characterized by laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction and the aqueous saturation solubility measured and analyzed using one way ANOVA. The results showed that solid dispersions of GF and HPMCAS possessed an aqueous GF saturation solubility of about ten times higher than the GF solubility achieved from PVP-based solid dispersions. Furthermore, although the aqueous solubility of GF did not vary with the milling conditions used to prepare the solid dispersions with PVP, significant changes in solubility were observed upon changing the milling conditions for preparation of the GF/HPMCAS solid dispersions. Surprisingly, the GF/HPMCAS solid dispersion prepared using spray drying exhibited a significantly lower aqueous solubility than those prepared by bead milling despite their smaller particle size and GF being fully in its amorphous form. It is thought that the higher surface energy of the spray-dried solid dispersions negatively affected the aqueous solubility of GF. In conclusion, the results suggest that the molecular interactions occurring between GF and HPMCAS affect the aqueous solubility of GF and that the molecular interactions appear to remain in the liquid state. In contrast no molecular interactions were evident in the GF/PVP solid dispersions.

Gene delivery using ternary lipopolyplexes incorporating branched cationic peptides: the role of Peptide sequence and branching.

Cationic peptide sequences, whether linear, branched, or dendritic, are widely used to condense and protect DNA in both polyplex and lipopolyplex gene delivery vectors. How these peptides behave within these particles and the consequences this has on transfection efficiency remain poorly understood. We have compared, in parallel, a complete series of cationic peptides, both branched and linear, coformulated with plasmid DNA to give polyplexes, or with plasmid DNA and the cationic lipid, DOTMA, mixed with 50% of the neutral helper lipid, DOPE, to give lipopolyplexes, and correlated the transfection efficiencies of these complexes to their biophysical properties. Lipopolyplexes formulated from branched Arg-rich peptides, or linear Lys-rich peptides, show the best transfection efficiencies in an alveolar epithelial cell line, with His-rich peptides being relatively ineffective. The majority of the biophysical studies (circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, small angle neutron scattering, and gel band shift assay) indicated that all of the formulations were similar in size, surface charge, and lipid bilayer structure, and longer cationic sequences, in general, gave better transfection efficiencies. Whereas lipopolyplexes formulated from branched Arg-containing peptides were more effective than those formulated from linear Arg-containing sequences, the reverse was true for Lys-containing sequences, which may be related to differences in DNA condensation between Arg-rich and Lys-rich peptides observed in the CD studies.

Lipopolyplex ternary delivery systems incorporating C14 glycerol-based lipids.

The structure, biophysical properties and biological behavior of lipopolyplex ternary gene delivery vectors incorporating novel C14 glycerol based lipids of varying alkyl chain geometry (containing cis, trans or alkyne double bonds) have been studied in the presence and absence of a bifunctional targeting peptide designed to both condense DNA and confer integrin-specific targeting. In vitro transfection studies in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells revealed that ternary formulations of lipid:peptide:DNA (LPD) complexes prepared using the aforementioned lipids possessed highly synergistic transfection activity up to 2500-fold higher than their respective lipid:DNA (LD) or peptide:DNA (PD) counterparts. Furthermore, the small structural differences in the lipid alkyl chain geometries also resulted in pronounced differences in transfection within each type of formulation, whereby the trans lipids showed best activity when formulated as LD complexes, whereas the cis lipids were superior in LPD formulations. Confocal fluorescence internalization studies using labeled components of the formulations showed both the lipid and the DNA of LD complexes to be trapped in endocytic compartments, whereas in the case of LPD complexes, the DNA was clearly released from the endosomal compartments and, together with the peptide, internalized within the cell nucleus. Physicochemical characterization of the formulations carried out by light and neutron scattering, zeta potential measurement, and negative staining electron microscopy detected major structural differences between LD and LPD complexes. Gel electrophoresis assays additionally showed differences between the individual lipids tested in each type of formulation. In conclusion, the superior transfection of the trans lipids in the LD complexes was thought to be attributed to superior DNA binding caused by a more closely matched charge distribution of the more rigid, trans lipids with the DNA. In the case of the LPD complexes, the DNA was thought to be predominantly condensed by the cationic portion of the peptide forming a central core surrounded by a lipid bilayer from which the targeting sequence partially protrudes. The more fluid, cis lipids were thought to confer better activity in this formulation due to allowing more of the targeting peptide sequence to protrude.

Lipid chain geometry of C14 glycerol-based lipids: effect on lipoplex structure and transfection.

The effects have been determined of a systematic alteration of the alkyl chain geometry of a C14 analogue of DOTMA on the detailed molecular architecture of the resulting cationic vesicles formed both in the absence and presence of 50 mol% DOPE, and of the lipoplexes prepared from these vesicles using either calf thymus or plasmid DNA. The C14 DOTMA analogues studied involved cis- or trans-double bonds at positions Δ9 or Δ11, and a compound (ALK) featuring an alkyne at position C9. For all of these analogues, examination by light scattering and neutron scattering, zeta potential measurement, and negative staining electron microscopy showed that there were no significant differences in the structures or charges of the vesicles or of the resulting lipoplexes, regardless of the nature of the DNA incorporated. Differences were observed, however, between the complexes formed by the various lipids when examining the extent of complexation and release by gel electrophoresis, where the E-lipids appeared to complex the DNA more efficiently than all other lipids tested. Moreover, the lipoplexes prepared from the E-lipids were the most effective in transfection of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. As indicated through confocal microscopy studies, the E-lipids also showed a higher internalisation capacity and a more diffuse cellular distribution, possibly indicating a greater degree of endosomal escape and/or nuclear import. These observations suggest that the extent of complexation is the most important factor in determining the transfection efficiency of the complexes tested. At present it is unclear why the E-lipids were more effective at complexing DNA, although it is thought that the effective area per molecule occupied by the cationic lipid and DOPE head groups, and therefore the density of positive charges on the surface of the bilayer most closely matches the negative charge density of the DNA molecule. From a consideration of the geometry of the cationic lipids it is anticipated that the head groups of the E-lipids would occupy a smaller area per molecule than the ALK or Z-lipids.

Stabilized integrin-targeting ternary LPD (lipopolyplex) vectors for gene delivery designed to disassemble within the target cell.

Recent research in the field of nonviral gene delivery vectors has focused on preparing nanoparticles that are stabilized by the incorporation of a PEG coating and where one of the vector components is also cleavable. Here,we describe the synthesis, formulation, transfection properties, and biophysical studies of a PEG-stabilized ternary lipopolyplex vector in which, for the first time, both the lipid and peptide components are designed to be cleaved once the vector has been internalized. A series of cationic lipids, bearing short tri- or hexaethylene glycol groups, attached to the headgroup via an ester linkage, has been prepared. Trifunctional peptides have also been prepared, consisting of a Lys(16) sequence at the N-terminus (to bind and condense plasmid DNA); a spacer group (containing a sequence recognized and cleaved by endosomal enzymes) and an optional PEG4 amino acid; and an integrin-targeting cyclic peptide sequence (allowing the resulting nanoparticle to be internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis). Differing combinations of these lipids and peptides have been formulated with DOPE and with plasmid DNA, and complex stability, transfection, and cleavage studies carried out. It was shown that optimal transfection activities in a range of cell types and complex stabilities were achieved with lipids bearing short cleavable triethylene glycol moieties, whereas the incorporation of PEG4 amino acids into the cleavable peptides had little effect. We have synthesized appropriate fluorescently labeled components and have studied the uptake of the vector, endosomal escape, peptide cleavage, and plasmid transport to the nucleus in breast cancer cells using confocal microscopy. We have also studied the morphology of these compact, stabilized vectors using cryo-EM.

Mono- and dicationic short PEG and methylene dioxyalkylglycerols for use in synthetic gene delivery systems.

A range of monocationic and dicationic dioxyalkylglycerol cytofectins have been synthesised possessing methylene and short n-ethylene glycol spacers. The monocationic compounds were found to be effective in transfections when formulated as lipopolyplexes with peptide and DNA components, in particular with shorter PEG head groups which may have less effect on peptide targeting in the ternary complex.

In-vitro and in-vivo studies on a topical formulation of sitamaquine dihydrochloride for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The efficacy of topical formulations of the 8-aminoquinoline, sitamaquine dihydrochloride, in both in-vitro and in in-vivo models of cutaneous leishmaniasis is reported. In-vitro parasite assays confirmed that sitamaquine dihydrochloride was active against a range of Leishmania species that cause either cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis, with ED50 values against amastigotes over the range of 2.9 to 19.0 microM. A range of topical sitamaquine dihydrochloride formulations (anhydrous gel, emulsions) were developed for studies on experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis using only topically acceptable excipients or those currently undergoing regulatory approval. An uptake study into murine skin confirmed in-vitro skin penetration and retention. Several formulations were tested in-vivo against Leishmania major cutaneous lesions in BALB/c mice. None of the sitamaquine dihydrochloride formulations tested appeared to either slow lesion progression or reduce parasite burden.

The effect of electrolyte on the morphology of vesicles composed of the dialkyl polyoxyethylene ether surfactant 2C18E12.

Small-angle neutron-scattering (SANS) studies were performed on vesicles composed of 1,2-di-O-octadecyl-rac-glyceryl-3-(omega-methoxydodecaethylene glycol), in deuterium oxide (D2O) solutions with various ionic strengths of LiCl, NaCl and NaI. Gross vesicle morphologies, examined using freeze-fracture electron microscopy, showed that NaCl promoted the formation of multilamellar vesicles. Model fitting of the SANS data showed changes in bilayer parameters such as thickness and repeat spacings, in response to the presence of ions in the bulk solution. 2C18E12 vesicles in D2O are shown to exist as predominantly unilamellar structures with a bilayer thickness of approximately 51 A. Vesicles in increasing concentrations of LiCl and NaCl exhibit decreased layer thickness and increased lamelarity. Little change was observed for vesicles formed in NaI solutions. We suggest that these changes result from intrusion of E12 headgroups into the alkyl chain region of the vesicle bilayers, in response to the increase in concentration of ions present and their charge density.

Effect of cholesterol and phospholipid on the behavior of dialkyl polyoxyethylene ether surfactant (2C18E12) monolayers and bilayers.

Surface pressure-area isotherm, neutron specular reflection, and small-angle neutron scattering studies have been carried out to determine the effects of added cholesterol and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC), on the molecular structures of monolayers and vesicles containing the dialkyl polyoxyethylene ether surfactant, 1,2-di-O-octadecyl-rac-glyceryl-3-(alpha-dodecaethylene glycol) (2C18E12). Previous neutron reflectivity studies on 2C18E12 monolayers at the air/water interface have shown them to possess a thickness of approximately 24 angstoms and highly disordered structure with significant intermixing of the polymer headgroups and alkyl chains. SANS studies of 2C18E12 vesicles gave a bilayer thickness of approximately 51 angstroms. Addition of cholesterol to 2C18E12 monolayers (1:1 molar ratio), produced a marked condensing effect coupled with an increased the layer thickness of approximately 7 angstroms, and in vesicles, increased bilayer thickness by approximately 16 angstroms. Monolayers consisting of 2C18E12:DSPC:cholesterol (1:1:2 molar ratio), showed a layer thickness of approximately 31 angstroms, whereas in vesicles, three-component bilayer was found to be only approximately 9 angstroms thicker than those possessed by vesicles composed solely of 2C18E12. Mixing between the molecules in three-component monolayers was shown to be ideal through analysis of the neutron reflectivity data. These findings are discussed in relation to increased ordering and decreased headgroup/hydrophobe intermixing within both monolayers and vesicle bilayers containing 2C18E12. The inferred increase in molecular order within vesicles composed of 2C18E12 with additional cholesterol and phospholipid is used as a model for explaining theoretical differences in bilayer permeability.