Vinblastine-Loaded Nanoparticles with Enhanced Tumor-Targeting Efficiency and Decreasing Toxicity: Developed by One-Step Molecular Imprinting Process.

Molecularly imprinted polymers have exhibited good performance as carriers on drug loading and sustained release. In this paper, vinblastine (VBL)-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (VBL-NPs) were prepared by a one-step molecular imprinting process, avoiding the waste and incomplete removal of the template, and evaluated as targeting carriers for VBL delivery after modification. Using acryloyl amino acid comonomers and disulfide cross-linkers, VBL-NPs were synthesized and then conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol)-folate. The dynamic size of the obtained VBL-NPs-PEG-FA was 258.3 nm (PDI = 0.250), and the encapsulation efficiency was 45.82 ± 1.45%. The nanoparticles of VBL-NPs-PEG-FA were able to completely release VBL during 48 h under a mimic tumor intracellular condition (pH 4.5, 10 mM glutathione (GSH)), displaying significant redox responsiveness, whereas the release rates were much slower in the mimic body liquid (pH 7.4, 2 µM GSH) and tumor extracellular environment (pH 6.5, 2 µM GSH). Furthermore, the carriers NPs-PEG-FA, prepared without VBL, showed satisfactory intrinsic hemocompatibility, cellular compatibility, and tumor-targeting properties: they could rapidly and efficiently accumulate to folate receptor positive Hela cells and then internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis, and the retention in tumor tissues could last for over 48 h. Interestingly, VBL-NPs-PEG-FA could evidently increase the accumulation of VBL in tumor tissues while decreasing the distribution of VBL in organs, exert similar anticancer efficacy against Hela tumors in the xenograft model of nude mice to VBL injection, and significantly improve the abnormality of liver and spleen observed in VBL injection. VBL-NPs-PEG-FA has the potential to be the delivery carrier for VBL by enhancing the tumor-targeting efficacy of VBL and decreasing toxicity to normal tissues.

Sulfosalicylate mediates improved vinorelbine loading into LUVs and antineoplastic effects.

Liposomal vinorelbine formulation is desirable, as it might improve the therapeutic activity of vinorelbine. However, because of its lipophilic and membrane-permeable properties, vinorelbine is hard to be formulated into liposomes using conventional drug-loading technologies. To improve vinorelbine retention, ammonium salts of several anionic agents were employed to prepare liposomal vinorelbine formulations. It was found that 5-sulfosalicylate (5ssa) could form stable complexes with vinorelbine and stabilize entrapped vinorelbine. The resultant vesicles had an in vitro release t(1/2) of ~12.49 hours in NH(3)-containing media, which is longer than those of sulfate and phytate vesicles (~0.57 hours). The circulation half-life of vinorelbine after the injection of 5ssa vesicles into normal mice was ~13.01 hours, accounting for ~2-fold increase relative to that of sulfate vesicles. Improved drug retention correlated with enhanced antitumor efficacy. In the RM-1/c57 model, 5ssa vesicles were more efficacious than sulfate vesicles (P < 0.05). In RM-1/BDF1 and Lewis lung cancer/c57 models, antitumor efficacy was also considerably improved after vinorelbine encapsulation into 5ssa vesicles. For instance, in the RM/BDF1 model, liposomal vinorelbine was at least 4-fold more therapeutically active than free vinorelbine. Our results demonstrated that 5ssa could stabilize vinorelbine relative to other anions, resulting in the formulation with improved drug retention and efficacy. Improved vinorelbine retention might be associated with the formation of insoluble precipitate, which could be proved by precipitation study and decreased drug-release rate at a high D/L ratio.

Synthesis and study of a molecularly imprinted polymer for specific solid-phase extraction of vinflunine and its metabolite from biological fluids.

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized in order to specifically extract vinflunine, an anticancer agent, and its metabolite (4-O-deacetylvinflunine) from bovine plasma and artificial urine by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Vinorelbine, a non-fluorinated analogue of vinflunine, was selected as a template for MIP synthesis. The selectivity of MIP versus the template (vinorelbine) and other alkaloids (catharanthine, vinblastine, vincristine, vinflunine and 4-O-deacetylvinflunine) was shown by a SPE protocol carried out with non-aqueous samples. A second protocol was developed for aqueous samples with two consecutive washing steps (AcOH-NH2 OH buffer (pH 7, I=10 mM)-MeOH mixture 95:5 v/v and ACN-AcOH mixture 99:1 v/v) and an elution step (MeOH-AcOH mixture 90:10 v/v). Thus, MIP-SPE of bovine plasma brought high recoveries, 81 and 89% for vinflunine and its metabolite, respectively. This protocol was slightly modified for artificial urine samples in order to obtain a good MIP/NIP selectivity; furthermore, elution recoveries were 73 and 81% for vinflunine and its metabolite, respectively. Repeatability was assessed in both biological matrices and RSD (%) were inferior to 4%. The MIP also showed a suitable linearity (r(2) superior to 0.99), between 0.25 and 10 µg/mL for plasma, and between 1 and 5 µg/mL for artificial urine.

[Characterization of vinflunine tartrate liposomes in vitro and in vivo].

Vinflunine tartrate-loaded liposomes (VT-L) with two drug-to-lipid ratios were prepared by pH gradient method. Vesicle size and zeta potential were determined by the Zetasizer Nano ZS. Entrapment efficiency was evaluated by cation exchange resin centrifugalization method. The toxicity and tumor inhibition to nude mouse administrated by VT-L with different drug-to-lipid ratios were investigated and compared with the vinflunine tartrate injection (VT-I). The results showed that the mean particle size, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency of the VT-L with drug-to-lipid ratios of 1 : 5 and 1 : 10 were 124.6 nm and 128.3 nm, -25.3 mV and -22.8 mV, 94.46% and 97.31%, respectively. The VT-L with two different drug-to-lipid ratios has significantly higher anti-tumor effect to nude mouse transplanted human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 and lower toxicity than VT-I. While there were no significant differences in anti-tumor effect and toxicity between VT-L with two different drug-to-lipid ratios.

[Preparation and physicochemical properties of vinorelbine liposomes].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare the vinorelbine liposomes and investigate their physicochemical properties. METHODS: Vinorelbine liposomes were prepared by thin-film ultrasonication method. The morphology of the liposomes was detected by transmission electron microscopy. The partical size distribution and zeta potential were investigated by laser scattering. Sephadex G-50 was applied to separate the free drug and liposomes in order to determine the entrapment efficiency and leakage efficiency of the liposomes. The release characteristics of vinorelbine liposomes were measured by dialysis method. RESULTS: The particle size of the liposome was 149.2 nm, the bilayer of the liposome was observed obviously. The zeta potential was 38.62 mv. The entrapment efficiency of vinorelbine liposomes was more than 85% (n=3), and the leakage efficiency was less than 9.0% preserved in refrigerator ( <4 degrees C). In vitro release test, it could sustain for 24 h and conform to the Higuchi model. CONCLUSION: The vinorelbine liposomes have uniform partical size, fine-looking, high entrapment efficiency and sustained releasing effect.

Improved pharmacokinetics and efficacy of a highly stable nanoliposomal vinorelbine.

Effective liposomal formulations of vinorelbine (5' nor-anhydro-vinblastine; VRL) have been elusive due to vinorelbine's hydrophobic structure and resulting difficulty in stabilizing the drug inside the nanocarrier. Triethylammonium salts of several polyanionic trapping agents were used initially to prepare minimally pegylated nanoliposomal vinorelbine formulations with a wide range of drug release rates. Sulfate, poly(phosphate), and sucrose octasulfate were used to stabilize vinorelbine intraliposomally while in circulation, with varying degrees of effectiveness. The release rate of vinorelbine from the liposomal carrier was affected by both the chemical nature of the trapping agent and the resulting drug-to-lipid ratio, with liposomes prepared using sucrose octasulfate displaying the longest half-life in circulation (9.4 h) and in vivo retention in the nanoparticle (t(1/2) = 27.2 h). Efficacy was considerably improved in both a human colon carcinoma (HT-29) and a murine (C-26) colon carcinoma model when vinorelbine was stably encapsulated in liposomes using triethylammonium sucrose octasulfate. Early difficulties in preparing highly pegylated formulations were later overcome by substituting a neutral distearoylglycerol anchor for the more commonly used anionic distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine anchor. The new pegylated nanoliposomal vinorelbine displayed high encapsulation efficiency and in vivo drug retention, and it was highly active against human breast and lung tumor xenografts. Acute toxicity of the drug in immunocompetent mice slightly decreased upon encapsulation in liposomes, with a maximum tolerated dose of 17.5 mg VRL/kg for free vinorelbine and 23.8 mg VRL/kg for nanoliposomal vinorelbine. Our results demonstrate that a highly active, stable, and long-circulating liposomal vinorelbine can be prepared and warrants further study in the treatment of cancer.

Studies on PEG-modified SLNs loading vinorelbine bitartrate (I): preparation and evaluation in vitro.

In this study, the conjugate of PEG2000-stearic acid (PEG2000-SA) was used to prepare PEGylated solid lipid nanoparticles loading vinorelbine bitartrate (VB-pSLNs) by cold homogenization technique. The particle size and zeta potential of resulted VB-pSLNs ranged 180-250nm and 0-10mV, which were determined using a Zetasizer, respectively. Although the drug entrapment efficiency (EE) slightly decreased after the PEG modification of VB-SLNs, above 60 % EE could be reached. The drug release tests in vitro indicated the faster drug release from VB-pSLNs than that from VB-SLNs without PEG modification. To investigate the cellular uptake of VB-pSLNs, the chemical conjugate of octadecylamine-fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC-ODA) was synthesized, and was used as a fluorescence marker to incorporate into nanoparticles. The results from cellular uptake indicated that the phagocytosis of VB-pSLNs by RAW264.7 cells was inhibited effectively by the PEG modification of SLNs, while the uptake by cancer cells (MCF-7 and A549) could be improved significantly. The assay of anticancer activity in vitro demonstrated that the anticancer activity of VB was significantly enhanced by the encapsulation of SLNs and pSLNs due to the increased cellular internalization of drug. The results suggested that SLNs and pSLNs could be excellent carrier candidates to entrap VB for tumor chemotherapeutics.

A lipid microsphere vehicle for vinorelbine: Stability, safety and pharmacokinetics.

A lipid microsphere vehicle for vinorelbine (VRL) was designed to reduce the severe venous irritation caused by the aqueous intravenous formulation of VRL. Lipid microspheres (LMs) were prepared by high pressure homogenization. The physical stability was monitored by the appearance, particle size and zeta potential changes while the chemical stability was achieved by using effective antioxidants and monitored by long-term investigations. Safety tests were performed by testing rabbit ear vein irritation and a guinea pig hypersensitivity reaction. A pharmacokinetic study was performed by determining the drug levels in plasma up to 24h after intravenous administration of VRL-loaded LMs and conventional VRL aqueous injection separately. The VRL-loaded LMs had a particle size of 180.5+/-35.2nm with a 90% cumulative distribution less than 244.1nm, while the drug entrapment efficiency was 96.8%, and it remained stable for 12 months at 6+/-2 degrees C. The VRL-loaded LMs were less irritating and toxic than the conventional VRL aqueous injection. The pharmacokinetic profiles were similar and the values of AUC(0-t) were very close for the two formulations. A stable and easily mass-produced VRL-loaded LM preparation has been developed. It produces less venous irritation and is less toxic but has similar pharmacokinetics in vivo to the VRL aqueous injection currently commercially available.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of a combination chemotherapy formulation consisting of vinorelbine and phosphatidylserine.

The purpose of these studies was to design an intravenous drug formulation consisting of two active agents having synergistic in vitro activity. Specifically, we describe a novel drug combination consisting of a cytotoxic agent (vinorelbine) with an apoptosis-inducing lipid (phosphatidylserine, PS). In vitro cytotoxicity screening of PS and vinorelbine, alone and in combination, against human MDA435/LCC6 breast cancer and H460 lung cancer cells was used to identify the molar ratio of these two agents required for synergistic activity. PS and vinorelbine were co-formulated in a lipid-based system at the synergistic molar ratio and the pharmacokinetic and antitumor characteristics of the combination assessed in mice bearing H460 tumors. The cytotoxicity of the lipid, and the synergy between the lipid and vinorelbine, were specific to PS; these effects were not observed using control lipids. A novel formulation of PS, incorporated as a membrane component in liposomes, and encapsulating vinorelbine using a pH gradient based loading method was developed. The PS to vinorelbine ratio in this formulation was 1/1, a ratio that produced synergistic in vitro cytotoxicity over a broad concentration range. The vinorelbine and PS dual-agent treatment significantly delayed the growth of subcutaneous human H460 xenograft tumors in Rag2M mice compared to the same dose of free vinorelbine given alone or given as a cocktail of the free vinorelbine simultaneously with empty PS-containing liposomes. These studies demonstrate the potential to develop clinically relevant drug combinations identified using in vitro drug-drug interactions combined with lipid-based delivery systems to co-formulate drugs at their synergistic ratios.

[Optimization of the polymerization conditions of vinblastine imprinted polymer by uniform design].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the polymerization conditions of vinblastine (VLB) imprinted polymer. METHODS: The conditions were optimized by the method of uniform design. The major factors investigated included the amount of functional monomer (MAA) and the cross-linker (EDMA) and the progenic solvent (toluene or acetonitril). The adsorption rate of VLB on the solid-phase extraction (SPE) column packed with MIP was adopted as the response value. RESULTS: The optimal conditions were MAA 0.4 mmol, EDMA 1.6 mmol and using acetonitrile as the solvent. Under the conditions,the VLB imprinted polymer was synthesized and the absorption rate of VLB was 88.20%. The characterizations of the optimal MIP were determined by IR spectrometry and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. CONCLUSION: It is possible to furtherly improve the nature of the polymer by optimizing the polymerization parameters with uniform design. The polymer synthesized under the optimal conditions exhibited high affinity to the target molecule VLB.

Characterization of pegylated and non-pegylated liposomal formulation for the delivery of hypoxia activated vinblastine-N-oxide for the treatment of solid tumors.

Solid tumors often contain hypoxic regions which are resistant to standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We have developed a liposomal delivery system for a prodrug of vinblastine (CPD100) which converts to the parent compound only in the presence of lower oxygen levels. As a part of this work we have developed and optimized two formulations of CPD100: one composed of sphingomyelin/cholesterol (55/45; mol/mol) (CPD100Li) and the other composed of sphingomyelin/cholesterol/PEG (55/40/5; mol/mol) (CPD100 PEGLi). We evaluated the antiproliferative effect of CPD100 and the two formulations against A549 non-small lung cancer cell. A549 cell line showed to be sensitive to CPD100 and the two formulations displayed a higher hypoxic: air cytotoxicity ratio compared to the pro-drug. CPD100 elimination from the circulation after injection in mouse was characterized by a very short circulation time (~0.44h), lower area under the curve (AUC) (33µgh/mL) and high clearance (916mL/h/kg) and lower volume of distribution (17.4mL/kg).Total drug elimination from the circulation after the administration of liposomal formulation was characterized by prolonged circulation time (5.5h) along with increase in the AUC (56µgh/mL) for CPD100 Li and (9.5h) with AUC (170µgh/mL) for CPD100PEGLi. This was observed along with increase in volume of distribution and decrease in clearance for the liposomes. The systemic exposure of the free drug was much lower than that achieved with the liposomes. When evaluated for the efficacy in A549 xenograft model in mice, both the liposomes demonstrated excellent tumor suppression and reduction for 3months. The blood chemistry panel and the comprehensive blood analysis showed no increase or decrease in the markers and blood count. In summary, the pharmacokinetic analysis along with the efficacy data emphasis on how the delivery vehicle modifies and enhances the accumulation of the drug and at the same time the increased systemic exposure is not related to toxicity.

Formation of drug-arylsulfonate complexes inside liposomes: a novel approach to improve drug retention.

The development of procedures to enhance drug retention in liposomes is important in order to achieve therapeutically optimized rates of drug release from liposomal carriers. In this study, the ability of lipophilic weak base drugs to complex with arylsulfonates resulting in formation of intravesicular precipitates is investigated as a means to enhance drug retention. It is shown that the arylsulfonates benzenesulfonate and hydroxybenzenesulfonate (HBS) induce precipitation of ciprofloxacin and vinorelbine, two representative weak base drugs that are difficult to retain in liposomal systems. The most complete precipitation was observed at pH values corresponding to charge neutralization of the drug-arylsulfonate complex. HBS is shown to be a much more effective precipitating agent than benzenesulfonate. It is also shown that vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin can be loaded into large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) containing the calcium salt of HBS using an ionophore-based loading method. Following drug loading, the formation of intravesicular drug-arylsulfonate precipitates of vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin was observed by cryo-electron microscopy. In vitro release experiments showed substantial improvements in drug retention for both vinorelbine and ciprofloxacin when HBS was present as compared to standard loading procedures employing MgSO4 as the entrapped solute. In vivo release experiments for vinorelbine in NuNu mice indicated a half-time for release for HBS-containing LUV of approximately 30 h, compared to 6.4 h for LUV loaded employing MgSO4. It is suggested that encapsulation procedures employing HBS in the internal medium can improve the retention of drugs that are difficult to retain in liposomes, possibly leading to enhanced therapeutic properties.

Peptide-conjugated nanoparticles for targeted imaging and therapy of prostate cancer.

While there has been extensive development of anti-cancer drugs for treatment of prostate cancer, the therapeutic efficacy of such drugs remains inadequate in many cases. Here, we performed in vitro biopanning of the PC3 human prostate carcinoma cell line to select prostate cancer-specific peptides by phage display. We successfully identified specific peptides targeting prostate cancer cells, and their specificity was confirmed by cellular ELISA and flow cytometry. Moreover, we found that the phage clones also recognize other prostate cancer cell lines and surgical specimens from prostate cancer patients. The tumor targeting ability of these phages was validated in a xenograft model, in which high accumulation of targeting phage was observed. To investigate whether selected peptides are able to target tumors and enhance drug delivery into cancer cells, we synthesized peptide-PEGylated lipids and post-inserted them into preformed liposomal doxorubicin and vinorelbine. The results of our cellular uptake and MTT assays indicate that peptide-conjugated liposomes exhibit enhanced drug intracellular delivery and cytotoxicity. The conjugation of targeting peptide to imaging agents, such as quantum dots (QDs) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), results in more precise delivery of these agents to tumor sites. Furthermore, administration of liposomal doxorubicin and vinorelbine conjugated with targeting peptides was found to markedly increase the inhibition of human prostate tumor growth in mouse xenograft and orthotopic models. These results indicate that targeting peptide, SP204, has significant potential for targeted therapy and molecular imaging in prostate cancer.

Liposome-encapsulated vincristine, vinblastine and vinorelbine: a comparative study of drug loading and retention.

A comparative study of the loading and retention properties of three structurally very closely related vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinorelbine and vinblastine) in liposomal formulations has been performed. All three vinca alkaloids showed high levels of encapsulation when accumulated into egg sphingomyelin/cholesterol vesicles in response to a transmembrane pH gradient generated by the use of the ionophore A23187 and encapsulated MgSO4. However, despite the close similarities of their structures the different vinca drugs exhibited very different release behavior, with vinblastine and vinorelbine being released faster than vincristine both in vitro and in vivo. The differences in loading and retention can be related to the lipophilicity of the drugs tested, where the more hydrophobic drugs are released more rapidly. It was also found that increasing the drug-to-lipid ratio significantly enhanced the retention of vinca alkaloids when the ionophore-based method was used for drug loading. In contrast, drug retention was not dependent on the initial drug-to-lipid ratio for vinca drugs loaded into liposomes containing an acidic citrate buffer. The differences in retention can be explained on the basis of differences in the physical state of the drug inside the liposomes. The drug-to-lipid ratio dependence of retention observed for liposomes loaded with the ionophore technique may provide a way to improve the retention characteristics of liposomal formulations of vinca drugs.

Optimization and characterization of a sphingomyelin/cholesterol liposome formulation of vinorelbine with promising antitumor activity.

Vinorelbine (VRL) is a particularly lipophilic member of the vinca alkaloids which, as a class of drugs, exhibit improved cytotoxicity and therapeutic activity through increased duration of exposure. Here, we describe and optimize a sphingomyelin/cholesterol (SM/Chol) liposome formulation of VRL to maximize in vivo drug retention, plasma circulation time, and therapeutic activity. VRL was efficiently encapsulated (>90%) into 100 nm liposomes using an ionophore-mediated loading method. VRL retention in SM/Chol liposomes after intravenous injection in mice was dependent on drug-to-lipid ratio (D/L), with higher D/L ratios exhibiting increased drug retention (0.3 > 0.2 > 0.1, wt/wt) and improved pharmacokinetics. Cryo-electron microscopic examination of a high D/L ratio formulation indicated that the intravesicular regions of these liposomes were electron dense compared with empty liposomes. The optimized, high D/L ratio SM/Chol VRL formulation showed promising activity against subcutaneous B16 melanoma tumors compared with VRL or SM/Chol formulations of vincristine or vinblastine. Finally, the stability of the formulation was excellent (<5% drug leakage, >99% intact VRL, no changes in liposome size after 1 year at 2-8 degrees C). The optimized drug retention properties of the SM/Chol formulation of VRL, combined with its promising antitumor activity and pharmaceutical stability, make this formulation an excellent candidate for future clinical development.

A near-infrared two-photon-sensitive peptide-mediated liposomal delivery system.

Tumour-oriented nanocarrier drug delivery approaches with photo-sensitivity have been drawing considerable attention over the years. However, due to its low penetrability and ability to induce tissue damage, the use of UV light for triggered nanocarrier release in in vivo applications has been limited. Compared with UV light, near-infrared (NIR) light deeply penetrates tissues and is less damaging to cells. Here, we report on the development of a novel method employing photo-sensitive cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which can be used to trigger the transport of liposomes into cells following stimulation, which was irradiation with NIR light in this case. The positive charges of the lysine residues on the CPP were temporarily caged by a NIR two-photon excitation-responsive protective group (PG), thereby forming photo-sensitive peptides (PSPs). The PSP was connected with DSPE via a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer to prepare the modified liposomes (PSP-L). Once illuminated by NIR light in tumour tissues, these PGs were cleaved, and the positively charged CPP regained its activity and facilitated rapid intracellular delivery of the liposomes into cancer cells. The PSP-L carrying vinorelbine bitartrate prepared in this work possessed suitable physiochemical properties. In addition, strong cellular uptake and cytotoxic activity of PSP-L in MCF-7 cells were correlated with NIR illumination. Furthermore, triggered NIR activation of PSP-L led to higher antitumour efficacy in the MCF-7 tumour model in nude mice compared with the unmodified liposomes (N-L). In conclusion, the application of PSP modifications to drug-carrying liposomes may provide an approach for the targeted delivery of antitumour agents.

PEGylated VRB plus quinacrine cationic liposomes for treating non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer, and the treatment effects are usually unsatisfactory. Vinorelbine (VRB) is extensively used in cancer treatment, but it has some disadvantages when used alone. PEGylated liposomes have been extensively used as a delivery carrier for antitumor drugs via prolonging the circulation time in the blood. PURPOSE: The nanostructured liposomes were designed and prepared for treating NSCLC. METHODS: In the liposomes, PEG was modified on the liposomal surface, DC-Chol was used as cationic materials, and VRB plus quinacrine were encapsulated in an aqueous core of the liposomes as an antitumor drug and an apoptosis-inducing agent, respectively. Evaluations were performed on A549 cells, tubular network formations and xenografts of the A549 cells. RESULTS: The PEGylated drugs-loaded cationic liposomes could significantly enhance cellular uptake and selectively accumulate in A549 cells, thus leading to show strongest antitumor efficacy to tumor cells and to tumor-bearing mice. Action mechanisms showed that the enhanced efficacy in treating NSCLC was related to activate caspase 9 and caspase 3, to activate Bax and P53, and to suppress Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. CONCLUSION: The PEGylated VRB plus quinacrine cationic liposomes showed a potential strategy for treating NSCLC.

A comparison of weight average and direct boundary fitting of sedimentation velocity data for indefinite polymerizing systems.

Analysis of sedimentation velocity data for indefinite self-associating systems is often achieved by fitting of weight average sedimentation coefficients (s(20,w)) However, this method discriminates poorly between alternative models of association and is biased by the presence of inactive monomers and irreversible aggregates. Therefore, a more robust method for extracting the binding constants for indefinite self-associating systems has been developed. This approach utilizes a set of fitting routines (SedAnal) that perform global non-linear least squares fits of up to 10 sedimentation velocity experiments, corresponding to different loading concentrations, by a combination of finite element simulations and a fitting algorithm that uses a simplex convergence routine to search parameter space. Indefinite self-association is analyzed with the software program isodesfitter, which incorporates user provided functions for sedimentation coefficients as a function of the degree of polymerization for spherical, linear and helical polymer models. The computer program hydro was used to generate the sedimentation coefficient values for the linear and helical polymer assembly mechanisms. Since this curve fitting method directly fits the shape of the sedimenting boundary, it is in principle very sensitive to alternative models and the presence of species not participating in the reaction. This approach is compared with traditional fitting of weight average data and applied to the initial stages of Mg(2+)-induced tubulin self-associating into small curved polymers, and vinblastine-induced tubulin spiral formation. The appropriate use and limitations of the methods are discussed.

Encapsulation of vinblastine into new liposome formulations prepared from triticum (wheat germ) lipids and its activity against human leukemic cell lines.

Liposomes prepared from lipids isolated from Triticum sp. (wheat germ) were used to investigate the percentage of Vinblastine encapsulation and its retention into liposomes. The wheat germ total lipids (TL) were extracted by the Bligh-Dyer method and the lipid classes have been isolated using chromatographic techniques. The type of lipids and their percentage content have been examined by TLC coupled with an FID (latroscan). Two liposomal formulations, i.e., I and II, with encapsulated vinblastine, and formulation III (empty liposomes) have been prepared by thin film hydration method. The cytotoxic/cytostatic activity of these liposomal formulations have been examined against nine human leukemic cell lines. The results showed that the percentage content of vinblastine into liposomes I and II depended on the lipid composition and it was greater into formulation II (> 90%). The retention of the drug into liposomes was studied and found to be time-dependent at 37 degrees C. For the cytotoxic/cytostatic activity, the parameters GI50, TGI, LC50 were estimated according to the instructions given by the NCI. The results show that formulation III (empty liposomes), exhibited a growth inhibiting activity, against the most tested cell lines. Formulation II showed mean of LC50 at 124.6 nM, mean of TGI at 71.6 nM and mean of GI50 at 30.8 nM.

Accumulation of vinblastine into transfersomes and liposomes in response to a transmembrane ammonium sulfate gradient and their cytotoxic/cytostatic activity in vitro.

Vinblastine was encapsulated into liposomes composed from lipids dimiristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), with cholesterol and transfersomes with sodium cholate prepared by the thin film hydration method. The percentage of vinblastine encapsulation, the stability of transfersomes and liposomes and the rate of release of encapsulated vinblastine at 37 degrees C were studied. The results showed that encapsulation of vinblastine into liposomes was higher than 98% at a drug/phospholipid molar ratio from 0.17 to 0.18, while encapsulation of vinblastine into transfersomes varied from 50% to 80% at a drug/phospholipid molar ratio from 0.05 to 0.09. The retention of drug in liposomes and in transfersomes was found to be time/dependent. The retention of drug in transfersomes compared to the liposomes was reduced due to the presence of sodium cholate which caused destabilization and reduced the main phase transition temperature Tm of the PC bilayers. The cytotoxic/cytostatic activity of the two liposome formulations and the two transfersome formulations with or without encapsulated vinblastine were examined against nine human cell lines and the parameters GI50, TGI, LC50 were estimated according to the NCI protocol. Free DPPC/sodium cholate liposomes found to exhibit strong antiproliferative activity in contrast to the other three free liposomal formulations (DPPC/cholesterol, DMPC/cholesterol, DMPC/sodium cholate). On the other hand, vinblastine encapsulated into the liposomes found to exhibit 20-fold less activity on average, in the three parameters calculate compare to the free vinblastine.