DNA encapsulation within co-guanidine membrane coated alginate beads and protection from extracapsular nuclease.

Co-guanidine membranes were shown to form intact, ionically complexed membranes on alginate beads, serving as an alternative to the commonly used polymers, poly-L-lysine and chitosan. DNA was encapsulated and membrane thickness, the level of DNA protection from nuclease diffusion and the degree of DNA-complexation with co-guanidine membranes were all shown to be dependent on both polymer concentration and coating time. The highest level of DNAse exclusion was possible within beads coated with a polymer concentration of 5 mg/ml. Recovery of double-stranded DNA after nuclease exposure for 60 min reached 90% of that initially encapsulated. The molecular weight cut-off for these co-guanidine membranes was approximately 31 kDa, sufficient to exclude extracapsular nuclease. The level of DNA protection was found to be comparable to high molecular weight poly-L-lysine membranes (197.1 kDa). Intracapsular DNA was accessible to the carcinogen ethidium bromide, which showed a 4-fold increase in uptake in uncoated beads and 2-fold uptake in co-guanidine coated beads compared to beads lacking in DNA. Co-guanidine membranes coating alginate result in a molecular weight cut-off sufficient to retain DNA and exclude 31 kDa DNAse, while providing access to the low molecular weight carcinogen, ethidium bromide.

Stability of chitosan and poly-L-lysine membranes coating DNA-alginate beads when exposed to hydrolytic enzymes.

Soluble chitosan and poly-L-lysine are readily hydrolysed using lysozyme or chitosanase for chitosan, and trypsin, chymotrypsin or proteinase K for poly-L-lysine. For similar amounts of enzyme, chitosanase hydrolysed 57% of the chitosan, compared to 35% for lysozyme. In the case of poly-L-lysine, chymotrypsin and trypsin exhibited similar activities, hydrolysing approximately 41% of the polymer compared to proteinase K at only 16%. In contrast, chitosan and poly-L-lysine membranes, coating alginate beads, were almost totally inert to the respective hydrolytic enzymes. Less than 2% of the membrane weight was hydrolysed. It appears that either membrane material would be stable for in vivo application, and in particular in the protection of DNA during gastrointestinal transit. At chitosanase concentrations of 1.4 mg/ml and in the presence of sodium ions, 20% of the total double-stranded DNA was released from chitosan coated beads. An exchange of calcium for sodium within the bead liquefied the alginate core releasing DNA. The presence of calcium stabilized the alginate bead, retaining all the DNA. Highly pure DNA was recovered from beads through mechanical membrane disruption, core liquefaction in citrate and use of DNA spin-columns to separate DNA/alginate mixtures in a citrate buffer. DNA recovery efficiencies as high as 94% were achieved when the initial alginate/DNA weight ratio was 1000.

Electrophoretic extraction and analysis of DNA from chitosan or poly-L-lysine-coated alginate beads.

Alginate beads containing entrapped DNA were produced using both external and internal calcium sources, and coated with chitosan or poly-L-lysine membranes. The beads were assayed with DNase nuclease to determine formulation conditions offering the highest level of DNA protection from nucleic acid hydrolysis, simulating gastrointestinal exposure. A method was developed to extract and assay intracapsular DNA through a modified agarose electrophoresis system. Both external and internally gelled beads were permeable to DNase (Mw = 31 kDa), indicated by the absence of DNA after nuclease exposure. At low levels of DNase exposure, coated high guluronic content alginate beads offered a higher level of DNA protection compared with coated beads with low guluronic alginate. No apparent correlation was found with chitosan membrane molecular weight and degree of deacetylation; however, increasing poly-L-lysine molecular weight appeared to increase DNase exclusion from beads. At elevated levels of DNase exposure, DNA hydrolysis was evident within all coated beads with the exception of those coated with the highest molecular weight poly-L-lysine (Mw = 197.1 kDa), which provided almost total nuclease protection. Optimal combination then for DNA protection from nucleases is a high guluronic alginate core, coated with high molecular weight poly-L-lysine.

External versus internal source of calcium during the gelation of alginate beads for DNA encapsulation.

Alginate gels produced by an external or internal gelation technique were studied so as to determine the optimal bead matrix within which DNA can be immobilized for in vivo application. Alginates were characterized for guluronic/mannuronic acid (G/M) content and average molecular weight using 1H-NMR and LALLS analysis, respectively. Nonhomogeneous calcium, alginate, and DNA distributions were found within gels made by the external gelation method because of the external calcium source used. In contrast, the internal gelation method produces more uniform gels. Sodium was determined to exchange for calcium ions at a ratio of 2:1 and the levels of calcium complexation with alginate appears related to bead strength and integrity. The encapsulation yield of double-stranded DNA was over 97% and 80%, respectively, for beads formed using external and internal calcium gelation methods, regardless of the composition of alginate. Homogeneous gels formed by internal gelation absorbed half as much DNAse as compared with heterogeneous gels formed by external gelation. Testing of bead weight changes during formation, storage, and simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions (pH 1.2 and 7.0) showed that high alginate concentration, high G content, and homogeneous gels (internal gelation) result in the lowest bead shrinkage and alginate leakage. These characteristics appear best suited for stabilizing DNA during GI transit.

DNA protection from extracapsular nucleases, within chitosan- or poly-L-lysine-coated alginate beads.

DNA was immobilized within alginate matrix using an external or an internal calcium source, and then membrane coated with chitosan or poly-L-lysine. Membrane thickness increased with decreasing polymer molecular weight and increasing degree of deacetylation (chitosan). Beads were exposed to a 31,000 molecular weight nuclease to determine the levels of DNA protection offered by different membrane and matrix combinations. Almost total hydrolysis of DNA was observed in alginate beads following nuclease exposure. Less than 1% of total double-stranded DNA remained unhydrolyzed within chitosan- or poly-L-lysine-coated beads, corresponding with an increase in DNA residuals (i.e. double- and single-stranded DNA, polynucleotides, bases). Chitosan membranes did not offer sufficient DNA protection from DNase diffusion since all of the double-stranded DNA was hydrolyzed after 40 min of exposure. Both chitosan and poly-L-lysine membranes reduced the permeability of alginate beads, shown by enhanced retention of DNA residuals after DNase exposure. The highest level of DNA protection within freshly prepared beads was obtained with high molecular weight (197,100) poly-L-lysine membranes coated on beads formed using an external calcium source, where over 80% of the double-stranded DNA remained after 40 min of DNase exposure. Lyophilization and rehydration of DNA beads also reduced permeability to nucleases, resulted in DS-DNA recoveries of 60% for chitosan-coated, 90% for poly-L-lysine-coated, and 95% for uncoated alginate beads.

Microencapsulation of DNA within alginate microspheres and crosslinked chitosan membranes for in vivo application.

Calf thymus DNA was microencapsulated within crosslinked chitosan membranes, or immobilized within chitosan-coated alginate microspheres. Microcapsules were prepared by interfacial polymerization of chitosan, and alginate microspheres formed by emulsification/internal gelation. Diameters ranged from 20 to 500 microns, depending on the formulation conditions. Encapsulated DNA was quantified in situ by direct spectrophotometry (260 nm) and ethidium bromide fluorimetry, and compared to DNA measurements on the fractions following disruption and dissolution of the microspheres. Approximately 84% of the DNA was released upon core dissolution and membrane disruption, with 12% membrane bound. The yield of encapsulation was 96%. Leakage of DNA from intact microspheres/capsules was not observed. DNA microcapsules and microspheres were recovered intact from rat feces following gavage and gastrointestinal transit. Higher recoveries (60%) and reduced shrinkage during transit were obtained with the alginate microspheres. DNA was recovered and purified from the microcapsules and microspheres by chromatography and differential precipitation with ethanol. This is the first report of microcapsules or microspheres containing biologically active material (DNA) being passed through the gastrointestinal tract, with the potential for substantial recovery.