1-2-dioleoyloxy-3-(trimethylammonium)propane and Hemolysis

Antisense technology holds tremendous potential in the research and clinical settings. However, successful delivery of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to the intracellular site of action requires the passage of many barriers, including survival against extracellular serum nucleases and escape from endolysosomal degradation. Previous work has shown that the effectiveness of antisense delivery by the cationic liposome, dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), is enhanced substantially by the incorporation of a pH-sensitive polymer, poly (propylacrylic acid) (PPAA), in serum-free media. To improve this system for application in serum-containing media conditions, PPAA was modified in this work by grafting onto it either poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or a more hydrophobic analog, poly (oxyalkylene amine), known as Jeffamine. The ternary formulation of DOTAP/ODN/PPAA-g-Jeffamine resulted in 8-fold increased uptake of fluorescently-labeled ODNs compared to DOTAP/ODN/PPAA and ~80% silencing of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in CHO-d1EGFP cells treated in the presence of 10% FBS-containing media. In contrast, the carrier systems that contained PPAA or PPAA-g-PEO failed to display any significant antisense activity in the presence of serum, even though all of the delivery systems displayed moderate to high levels of antisense activity in serum-free conditions. The results reveal that the carrier system with the Jeffamine graft copolymer effectively mediates specific gene silencing in the presence of serum, while the system with the PEO graft copolymer fails to do so. While the pH-dependent lytic functionality of PPAA was found to be lost upon grafting with PEO or Jeffamine, the hydrophobicity of the latter was sufficient to mediate cellular internalization and endosomal escape. Thus, the PPAA-g-Jeffamine copolymers hold substantial promise as agents for controlled therapeutic delivery of antisense oligonucleotides.

Topics: Acrylates; Amines; Animals; Biological Transport; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Endosomes; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Gene Silencing; Genes, Reporter; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Hemolysis; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; Polyethylene Glycols; Polymers; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Serum; Transfection

The delivery of active biomacromolecules to the cytoplasm is a major challenge as it is generally hindered by the endosomal/lysosomal barrier. Synthetic titratable polyanions can overcome this barrier by destabilizing membrane bilayers at pH values typically found in endosomes. This study investigates how anionic polyelectrolytes can enhance the cytoplasmic delivery of an antisense oligonucleotide (ODN). Novel methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymers were examined for their pH-sensitive properties and ability to destabilize cell membranes in a pH-dependent manner. Ternary complex formulations prepared with the ODN, a cationic lipid and a MAA copolymer were systematically characterized with respect to their size, zeta potential, antisense activity, cytotoxicity and cellular uptake using the A549 human lung carcinoma cell line. The MAA copolymer substantially increased the activity of the antisense ODN in inhibiting the expression of protein kinase C-alpha. Uptake, cytotoxicity and antisense activity were strongly dependent on copolymer concentration. Metabolic inhibitors demonstrated that endocytosis was the major internalization pathway of the complexes, and that endosomal acidification was essential for ODN activity. Confocal microscopy analysis of cells incubated with fluorescently-labeled complexes revealed selective delivery of the ODN, but not of the copolymer, to the cytoplasm/nucleus. This study provides new insight into the mechanisms of intracellular delivery of macromolecular drugs, using synthetic anionic polyelectrolytes.

Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Nucleus; Cytoplasm; Endocytosis; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Dyes; Gene Silencing; Hemolysis; Humans; Liposomes; Microscopy, Confocal; Molecular Weight; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; Polymethacrylic Acids; Protein Kinase C-alpha; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

We studied the formation and stability of vesicles consisting of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) and phosphatidylcholines by electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis and observation of their hemolytic activities. In contrast with previous findings on dimethyldialkylammoniums, DOTAP formed vesicles at 37 degrees C with phosphatidylcholines containing either saturated acyl chains such as dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) or unsaturated acyl chains such as dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC). Phosphatidylcholines made the bilayer more rigid and significantly reduced the hemolytic activity of DOTAP. In the presence of equimolar concentration of DOTAP and phosphatidylcholines, formation of tightly aggregated structures of several erythrocytes was observed, as previously reported for the vesicles containing dimethyldipalmitylammonium. These findings indicate that DOTAP vesicles were stabilized by phosphatidylcholines with either saturated acyl chains or unsaturated acyl chains, and the interaction with the lipid bilayer of biological membranes as cationic vesicles became prominent with minimal membrane damage by DOTAP monomers.

Topics: Animals; Cations; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Erythrocyte Aggregation; Erythrocyte Membrane; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Guinea Pigs; Hemolysis; In Vitro Techniques; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Phosphatidylcholines; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Ultrasonics