Lipid model membranes for drug interaction study

Eur Biophys J. 2006 May;35(5):431-8. doi: 10.1007/s00249-006-0050-1. Epub 2006 Apr 6.

Abstract

The present work shows a structural study on the process of incorporation of a hydrophobic drug, Ellipticine (ELPT), into lipid model membranes for drug targeting purpose. The ELPT is an alkaloid that showed an anti-proliferation activity against several types of tumor cells and against the HIV1 virus. We used the zwitterionic lipid dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and four different anionic lipids: cardiolipin (CL), dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid (DPPA), dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylserine (DPPS), both spread on a Langmuir monolayer and deposited on a solid substrate to mimic a model membrane and study the interaction with the drug ELPT. X-ray reflectivity results pointed toward an increase in drug loading efficiency up to 13.5% mol/mol of ELPT into mixed systems DPPC/CL. This increase in loading efficiency was also accompanied by a slight distortion in the stacking of the bilayers less evidenced after optimization of the molar ratio between the co-lipids. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements revealed an in-plane lattice distortion due to the presence of hydrocarbon chain backbone ordering in pure systems of DPPC doped with ELPT. The same was not observed in mixed membranes with DPPC/CL and DPPC/DPPA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Drug Design*
  • Ellipticines / chemistry*
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Membrane Fluidity*
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Phospholipids / chemistry*

Substances

  • Ellipticines
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Phospholipids
  • ellipticine