Effect of local anesthetics on the bilayer membrane of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine: interdigitation of lipid bilayer and vesicle-micelle transition

Lidosomes: Innovative Vesicular Systems Prepared from Lidocaine Surfadrug

Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic drug with an amphiphilic structure able to self-associate, under certain conditions, in molecular aggregates playing the role of both carrier and drug. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal conditions for obtaining vesicular carriers, called lidosomes. The new formulations were obtained using both lidocaine and lidocaine hydrochloride and different hydration medias (distilled water, acid, and basic aqueous solution). Lidosomes formulations were characterized in terms of size, ζ-potential, drug retained, stability formulation, and ex vivo permeation profile. Moreover, lidosomes were incorporated in two different gel structures: one based on carboxymethylcellulose and one based on pluronic F-127 to achieve suitable properties for a topical application. Results obtained showed that lidocaine showed a better performance to aggregate in vesicular carriers in respect to hydrochloride form. Consequently, only formulations comprised of lidocaine were studied in terms of skin permeation performance and as carriers of another model drug, capsaicin, for a potential combined therapy. Lidocaine, when in form of vesicular aggregates, acted as percutaneous permeation enhancer showing better permeation profiles with respect to drug solutions. Moreover, lidosomes created a significant drug depot into the skin from which the drug was available for a prolonged time, a suitable feature for a successful local therapy.

Effects of ethanol and n-butanol on the fluidity of supported lipid bilayers

The interactions of molecules such as short-chain alcohols with the mammalian plasma membrane are thought to play a role in anesthetic effects. We have examined the concentration-dependent effects of ethanol and n-butanol on the fluidity of planar model lipid bilayer structures supported on mica. The supported model bilayer was composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), cholesterol, and sphingomyelin, and the bilayers were formed by vesicle fusion from extruded unilamellar vesicles (133 nm diameter, polydispersity index of 0.17). Controlled amounts of ethanol and n-butanol were added during vesicle deposition. Translational diffusion constants were obtained utilizing fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements on the micrometer scale with perylene as the fluorophore. The translational diffusion constants increased and then decreased with increasing ethanol concentration, with the bilayer structure degrading at ca. 0.8 M ethanol. A similar trend was observed for n-butanol at lower alcohol concentrations owing to greater interactions with phospholipid bilayer constituents. For n-butanol, the integrity of the planar bilayer structure deteriorated at ca. 0.4 M n-butanol. The results are consistent with bilayer interdigitation.

Effect of tetracaine on dynamic reorganization of lipid membranes

To understand the intrinsic influence of a drug on lipid membranes is of critical importance in pharmacological science. Herein, we report fluorescence microscopy analysis of the interaction between the local anesthetic tetracaine (TTC) and planar supported lipid bilayers (SLBs), as model membranes. Our results show that TTC increases lipid chain mobility, destabilizes the SLBs and remarkably induces membrane disruption and solubilization. Upon TTC binding, a local curvature change in the bilayer was observed, which led to the subsequent formation of up to 20-μm-long flexible lipid tubules as well as the formation of micron-size holes. Quantitative analysis revealed that membrane solubilization process can be divided into two distinct different stages as a function of TTC concentration. In the first stage (<800 μM), the bilayer disruption profiles fit well to a Langmuir isotherm, while in the second stage (800 μM-25 mM), TTC solubilizes the membrane in a detergent-like manner. Notably, the onset of membrane solubilization occurred below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of TTC, indicating a local accumulation of the drug in the membrane. Additionally, cholesterol increases the insertion of TTC into the membrane and thus promotes the solubilization effect of TTC on lipid bilayers. These findings may help to elucidate the possible mechanisms of TTC interaction with lipid membranes, the dose dependent toxicity attributed to local anesthetics, as well as provide valuable information for drug development and modification.

The mechanisms of action of water-soluble aminohexanoic and malonic adducts of fullerene C60 with hexamethonium on model lipid membranes

In an attempt to understand the possibility of applications of the fullerene-based systems for transporting various polar compounds like hexamethonium through the blood-brain barrier, we studied the influence of a series of derivatives of fullerene C₆₀ in the form of salts with hexamethonium bis-anion, namely the adducts of fullerenols with 6-aminohexanoic acid (IEM-2197), and two bis-adduct malonic acid derivatives of fullerene with addents bound in two hemispheres (IEM-2143) and in equatorial positions (IEM-2144), on model membranes. We showed that IEM-2197 induced the disintegration of the bilayers composed of DOPC at the concentrations more than 2 mg/ml. IEM-2144 and IEM-2143-induced ion-permeable pores at concentrations of 0.3 and 0.02 mg/ml, respectively; herewith, IEM-2143 was characterized by the greater efficiency than IEM-2144. IEM-2197 did not significantly affect the phase behavior of DPPC, while the melting temperature significantly decreased with addition of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143. The increase in the half-width of the main transition peaks by more than 2.0 °C in the presence of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143 was observed, along with the pronounced peak deconvolution. We proposed that the immersion of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143 into the polar region of the DOPC or DPPC bilayers led to an increase in the relative mobility of tails and formation of ion-permeable defects. IEM-2197 demonstrated the more pronounced effects on the melting and ion permeability of PG- and PS-containing bilayers compared to PC-enriched membranes. These results indicated that IEM-2197 preferentially interacts with the negatively charged lipids compared to neutral species.

The Mechanisms of Action of Triindolylmethane Derivatives on Lipid Membranes

The effects of new synthetic antibacterial agents – tris(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylium chloride (LCTA-1975) and (1-(4-(dimethylamino)-2,5-dioxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-1H-indol-3-yl)bis(1-propyl- 1H-indol-3-yl)methylium chloride (LCTA-2701 – on model lipid membranes were studied. The ability of the tested agents to form ion-conductive transmembrane pores, influence the electrical stability of lipid bilayers and the phase transition of membrane lipids, and cause the deformation and fusion of lipid vesicles was investigated. It was established that both compounds exert a strong detergent effect on model membranes. The results of differential scanning microcalorimetry and measuring of the threshold transmembrane voltage that caused membrane breakdown before and after adsorption of LCTA-1975 and LCTA-2701 indicated that both agents cause disordering of membrane lipids. Synergism of the uncoupling action of antibiotics and the alkaloid capsaicin on model lipid membranes was shown. The threshold concentration of the antibiotic that caused an increase in the ion permeability of the lipid bilayer depended on the membrane lipid composition. It was lower by an order of magnitude in the case of negatively charged lipid bilayers than for the uncharged membranes. This can be explained by the positive charge of the tested agents. At the same time, LCTA-2701 was characterized by greater efficiency than LCTA-1975. In addition to its detergent action, LCTA-2701 can induce ion-permeable transmembrane pores: step-like current fluctuations corresponding to the opening and closing of individual ion channels were observed. The difference in the mechanisms of action might be related to the structural features of the antibiotic molecules: in the LCTA-1975 molecule, all three substituents at the nitrogen atoms of the indole rings are identical and represent n-alkyl (pentyl) groups, while LCTA-2701 contains a maleimide group, along with two alkyl substituents (n-propyl). The obtained results might be relevant to our understanding of the mechanism of action of new antibacterial agents, explaining the difference in the selectivity of action of the tested agents on the target microorganisms and their toxicity to human cells. Model lipid membranes should be used in further studies of the trends in the modification and improvement of the structures of new antibacterial agents.

Interdigitation in spin-coated lipid layers in air

In this study, we show that dry saturated phospholipid layers prepared by the spin-coating technique could present thinner regions associated to interdigitated phases under some conditions. The morphological characteristics of lipid layers of saturated phosphocholines, such as dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC), have been measured by Atomic Force Microscopy and revealed that the presence of interdigitated regions is not induced by the same parameters that induce them in hydrated samples. To achieve these results the effect of the lipid hidrocabonated chain length, the presence of alcohol in the coating solution, the spinning velocity and the presence of cholesterol were tested. We showed that DPPC and DSPC bilayers, on the one side, can show structures with similar height than interdigitated regions observed in hydrated samples, while, on the other side, DLPC and DMPC tend to show no evidence of interdigitation. Results indicate that the presence of interdigitated areas is due to the presence of lateral tensions and, hence, that they can be eliminated by releasing these tensions by, for instance, the addition of cholesterol. These results demonstrate that interdigitation in lipid layers is a rather general phenomena and can be observed in lipid bilayers in dry conditions.

Advanced Drug Delivery Nanosystems for Shikonin: A Calorimetric and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study

Drug delivery is considered a mature scientific and technological platform for producing innovative medicines with nanosystems composed of intelligent bio-materials that carry active pharmaceutical ingredients forming advanced drug delivery nanosystems (aDDnSs). Shikonin and its enantiomer alkannin are natural products that have been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo for, among others, their antitumor activity, and various efforts have been made to prepare shikonin-loaded drug delivery systems. This study is focused on chimeric aDDnSs and specifically on liposomal formulations combining three lipids (egg-phosphatidylcholine; dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine; and distearoyl phosphatidylcholine) and a hyperbranched polymer (PFH-64-OH). Furthermore, PEGylated liposomal formulations of all samples were also prepared. Calorimetric techniques and electron paramagnetic resonance were used to explore and evaluate the interactions and stability of the liposomal formulations, showing that the presence of hyperbranched polymers promote the overall stability of the chimeric aDDnSs based on the drug release profile enhancement. Furthermore, results showed that polyethylene glycol enhances drug stabilization inside the liposomes, forming a stable and promising carrier for shikonin with improved characteristics.

Blocking ion channels induced by antifungal lipopeptide syringomycin E with amide-linked local anesthetics

The effects of the amide-linked (lidocaine (LDC), mepivacaine (MPV), prilocaine (PLC)) and ester-bound local anesthetics (benzocaine (BZC), procaine (PRC), and tetracaine (TTC)) on the pore-forming activity of the antifungal lipopeptide syringomycin E (SRE) in lipid bilayers were studied. Independently on electrolyte concentration in the membrane bathing solution the observed changes in conductance of SRE channels agreed with the altered membrane dipole potential under the action of ester-bound local anesthetics. Effects of aminoamides in diluted and concentrated solutions were completely different. At 0.1 M KCl (pH 7.4) the effects of amide-linked anesthetics were in accordance with changes in the membrane surface potential, while at 2 M KCl aminoamides blocked ion passage through the SRE channels, leading to sharp reductions in pore conductance at negative voltages and 100-fold decreases in the channel lifetimes. The effects were not practically influenced by the membrane lipid composition. The interaction cooperativity implied the existence of specific binding sites for amide-bound anesthetics in SRE channels.

Effect of Tumor Relevant Acidic Environment in the Interaction of a N-hydroxyindole-2-Carboxylic Derivative with the Phospholipid Bilayer

PURPOSE

The inhibitors of the human isoform 5 of lactate dehydrogenase (hLDH5) have attracted growing interest as efficient anti-cancer agents. In the present paper, the interactions between an efficient hLDH5 inhibitor (N-hydroxyindole-2-carboxylic derivative) and lipid bilayers based on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) were investigated. Additionally, since interstitial acidification plays a key role in tumor pathogenesis and tumor drug therapy, the effect of acidic pH was assessed and correlated to DPPC/drug interaction.

METHODS

Four different techniques were used: differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, UV-VIS second derivative spectrometry and attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy.

RESULTS

All techniques concur in highlighting a structural change of lipid assembly, susceptible both to pH change and to the presence of the antitumor compound. Lipid vesicles appeared more compact at the lower pH, since the thermal pre-transition from the lamellar gel phase to the ripple gel phase was absent at pH 7.4 and the infrared analysis revealed a stronger acyl chain packing as well as a different hydration degree. Drug interaction was mainly detected in the lipid region including the ester linkages and the first portion of the acyl chains. Furthermore, a lower drug partitioning was recorded at pH 6.6.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigated antitumor agent possesses a stable negative charge at the investigated pH values, thus the lower interaction at the acidic pH is mainly ascribable to an environmental effect on lipid assembly. Therefore, drug efficacy under tumor acid conditions may be hampered by the observed lipid membrane constraints, and suggest for the development of suitable prodrugs.

Lipid-mediated mode of action of local anesthetics on lipid pores induced by polyenes, peptides and lipopeptides

The effects of local anesthetics (LAs), namely, lidocaine (LDC), prilocaine (PLC), mepivacaine (MPV), bupivacaine (BPV), procaine (PC), and tetracaine (TTC), on the steady-state transmembrane conductance induced by the cis-side addition of the antifungal polyene macrolide antibiotic, nystatin (NYS), in planar lipid bilayers were studied. The addition of TTC to model membranes comprising DOPC and cholesterol (33 mol%) led to a nearly twenty-fold increase in the steady-state NYS-induced membrane conductance. BPV slightly enhanced the channel-forming activity of polyene. LDC, PLC, MPV, and PC did not affect the NYS-induced transmembrane current. We concluded that the effects of LAs on the channel-forming activity of NYS were in agreement with their effects on the elastic properties of model membranes. The ability of aminoamide LAs to promote calcein leakage from large unilamellar DOPC-vesicles was decreased in the following order: BPV >> LDC ≈ PLC ≈ MPV. LDC, PLC, and MPV produced a graded leakage of fluorescent marker from liposomes, up to 10-13%. A initial sharp jump in fluorescence after the introduction of BPV was attributed to the solubilization of liposomes and the formation of mixed DOPC:BPV-micelles. Differential scanning microcalorimetry (DSC) of large unilamellar DPPC-vesicles showed that the main transition temperature (Tm) is continuously decreased upon increasing concentrations of TTC. A sharp drop in the enthalpy of the transition at higher TTC concentrations indicated a formation of anesthetic/lipid mixed micelles. In contrast to TTC, PC slightly decreased Tm, broadened the DSC signal and did not provoke vesicle-to-micelle transition. Both the calcein leakage and DSC data together with the results of measurements of threshold voltages that are required to cause the lipid bilayer breakdown might indicate an alteration in the curvature lipid packing stress, induced by BPV and TTC. The data presented here lend support to a lipid-mediated mode of LAs action on NYS pores via an alteration in curvature stress near the trans-mouth. Similar results were obtained for several lipid pores, formed by polyene amphotericin B, lipopeptide syringomycin E, and the peptides magainin and melittin. This finding further developed the concept of non-specific regulation of lipid pores by LAs. In conclusion, the combination of nystatin with LAs could be a novel treatment for efficient therapy of superficial and mucosal candidiasis.

Ligand partitioning into lipid bilayer membranes under high pressure: Implication of variation in phase-transition temperatures

The variation in phase-transition temperatures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer membrane by adding two membrane-active ligands, a long-chain fatty acid (palmitic acid (PA)) and an inhalation anesthetic (halothane (HAL)), was investigated by light-transmittance measurements and fluorometry. By assuming the thermodynamic colligative property for the bilayer membrane at low ligand concentrations, the partitioning behavior of these ligands into the DPPC bilayer membrane was considered. It was proved from the differential partition coefficients between two phases that PA has strong affinity with the gel (lamellar gel) phase in a micro-molal concentration range and makes the bilayer membrane more ordered, while HAL has strong affinity with the liquid crystalline phase in a milli-molal concentration range and does the bilayer membrane more disordered. The transfer volumes of both ligands from the aqueous solution to each phase of the DPPC bilayer membrane showed that the preferential partitioning of the PA molecule into the gel (lamellar gel) produces about 20% decrease in transfer volume as compared with the liquid crystalline phase, whereas that of the HAL molecule into the liquid crystalline phase does about twice increase in transfer volume as compared with the gel (ripple gel) phase. Furthermore, changes in thermotropic and barotropic phase behavior of the DPPC bilayer membrane by adding the ligand was discussed from the viewpoint of the ligand partitioning. Reflecting the contrastive partitioning of PA and HAL into the pressure-induced interdigitated gel phase among the gel phases, it was revealed that PA suppresses the formation of the interdigitated gel phase under high pressure while HAL promotes it. These results clearly indicate that each phase of the DPPC bilayer membrane has a potential to recognize various ligand molecules.

Effect of head group orientation on phospholipid assembly

The relationship between bilayer stability and lipid head group orientation is reported. In this work, molecular-dynamics simulations are performed to analyze the structure-property relationship of lipid biomembranes, taking into account coarse-grained model lipid interactions. The work explains the molecular scale mechanism of the phase behavior of lipid systems due to ion-lipid or anesthetic-lipid interactions, where reorientations of dipoles play a key role in modifying lipid phases and thereby alter biomembrane function. Our study demonstrates that simple dipolar reorientation is indeed sufficient in tuning a bilayer to a randomly flipped nonbilayer lamellar phase. This study may be used to assess the impact of changes in lipid phase characteristics on biomembrane structure due to the presence of anesthetics and ions.

The calorimetric properties of liposomes determine the morphology of dried droplets

The evaporation of liquid droplets deposited on a substrate is a very complex phenomenon. Driven by capillary and Marangoni flows, particle-particle and particle-substrate interactions, the deposits they leave are vestiges of such complexity. We study the formation of patterns during the evaporation of liposome suspension droplets deposited on a hydrophobic substrate at different temperatures. We observed that as we change the temperature of the substrate, a morphological phase transition occurs at a given temperature T_m. This temperature corresponds to the gel-fluid lipid melting transition of the liposome suspension. Optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy are used to study the morphology of the patterns. Based on the radial density profiles we found that all structures can be classified into two groups: patterns composed by nearly uniform deposition (below T_m) and prominent structures containing randomly distributed voids (above T_m).

Monitoring drug–lipid membrane interactions via a molecular rotor probe

A label-free sensing method based on membrane viscosity changes to study the interactions between small drug molecules and lipid bilayers.

The thermodynamics of general and local anesthesia

General anesthetics are known to cause depression of the freezing point of transitions in biomembranes. This is a consequence of ideal mixing of the anesthetic drugs in the membrane fluid phase and exclusion from the solid phase. Such a generic law provides physical justification of the famous Meyer-Overton rule. We show here that general anesthetics, barbiturates, and local anesthetics all display the same effect on melting transitions. Their effect is reversed by hydrostatic pressure. Thus, the thermodynamic behavior of local anesthetics is very similar to that of general anesthetics. We present a detailed thermodynamic analysis of heat capacity profiles of membranes in the presence of anesthetics. Using this analysis, we are able to describe experimentally observed calorimetric profiles and predict the anesthetic features of arbitrary molecules. In addition, we discuss the thermodynamic origin of the cutoff effect of long-chain alcohols and the additivity of the effect of general and local anesthetics.

Anesthetic diffusion through lipid membranes depends on the protonation rate

Hundreds of substances possess anesthetic action. However, despite decades of research and tests, a golden rule is required to reconcile the diverse hypothesis behind anesthesia. What makes an anesthetic to be local or general in the first place? The specific targets on proteins, the solubility in lipids, the diffusivity, potency, action time? Here we show that there could be a new player equally or even more important to disentangle the riddle: the protonation rate. Indeed, such rate modulates the diffusion speed of anesthetics into lipid membranes; low protonation rates enhance the diffusion for local anesthetics while high ones reduce it. We show also that there is a pH and membrane phase dependence on the local anesthetic diffusion across multiple lipid bilayers. Based on our findings we incorporate a new clue that may advance our understanding of the anesthetic phenomenon.

Probing the combined effect of flunitrazepam and lidocaine on the stability and organization of bilayer lipid membranes. A differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic light scattering study

Combined effects of flunitrazepam (FNZ) and lidocaine (LDC) were studied on the thermotropic equilibrium of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (dpPC) bilayers. This adds a thermodynamic dimension to previously reported geometric analysis in the erythrocyte model. LDC decreased the enthalpy and temperature for dpPC pre- and main-transitions (ΔHp, ΔHm, Tp, Tm) and decreased the cooperativity of the main-transition (ΔT(1/2,m)). FNZ decreased ΔHm and, at least up to 59 μM, also decreased ΔHp. In conjunction with LDC, FNZ induced a recovery of ∆T(1/2,m) control values and increased ΔHm even above the control level. The deconvolution of the main-transition peak at high LDC concentrations revealed three components possibly represented by: a self-segregated fraction of pure dpPC, a dpPC-LDC mixture and a phase with a lipid structure of intermediate stability associated with LDC self-aggregation within the lipid phase. Some LDC effects on thermodynamic parameters were reverted at proper LDC/FNZ molar ratios, suggesting that FNZ restricts the maximal availability of the LDC partitioned into the lipid phase. Thus, beyond its complexity, the lipid-LDC mixture can be rationalized as an equilibrium of coexisting phases which gains homogeneity in the presence of FNZ. This work stresses the relevance of nonspecific drug-membrane binding on LDC-FNZ pharmacological interactions and would have pharmaceutical applications in liposomal multidrug-delivery.

Effects of pentanol isomers on the phase behavior of phospholipid bilayer membranes

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermotropic phase behavior of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers in the presence of pentanol isomers. The concentration of each pentanol isomer needed to induce the interdigitated phase was determined by the appearance of a biphasic effect in the main transition temperatures, the onset of a hysteresis associated with the main transition from the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase, and the disappearance of the pretransition. Lower threshold concentrations were found to correlate with isomers of greater alkyl chain length while branching of the alkyl chain was found to increase biphasic behavior. The addition of a methyl group to butanol systems drastically decreased threshold concentrations. However, as demonstrated in the DPPC/neopentanol system, branching of the alkyl chain away from the -OH group lowers the threshold concentration while maintaining a biphasic effect.

Effects of ethanol on the organization of phosphocholine lipid bilayers

We have investigated the consequences of the addition of ethanol to aqueous solutions containing 100 nm diameter phosphocholine unilamellar vesicles. We have studied the effect of ethanol addition on both gel phase and fluid phase phospholipid bilayers of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), using time-resolved fluorescence measurements of perylene incorporated into the vesicles. We observe an increase in the perylene rotational diffusion time constants for ethanol concentrations of ca. 0.6 M in both the gel phase (289 K) and the fluid phase (303 K), indicating a change in the bilayer interacyl chain spacing and/or organization. While the change in rotational diffusion behavior of perylene is seen for both phospholipid phases, the details of the change in chromophore dynamics are not the same for the two phases, likely due to the differing extents of disorder in the phospholipid acyl chain region at the two temperatures. These data provide insight into the effects of ethanol on the local environment of the probe in both gel phase and fluid phase lipid bilayers.

Properties of phosphatidylcholine in the presence of its monofluorinated analogue

In aqueous solution, the monofluorinated phospholipid 1-palmitoyl-2-[16-fluoropalmitoyl]sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (F-DPPC) interdigitates without the use of inducing agents. To understand the thermal and physical properties of this unique lipid, F-DPPC was combined with the non-fluorinated 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), and 1,2-diarachidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DAPC). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine the miscibility and thermotropic phase behavior of these binary lipid mixtures. In addition, the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and a DPH-labeled analogue of DPPC, 2-(3-(diphenylhexatrienyl) propanoyl)-1-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (beta-DPH HPC, aka DPH-PC or DPHpPC), were used to detect interdigitation. In F-DPPC, the fluorescence intensity of both probes decreased a similar amount and to a degree that is consistent with an interdigitated system. We also determined that there are two separate effects of increasing the ratio of F-DPPC in the DPPC/F-DPPC system. With low amounts of F-DPPC, there is little evidence that the system is heavily interdigitated. Instead, we hypothesize that the introduction of F-DPPC provides nucleation sites that alter the kinetics, reversibility, and temperature of the main transition (T(m)). At higher mol% of F-DPPC, we propose that interdigitated F-DPPC-rich domains form to create a phase-segregated system. While DPPC/F-DPPC was highly miscible, the DAPC/F-DPPC system was significantly less miscible. Additionally, we observed that DAPC/F-DPPC samples have reduced solubility in water, which affected the acquisition of fluorescence data. However, our DSC results indicate the existence of DAPC-rich and F-DPPC-rich components. Furthermore, this data support that the mixing was disruptive to lipid packing and that the presence of DAPC hinders the interdigitation of F-DPPC.

Interaction of articaine hydrochloride with prokaryotic membrane lipids

OBJECTIVE

Local anesthetics are the most commonly used drugs in dentistry, with a wide range of effects, including antimicrobial activity. High antimicrobial effects have recently been reported on oral microbes from articaine hydrochloride, revealed by the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. Additionally, articaine has recently been used as an alkaline component in endodontic materials with a proposed antibacterial activity. However, the detailed mechanisms of action have not been discussed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We determined the Langmuir surface pressure/molecular area isotherms of prokaryotic lipid monolayers, as well as the phospholipid phase transitions, by employing differential scanning calorimetry on unilamellar prokaryotic liposomes (bilayers).

RESULTS

Articaine hydrochloride was found to interact with the prokaryotic membrane lipids in both monolayers and bilayers. An increase of the phospholipid molecular area of acidic glycerophospholipids as well as a decrease in phase transition temperature and enthalpy were found with increasing articaine hydrochloride concentration. The thermodynamic changes by adding articaine hydrochloride to prokaryotic membrane lipids are potentially related to the effects observed from antimicrobial peptides resulting from membrane insertion, aggregate composition, pore formation, and lysis.

CONCLUSION

Interaction of articaine hydrochloride with prokaryotic membrane lipids is indicated. Hence, further research is necessary to gain insight into where these compounds exert their effects at the molecular level.

Effect of the Nature of the 3β-Substitution in Manoyl Oxides on the Thermotropic Behavior of DPPC Lipid Bilayer and on DPPC Liposomes

Functionalized manoyl oxide derivatives have been proved over the years to evoke several biological responses. Among them, 3beta-hydroxy-manoyl oxide (1) and 3beta-acetoxy-manoyl oxide (2) have been shown to exhibit in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity, while N-imidazole-3 beta-thiocarbonyl ester of manoyl oxide (3) was found to exhibit potent cytotoxic effect. Their partitioning into phospholipid bilayers may lead to membrane structure modifications that are crucial in liposome development as they may influence their maintenance and integrity. DSC was used to study the modifications induced in DPPC bilayers by incorporating increasing concentrations of the three manoyl oxide derivatives. All derivatives were found to strongly affect the bilayer structural organization in terms of a decrease of the cooperativity, the fluidization and partially destabilization of the gel phase and the induction of a lateral phase separation in clustering domains. Derivatives 1 and 3 were incorporated into DPPC liposomes and their physicochemical stability was monitored at 4 degrees C. The stability of liposomes was strongly influenced by the presence of 1 and 3 at any molar ratio studied. DPPC/1 liposomes were found to retain its stability for 48 h at low concentration of 10% mol, while at higher concentrations up to 30% mol they collapsed into aggregated material. In all cases DPPC/3 liposomes were found unstable and sticky aggregated structures precipitated from the bulk suspension.

How lipids influence the mode of action of membrane-active peptides

The human, multifunctional peptide LL-37 causes membrane disruption by distinctly different mechanisms strongly dependent on the nature of the membrane lipid composition, varying not only with lipid headgroup charge but also with hydrocarbon chain length. Specifically, LL-37 induces a peptide-associated quasi-interdigitated phase in negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol (PG) model membranes, where the hydrocarbon chains are shielded from water by the peptide. In turn, LL-37 leads to a disintegration of the lamellar organization of zwitterionic dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) into disk-like micelles. Interestingly, interdigitation was also observed for the longer-chain C18 and C20 PCs. This dual behavior of LL-37 can be attributed to a balance between electrostatic interactions reflected in different penetration depths of the peptide and hydrocarbon chain length. Thus, our observations indicate that there is a tight coupling between the peptide properties and those of the lipid bilayer, which needs to be considered in studies of lipid/peptide interaction. Very similar effects were also observed for melittin and the frog skin peptide PGLa. Therefore, we propose a phase diagram showing different lipid/peptide arrangements as a function of hydrocarbon chain length and LL-37 concentration and suggest that this phase diagram is generally applicable to membrane-active peptides localized parallel to the membrane surface.

Tetracaine-membrane interactions: effects of lipid composition and phase on drug partitioning, location, and ionization

Interactions of the local anesthetic tetracaine with unilamellar vesicles made of dimyristoyl or dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC or DPPC), the latter without or with cholesterol, were examined by following changes in the drug's fluorescent properties. Tetracaine's location within the membrane (as indicated by the equivalent dielectric constant around the aromatic fluorophore), its membrane:buffer partition coefficients for protonated and base forms, and its apparent pK(a) when adsorbed to the membrane were determined by measuring, respectively, the saturating blue shifts of fluorescence emission at high lipid:tetracaine, the corresponding increases in fluorescence intensity at this lower wavelength with increasing lipid, and the dependence of fluorescence intensity of membrane-bound tetracaine (TTC) on solution pH. Results show that partition coefficients were greater for liquid-crystalline than solid-gel phase membranes, whether the phase was set by temperature or lipid composition, and were decreased by cholesterol; neutral TTC partitioned into membranes more strongly than the protonated species (TTCH(+)). Tetracaine's location in the membrane placed the drug's tertiary amine near the phosphate of the headgroup, its ester bond in the region of the lipids' ester bonds, and associated dipole field and the aromatic moiety near fatty acyl carbons 2-5; importantly, this location was unaffected by cholesterol and was the same for neutral and protonated tetracaine, showing that the dipole-dipole and hydrophobic interactions are the critical determinants of tetracaine's location. Tetracaine's effective pK(a) was reduced by 0.3-0.4 pH units from the solution pK(a) upon adsorption to these neutral bilayers, regardless of physical state or composition. We propose that the partitioning of tetracaine into solid-gel membranes is determined primarily by its steric accommodation between lipids, whereas in the liquid-crystalline membrane, in which the distance between lipid molecules is larger and steric hindrance is less important, hydrophobic and ionic interactions between tetracaine and lipid molecules predominate.

On the propensity of phosphatidylglycerols to form interdigitated phases

We have determined the phase behavior of disaturated phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) of chain lengths n(CH2) = 14-18 at high pH and ionic strength using calorimetry, dilatometry, as well as x-ray diffraction. PGs with n(CH2) = 14 and 16 show thermotropic behavior similar to that of phosphatidylcholines (PCs). The area/lipid obtained in the gel phase is smaller than that reported for PCs despite the expected larger effective headgroup size. This can be explained by the tilting of the PG headgroup out of the bilayer plane, and we provide experimental evidence for a headgroup tilt transition. For distearoyl PG, we further find that the "usual" gel phase coexists with an interdigitated phase, which exhibits a transition from an orthorhombic into a hexagonal chain packing. The total amount of the interdigitated phase depends significantly on the temperature but is found to be largely independent of temperature equilibration time and different sample preparation protocols. Thus, the development of the interdigitated phase appears to be kinetically trapped. The formation of interdigitated phases in PGs at much smaller chain lengths than in PCs is of high relevance to interaction studies with antimicrobial peptides, as it provides a mechanism for the discrimination of membranes composed of different lipid species.

pH-responsive aggregates from double hydrophilic block copolymers carrying zwitterionic groups. Encapsulation of antiparasitic compounds for the treatment of leishmaniasis

A series of well-defined poly[(ethylene oxide)-b-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PEO-b-PDMAEMA) diblock copolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques. Post-polymerization reactions were performed to transform a portion of the tertiary amine groups of the PDMAEpsilonMA into phosphorozwitterions. The aggregation behavior of the prepared zwitterionic block copolymers was investigated by static and dynamic light scattering techniques at 25 and 37 degrees C, in weakly basic and acidic aqueous solutions. Antiparasitic drugs used for the treatment of Leishmania were incorporated into the copolymer aggregates. The effect of the solution pH, the zwitterion content, temperature, and the quantity of the incorporated drug on the aggregation behavior of the copolymers was tested.

Calorimetric study on the induction of interdigitated phase in hydrated DPPC bilayers by bioactive labdanes and correlation to their liposome stability

Labd-7,13-dien-15-ol (1), labd-13-ene-8alpha,15-diol (2), and labd-14-ene-8,13-diol (sclareol) have been found to exhibit cytotoxic and cytostatic effects. Their partitioning into phospholipid bilayers may induce membrane structure modifications, crucial in the development of liposomes. DSC was used to elucidate the profile of modifications induced in DPPC bilayers by incorporating increasing concentrations of the labdanes. Labdanes 1, 2 and sclareol were incorporated into SUV liposomes composed of DPPC their physicochemical stability was monitored (4 degrees C) and was compared to liposomes incorporating cholesterol. All labdanes strongly affect the bilayer organization in a concentration dependent manner in terms of a decrease of the cooperativity, the fluidization and partially destabilization of the gel phase, the induction of a lateral phase separation and the possible existence of interdigitated domains in the bilayer. The physicochemical stability of liposomes was strongly influenced by the chemical features of the labdanes. The liposomal preparations were found to retain their stability at low labdane concentration (10 mol%), while at higher concentrations up to 30 mol% a profound decrease in intact liposomes occurred, and a possible existence of interdigitated sheets was concluded.

Thermotropic and barotropic phase transitions in bilayer membranes of ether-linked phospholipids with varying alkyl chain lengths

The bilayer phase transitions of a series of ether-linked phospholipids, 1,2-dialkylphosphatidylcholines containing linear saturated alkyl chain (C(n)=12, 14, 16 and 18), were observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under ambient pressure and light-transmittance measurements under high pressure. The thermodynamic quantities of the pre- and main-transitions for the ether-linked PC bilayer membranes were calculated and compared with those of a series of ester-linked PCs, 1,2-diacylphosphatidylcholines. The thermodynamic quantities of the main transition for the ether-linked PC bilayers showed distinct dependence on alkyl-chain length and were slightly different from those of the ester-linked PC bilayers. From the comparison of thermodynamic quantities for the main transition between both PC bilayers, we revealed that the attractive interaction in the gel phase for the ether-linked PC bilayers is weaker than that for the ester-linked PC bilayers. Regarding the pretransition, although changes in enthalpy and entropy for both PC bilayers were comparable to each other, the volume changes of the ether-linked PC bilayers roughly doubled those of the ester-linked PC bilayers. The larger volume change results from the smallest partial molar volume of the ether-linked PC molecule in the interdigitated gel phase. Further, we constructed the temperature-pressure phase diagrams for the ether-linked PC bilayers by using the phase-transition data. The region of the interdigitated gel phase in the phase diagrams was extended by applying pressure and by increasing the alkyl-chain length of the molecule. Comparing the phase diagrams with those for the ester-linked PC bilayers, it was proved that the phase behavior of the ester-linked PC bilayers under high temperature and pressure is almost equivalent to that of the ether-linked PC bilayers in the vicinity of ambient pressure.

A DSC and Raman spectroscopy study on the effect of PAMAM dendrimer on DPPC model lipid membranes

The interaction between PAMAM (polyamidoamine) dendrimer generation 4 (G4) and 3,5 (G3,5) with model lipid membranes composed of dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) has been investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy were applied to assess the thermodynamic changes caused by PAMAM G4 and G3,5 and to specify the exact location of these dendrimers into the DPPC lipid bilayer. DSC thermograms indicated that the maximum percentages of PAMAM G4 and of G3,5 that can be incorporated in the DPPC membrane without deranging its integrity were 5% and 3%, respectively. The Raman intensity ratios I(2935/2880), I(2844/2880) and I(1090/1130) cm(-1) showed the degree of the fluidity of the lipid bilayer, while the absorption at 715 cm(-1) showed a strong interaction of PAMAM G4 and G3,5 with the polar head group of phospholipid. The results showed that the incorporation of the PAMAM G4 and G3,5 dendrimers in DPPC bilayers causes a concentration dependent increase of the membrane fluidity and that the bilayers interact strongly with both the lipophilic part and the polar head group of the phospholipids. Due to the current weak knowledge relating to the mechanism(s) under which dendrimers interact with lipidic membranes and transport through cells, these results may justify the tendency of dendrimers to disrupt biological membranes. The findings from this study could also prove helpful to rationally design new liposomal drug carriers for bioactive molecules by combining dendrimeric and liposomal technologies.

Design and development of liposomes incorporating a bioactive labdane-type diterpene. In vitro growth inhibiting and cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines

The isolation and identification of bioactive compounds from natural sources has given insights in the discovery of new drugs against several diseases. Labdane-type diterpenes isolated from nature, have been investigated in the past for their pharmaceutical activities. Labd-7,13-dien-15-ol (1), a major lipophilic constituent of the resin 'ladano' was found to exhibit cytotoxic and cytostatic activity against cell lines derived from solid tumors with a profound activity on small lung cancer cells, DMS114. The present study, based on liposomal technology, aimed to develop a suitable carrier of compound 1 to overcome its water insolubility that inhibits further in vivo administration. Liposomes have been proved adequate drug carriers which enhance the solubility of water insoluble drugs and reduce possible side effects. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) were used to prepare liposomes incorporating compound 1 at various molar ratios. Their physicochemical characteristics were determined and liposomes composed of EPC:DPPG 9:0.1 (molar ratio) was chosen as the most suitable carrier concerning their physical characteristics, stability, incorporation efficiency as well as the ability to retain the capture of compound 1 in the presence of RPMI-1640 medium. The activity of the liposomal formulation of compound 1 against human cancer cell lines was compared to that of its free form. The results showed that EPC:DPPG:1 9:0.1:5 (molar ratio) liposomal formulation maintained the pharmacological activity of 1, improved its water solubility and was justified as suitable formulation for in vivo administration of compound 1.

Mechanisms of antimicrobial peptide action: Studies of indolicidin assembly at model membrane interfaces by in situ atomic force microscopy

We report here on an in situ atomic force microscopy study of the interaction of indolicidin, a tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptide, with phase-segregated zwitterionic DOPC/DSPC supported planar bilayers. By varying the peptide concentration and bilayer composition through the inclusion of anionic lipids (DOPG or DSPG), we found that indolicidin interacts with these model membranes in one of two concentration-dependent manners. At low peptide concentrations, indolicidin forms an amorphous layer on the fluid domains when these domains contain anionic lipids. At high peptide concentrations, indolicidin appears to initiate a lowering of the gel-phase domains independent of the presence of an anionic lipid. Similar studies performed using membrane-raft mimetic bilayers comprising 30mol% cholesterol/1:1 DOPC/egg sphingomyelin revealed that indolicidin does not form a carpet-like layer on the zwitterionic DOPC domains at low peptide concentrations and does not induce membrane lowering of the liquid-ordered sphingomyelin/cholesterol-rich domains at high peptide concentration. Simultaneous AFM-confocal microscopy imaging did however reveal that indolicidin preferentially inserts into the fluid-phase DOPC domains. These data suggest that the indolicidin-membrane association is influenced greatly by specific electrostatic interactions, lipid fluidity, and peptide concentration. These insights provide a glimpse into the mechanism of the membrane selectivity of antibacterial peptides and suggest a powerful correlated approach for characterizing peptide-membrane interactions.

Kinetic study of adsorption of some biocompounds at the oil/water interface

The adsorption kinetics of some local anesthetics, like dibucaine and tetracaine, and of stearic acid from bulk solutions at the oil/water interface was studied by using the pendent drop and ring methods. The anesthetics were dissolved in aqueous solutions (pH 2), and the fatty acid was dissolved in benzene, each biocompound at several different concentrations in bulk solutions. Kinetic equations for Langmuir mechanism of adsorption at oil/water interface were tested. The kinetic analysis shows that Langmuir kinetic approach describes the dynamic interfacial pressures within the limits of the experimental errors over a wide range of time and for different surfactant concentrations in bulk solutions. It is also concluded that this approach allows the calculation of the ratio of the adsorption and desorption rate constants of these biocompounds at the oil/water interface. Obtained results are in substantial agreement with earlier reported data for the surfactant adsorption as, well as with their molecular structure.

Interaction of phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol with DPPC-liposomes as phospholipid model membranes

Phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol are penetration enhancers for percutaneous delivery of certain topically applied drugs. In the present study some physicochemical experiments have been performed to elucidate the mechanism of action of phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol. The penetration enhancing effect of phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol is believed to be due to their increase of the fluidity of the intercellular lipid bilayers of the stratum corneum. Phospholipid vesicles were chosen as a simple model to represent these bilayers. The effect of phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol on phase transition temperature and enthalpy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Beside of that the size of liposomes was monitored when the amount of penetration enhancer in the liposome preparation was changed. Addition of increasing amounts of phloretin and 6-ketocholestanol to the bilayer resulted in lowering of phase transition temperatures and increasing the enthalpy. Additionally the size of the liposomes was increased when penetration enhancer was added. The results suggest that phloretin as well as 6-ketocholestanol would interact with stratum corneum lipids in a similar manner, both reduce the diffusional resistance of the stratum corneum to drugs with balanced hydrophilic-lipophilic characteristics.

Simulating induced interdigitation in membranes

In this study we introduce a mesoscopic lipid-water-alcohol model. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations have been used to investigate the induced interdigitation of bilayers consisting of double-tail lipids by adding alcohol molecules to the bilayer. Our simulations nicely reproduce the experimental phase diagrams. We find that alcohol can induce an interdigitated structure where the common bilayer structure changes into monolayer in which the alcohol molecules screen the hydrophobic tails from the water phase. At low concentrations of alcohol the membrane has domains of the interdigitated phase that are in coexistence with the common membrane phase. We compute the effect of the chain length of the alcohol on the phase behavior of the membrane and show that the stability of the interdigitated phase depends on the length of the alcohol. We show that we can reproduce the experimental hydrophobic thickness of the bilayer for various combinations of lipids and alcohols. We use our model to clarify some of the experimental questions related to the structure of the interdigitated phase and put forward a simple model that explains the alcohol chain length dependence of the stability of this interdigitated phase.

Phase separation of cholesterol from phosphatidylserine-cholesterol mixtures in the presence of the local anesthetic tetracaine

Addition of the local anesthetic tetracaine (TTC) to multilamellar dispersions of natural phosphatidylserine (PS) causes changes in the thermotropic properties of the membrane, which can be detected by differential scanning calorimetry, and in the structure of the membrane as detected by X-ray diffraction. At molar ratio [PS]/ [TTC] approximately 8.5, the melting temperature of the phospholipid shifts downwards by approximately 2.5 degrees C. The melting endotherm is broadened; however, there is little change in the enthalpy of melting. In ternary mixtures (PS-TTC-cholesterol), the thermotropic changes are enhanced. At [PS]/ [TTC] approximately 13, the onset of phase separation of cholesterol crystals from PS in the liquid crystalline state occurs at molar fraction cholesterol (Xchol) approximately 0.28, marginally smaller than that found in the absence of the anesthetic.