Liposomes targeted to deliver antisecretory agents to jejunal mucosa

The B subunit of cholera toxin has been covalently attached to the surface of liposomes made from a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. Adenylate cyclase inhibitors and chloride conductance inhibitors were encapsulated within the liposomes. These "targeted" liposomes were used to study the combined effects of this novel delivery system, and a limited number of possible antisecretory agents, on net fluid flux into the pig jejunum. A state of net secretory fluid flux was induced in isolated jejunal loops in weanling pigs by adding theophylline or cholera toxin to the lumen of the isolated loops. There was no reduction in net fluid secretion when liposome suspensions without encapsulated secretory inhibitors were added to fluid in the lumen of loops treated with theophylline. There was also no reduction in net fluid secretion when miconazole, alpha-phenylcinnamate or 5 nitro-2-(3-phenethylamino)benzoate were encapsulated within targeted liposomes added to isolated jejunal loops. The net fluid flux induced by exposure of jejunal loops to theophylline was significantly reduced by adding targeted liposomes containing 2'-deoxy-3'-AMP. The reduction involved a reversal of net secretory fluid flux to an absorptive value. The net fluid secretory response to treatment of loops with cholera toxin was also inhibited by treating loops with targeted liposomes containing 2'-deoxy-3'-AMP. However, the reversal of secretion was less complete for secretion induced by cholera toxin than for secretion induced by theophylline. The reduced antisecretory efficacy versus cholera toxin was not improved by encapsulating higher concentrations of 2'-deoxy-3'-AMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)