Polymorphic phase behavior of lysopalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in poly(ethylene glycol)-water mixtures

The polymorphic phase behavior of 1-palmitoyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine dispersions in excess water has been studied as a function of temperature and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) concentration, using proton dipolar-decoupled 31P NMR spectroscopy and turbidity measurements. The phase behavior was found to depend on both lipid concentration and PEG concentration, and most of the NMR experiments were conducted at a lipid concentration of 15 mg/mL. At low PEG concentrations (0-12 wt %), a thermotropic transition occurs at 3-5 degrees C with increasing temperature, from an interdigitated lamellar gel (L beta i) phase to a normal micellar phase. At intermediate PEG concentrations (12-20 wt %), thermotropic transitions take place with increasing temperature, first from the lamellar gel phase to a fluid cubic (Q alpha) phase and then at higher temperatures from the cubic phase to the micellar phase. At intermediate PEG concentrations above the former range (20-30 wt %), thermotropic transitions take place with increasing temperature, first from the lamellar gel phase to the cubic phase, then from the cubic phase to a normal hexagonal (HI) phase, and finally from the hexagonal phase to the micellar phase. At high PEG concentrations (greater than 30 wt %), a thermotropic transition takes place with increasing temperature from the lamellar gel phase directly to the fluid hexagonal phase. At these high PEG concentrations, the micellar phase is not attained within the accessible temperature range (less than or equal to 90 degrees C).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)