Encapsulation of eptifibatide in RGD-modified nanoliposomes improves platelet aggregation inhibitory activity

Eptifibatide is an antiplatelet drug used for the treatment of thrombosis. However, as a result of its accumulation in non-targeted tissues and short half-life, it has a limited efficacy. In this study, RGD-modified nano-liposomes (RGD-MNL) were prepared as carriers for the targeted delivery of eptifibatide to activated platelets. The nano-liposomes were about 90 ± 10 nm in size, with an encapsulation efficiency of 37 ± 5 % and a good stability during 21 days, with a negligible change in the size of nanoliosomes. The in vitro cytotoxicity of nanoliposomes was examined using MTT assay. The results obtained from the ex vivo study showed that the antiplatelet activity of eptifibatide encapsulated nanoliposomes was higher in comparison with the free drug (81.63 vs. 46.17 % for RGD-MNL) and (66.67 vs. 46.17 % for UNL), and this increase was more significant for nanoliposomes targeted with RGD peptide (81.63 %; p < 0.05). The results indicated that RGD-MNL encapsulated eptifibatide had no significant cytotoxic effect on cells. In conclusion, the present nanoliposome formulation can be regarded as a new delivery system for protection and enhancement of the antiplatelet activity of eptifibatide.