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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Radical Anion by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy from Cells using Spin Traps
Published on: August 18, 2012
Encapsulation of a nitric oxide donor into a liposome to boost the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect
Yu Tahara1, Takuma Yoshikawa2, Hikari Sato1
1Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences , Kyushu University , 744 Motooka , Nishi-ku , Fukuoka 819-0395 , Japan . Email: ykatatcm@mail.cstm.kyushu-u.ac.jp ; Tel: +81 092 802 2850.
Abstract:
We propose a method to improve the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of nanomedicines based on tumor-specific vasodilation using a nitric oxide (NO) donor-containing liposome. NONOate, a typical NO donor, was incorporated into a PEGylated liposome to retard the protonation-induced release of NO from NONOate by the protecting lipid bilayer membrane. The NONOate-containing liposome (NONOate-LP) showed similar blood retention to an empty PEGylated liposome but almost twice the amount accumulated within the tumor. This improvement in the EPR effect is thought to have been caused by specific vasodilation in the tumor tissue by NO released from the NONOate-LP accumulated in the tumor. The improved EPR effect by NONOate-LP will be useful for the accumulation of co-administered nanomedicines.
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