Liposomal (MLV) polymyxin B: physicochemical characterization and effect of surface charge and drug association

Neutral and charged large vortexed multilamellar hydrogenated egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes containing the polycationic antibiotic polymyxin B (PXB) were characterized with respect to lipid-drug interactions (differential scanning calorimetry), surface charge (zeta potential analysis), size (photon correlation spectroscopy) and morphology (transmission electron microscopy). These physicochemical results will be used to develop a liposomal drug delivery system for PXB that may be useful in the clinical treatment of lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients. The liposomal morphology and membrane integrity of all the preparations were unaffected by associated antibiotic. Drug encapsulation increased in the order neutral = positive < negative, the negatively charged liposomes increasing drug association 2-fold. The phase transition temperature of neutral and positive liposomes was not significantly affected by PXB. Drug-loaded negative liposomes showed a decreased phase transition possibly due to attractive electrostatic interactions between drug and lipid that tended to increase drug penetration and destabilize the liposome bilayer. Drug loading did not affect liposome size. However, both empty and loaded negative liposomes were significantly smaller (approx. 1 micron) than neutral and positive (approx. 2.5 microns) liposomes. Increased encapsulation with negative liposomes is therefore due not to an increase in the entrapped volume but to electrostatic interactions.