Genotoxicity of diesel-exhaust particles dispersed in simulated pulmonary surfactant.

Diesel-exhaust particles from two sources were dispersed in aqueous mixtures of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline, a major component of pulmonary surfactant, and were tested for genotoxicity. Diesel samples from the same sources were extracted with dichloromethane and transferred into dimethyl sulfoxide and subjected to the same assays. Both types of extractions yielded similar results in both the Salmonella mutagenicity assay and the sister-chromatid exchange assay using V79 cells. After separation of the samples into supernatant and sediment fractions, the activity of both diesel samples was shown to reside exclusively in the supernatant fraction for the solvent-extracted samples, and exclusively in the sedimented fraction for surfactant dispersed samples. These findings indicate that genotoxic activity associated with diesel particles inhaled into the lung may be made bioavailable by virtue of the solubilization/dispersion properties of pulmonary surfactant components.     

Thermotropic behavior and electronmicroscopic structures of mixtures of gangliosides and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

The calorimetric properties and morphological structures of dispersed mixtures of 1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and highly purified human brain gangliosides, GM2, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b, were studied using a high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimeter and an electron-microscope, as a function of the ganglioside molar fraction. No thermal phase transitions of pure gangliosides in aqueous dispersions could be detected. In the mixtures of DPPC and gangliosides, the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition occurred at a higher temperature than in pure DPPC dispersions and progressed over a wide temperature range. As increasing amounts of the pure ganglioside species were added to DPPC, the temperature for the main transition gradually increased. The phase transition progressed differently among different gangliosides/DPPC mixtures. The enthalpy values were found to decrease linearly as the number of sialic acid residues increased. Electron-microscopically the ganglioside/DPPC mixtures formed multilamellar structures at lower concentrations of the gangliosides, and the structures changed to cylindrical and spherical micelles as the ganglioside concentration was increased. The polysialoganglioside/DPPC mixtures showed the micellar form even at lower ganglioside concentrations, contrary to the case of the monosialoganglioside/DPPC mixtures. The morphological changes of gangliosides/DPPC mixtures corresponded with changes in the calorimetric properties. These results show that individual gangliosides have different physicochemical effects on model membranes, possibly because of the interaction of their negatively charged head groups.     

Interaction of the local anaesthetic heptacaine with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes: a densimetric study.

Interaction of the local anaesthetic heptacaine, monohydrochloride of [2-(heptyloxy)-phenyl]-2-(1-piperidinyl)-ethyl ester of carbamic acid, with multilamellar dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes in aqueous solution with high excess of water has been studied by means of density measurements in the scanning regime in the main phase transition region. The anaesthetic decreased the temperature of main phase transition. The molar partition coefficients of heptacaine between aqueous phase, liquid crystal and gel phases of DPPC have been determined from a combination of phase transition data obtained by densimetry with a DPPC/heptacaine phase diagram published in the literature. The saturation of heptacaine concentration in liposomes has been observed at higher total amount of anaesthetic. The partial specific volume of heptacaine located in DPPC bilayers is slightly lower than in the aqueous phase.     

Preparation and characterization of gas-filled liposomes: can they improve oil recovery?

Although well known for delivering various pharmaceutical agents, liposomes can be prepared to entrap gas rather than aqueous media and have the potential to be used as pressure probes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using these gas-filled liposomes (GFL) as tracers, MRI imaging of pressure regions of a fluid flowing through a porous medium could be established. This knowledge can be exploited to enhance recovery of oil from the porous rock regions within oil fields. In the preliminary studies, we have optimized the lipid composition of GFL prepared using a simple homogenization technique and investigated key physico-chemical characteristics (size and the physical stability) and their efficacy as pressure probes. In contrast to the liposomes possessing an aqueous core which are prepared at temperatures above their phase transition temperature (T(c)), homogenization of the phospholipids such as 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocoline (DSPC) in aqueous medium below their T(c) was found to be crucial in formation of stable GFL. DSPC based preparations yielded a GFL volume of more than five times compared to their DPPC counter part. Although the initial vesicle sizes of both DSPC and DPPC based GFL were about 10 microm, after 7 days storage at 25 degrees C, the vesicle sizes of both formulations significantly (p < 0.05) increased to 28.3 +/- 0.3 mum and 12.3 +/- 1.0 microm, respectively. When the DPPC preparation was supplemented with cholesterol at a 1:0.5 or 1:1 molar ratio, significantly (p < 0.05) larger vesicles were formed (12-13 microm), however, compared to DPPC only vesicles, both cholesterol supplemented formulations displayed enhanced stability on storage indicating a stabilizing effect of cholesterol on these gas-filled vesicles. In order to induce surface charge on the GFL, DPPC and cholesterol (1: 0.5 molar ratio) liposomes were supplemented with a cationic surfactant, stearylamine, at a molar ratio of 0.25 or 0.125. Interestingly, the zeta potential values remained around neutrality at both stearylamine ratios suggesting the cationic surfactant was not incorporated within the bilayers of the GFL. Microscopic analysis of GFL confirmed the presence of spherical structures with a size distribution between 1-8 microm. This study has identified that DSPC based GFL in aqueous medium dispersed in 2% w/v methyl cellulose although yielded higher vesicle sizes over time were most stable under high pressures exerted in MRI.     

Location of two antioxidants in oriented model membranes. Small-angle x-ray diffraction study.

Small-angle x-ray diffraction has been applied in locating either butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or delta-tocopherol and their brominated analogues at a concentration of 40 mol% in oriented bilayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) or DPPC + 15 mol% cholesterol at 20 degrees C. Phases were determined using swelling experiments with structure factors plotted in reciprocal space, creating a relatively smooth curve as the amount of water between the bilayers was changed. Continuous Fourier transforms were also calculated using sampling theory (Shannon, C. E. 1949. Proc. Inst. Radio Engrs. NY. 37:10-21) to further test the consistency of the phase assignments. Fourier synthesis of structure factors resulted in absolute electron density profiles for different bilayers to a resolution of 5-6 A. In addition, difference Patterson maps were constructed to confirm the positions of the bromine atoms in the unit cell. Analysis of the data indicates the following: (a) The BHT molecules are dispersed throughout the alkyl-chain region in DPPC samples with and without cholesterol. (b) The chromanol ring of delta-tocopherol is in the vicinity of the glycerol backbone-headgroup region in samples of DPPC or DPPC + 15 mol% cholesterol. (c) Difference Patterson maps confirm the localization of bromine atoms in the various delta-tocopherol samples and lack of bromine localization in the various BHT samples.     

Lysosomes from rabbit type II cells catabolize surfactant lipids

The role of a lysosome fraction from rabbit type II cells in surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) catabolism was investigated in vivo using radiolabeled DPPC and dihexadecylphosphatidylcholine (1, 2-dihexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; DEPC), a phospholipase A(1)- and A(2)-resistant analog of DPPC. Freshly isolated type II cells were gently disrupted by shearing, and lysosomes were isolated with Percoll density gradients (density range 1.0591-1.1457 g/ml). The lysosome fractions were relatively free of contaminating organelles as determined by electron microscopy and organelle marker enzymes. After intratracheal injection of rabbits with [(3)H]DPPC and [(14)C]DEPC associated with a trace amount of natural rabbit surfactant, the degradation-resistant DEPC accumulated 16-fold compared with DPPC in lysosome fractions at 15 h. Lysosomes can be isolated from freshly isolated type II cells, and lysosomes from type II cells are the primary catabolic organelle for alveolar surfactant DPPC following reuptake by type II cells in vivo.     

Interactions of triglycerides with phospholipids: incorporation into the bilayer structure and formation of emulsions

Interactions of carbonyl 13C-enriched triacylglycerols (TG) with phospholipid bilayers [egg phosphatidylcholine (PC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and an ether-linked phosphatidylcholine] were studied by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Up to 3 mol % triolein (TO) or tripalmitin (TP) was incorporated into DPPC vesicles by cosonication of the TG and DPPC at approximately 50 degrees C. NMR studies were carried out in a temperature range (30-50 degrees C) in which pure TO is a liquid whereas pure TP is a solid. In spectra of DPPC vesicles with TG at 40-50 degrees C, both TO and TP had narrow carbonyl resonances, indicative of rapid motions, and chemical shifts indicative of H bonding of the TG carbonyls with solvent (H2O) at the aqueous interfaces of the vesicle bilayer. Below the phase transition temperature of the DPPC/TG vesicles (approximately 36 degrees C), most phospholipid peaks broadened markedly. In DPPC vesicles with TP, the TP carbonyl peaks broadened beyond detection below the transition, whereas in vesicles with TO, the TO carbonyl peaks showed little change in line width or chemical shift and no change in the integrated intensity. Thus, in the gel phase, TP solidified with DPPC, whereas TO was fluid and remained oriented at the aqueous interfaces. Egg PC vesicles incorporated up to 2 mol % TP at 35 degrees C; the TP carbonyl peaks had line-width and chemical shift values similar to those for TP (or TO) in liquid-crystalline DPPC. TO incorporated into ether-linked PC had properties very similar to TO in ester-linked PC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

AFM visualization of mobile influenza A M2 molecules in planar bilayers

We report the observation of influenza A M2 (M2) incorporated in a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) supported planar bilayer on mica, formed by use of a modified vesicle fusion method from proteoliposomes and visualized with contact mode atomic force microscopy. Incubation of proteoliposomes in a hyperosmotic solution and increased DPPC/M2 weight ratios improved supported planar bilayer formation by M2/DPPC proteoliposomes. M2's extra-bilayer domains were observed as particles estimated to protrude 1-1.5 nm above the bilayer surface and <4 nm in diameter. Particle density was 5-18% of the nominal tetramer density. Movement of observable M2 particles was independent of the probe tip. The mean lateral diffusion coefficient (D) of M2 was 4.4 +/- 1.0 x 10(-14) cm(2)/s. Eighty-two percent of observable particles were mobile on the observable timescale (D > 6 x 10(-15) cm(2)/s). Protein-protein interactions were also observed directly.     

Controlling association of vesicle embedded peptides by alteration of the physical state of the lipid matrix

We report here the reversible association of a designed peptide embedded in a lipid membrane through a stimulus-sensitive trigger that changes the physical state of the bilayer matrix. A peptide designed with the classical 4-3 heptad repeat of coiled coils, equipped with leucine residues at all canonical interface positions, TH1, was rendered membrane soluble by replacement of all exterior residues with randomly selected hydrophobic amino acids. Insertion of TH1 into large unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles was followed by monitoring tryptophan fluorescence. Peptide insertion was observed when the lipids were in the liquid-crystalline state [1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)] but not when they were in the crystalline phase [1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC)]. Formation of a trimeric alpha-helical bundle in lipid bilayers was followed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Global fit analysis revealed a monomer--trimer equilibrium with a dissociation constant of around 10(-5) [corrected] MF(2). A lipid mixture composed of DPPC and POPC exhibiting a phase transition at 34 degrees C between a crystalline/liquid-crystalline coexistence region and a completely miscible liquid-crystalline phase was used to control the formation of the trimeric peptide bundle. TH1 is phase excluded in crystalline DPPC domains below 34 degrees C, leading to a larger number of trimers. However, when the DPPC domains are dispersed at temperatures above 34 degrees C, the number of trimers is reduced.     

Release of bovine serum albumin from a hydrogel-cored biodegradable polymer fiber

We have developed a novel biodegradable, polymeric fiber construct that is coextruded using a wet-spinning process into a core-sheath format with a polysaccharide pre-hydrogel solution as the core fluid and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as the sheath. The biodegradable, biocompatible fibers were extruded from polymeric emulsions comprised of solutions of various molecular weights of PLLA dissolved in chloroform and containing dispersed, protein-free aqueous phases comprising up to 10% of the emulsion volume. Biologically sensitive agents can be loaded via a dispersed aqueous phase in the polymer, and/or directly into the polysaccharide. We show that this core-sheath fiber format will load a model protein that can be delivered for extended periods in vitro. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was loaded into the fiber core as a model protein. We have shown that the greater the volume of the protein-free aqueous phase dispersed into the polymeric continuous-phase emulsion, the greater the total release of BSA encapsulated by a core gel comprised of 1% sodium alginate solution. We conclude this fiber format provides a promising vehicle for in vivo delivery of biological molecules. Its biocompatibility and biodegradability also allow for its use as a possible substrate for tissue engineering applications.     

Influence of Formulation and Processing Variables on Properties of Itraconazole Nanoparticles Made by Advanced Evaporative Precipitation into Aqueous Solution

Nanoparticles, of the poorly water-soluble drug, itraconazole (ITZ), were produced by the Advanced Evaporative Precipitation into Aqueous Solution process (Advanced EPAS). This process combines emulsion templating and EPAS processing to provide improved control over the size distribution of precipitated particles. Specifically, oil-in-water emulsions containing the drug and suitable stabilizers are sprayed into a heated aqueous solution to induce precipitation of the drug in form of nanoparticles. The influence of processing parameters (temperature and volume of the heated aqueous solution; type of nozzle) and formulation aspects (stabilizer concentrations; total solid concentrations) on the size of suspended ITZ particles, as determined by laser diffraction, was investigated. Furthermore, freeze-dried ITZ nanoparticles were evaluated regarding their morphology, crystallinity, redispersibility, and dissolution behavior. Results indicate that a robust precipitation process was developed such that size distribution of dispersed nanoparticles was shown to be largely independent across the different processing and formulation parameters. Freeze-drying of colloidal dispersions resulted in micron-sized agglomerates composed of spherical, sub-300-nm particles characterized by reduced crystallinity and high ITZ potencies of up to 94% (w/w). The use of sucrose prevented particle agglomeration and resulted in powders that were readily reconstituted and reached high and sustained supersaturation levels upon dissolution in aqueous media.     

Lysosomal-type PLA2 and turnover of alveolar DPPC

This study evaluated the role of a lysosomal-type phospholipase A2 (aiPLA(2)) in the degradation of internalized dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and in phospholipid synthesis by the rat lung. Uptake and degradation of DPPC were measured in isolated perfused rat lungs over 3 h following endotracheal instillation of [(3)H]DPPC in mixed unilamellar liposomes plus or minus MJ33, a specific inhibitor of lung aiPLA(2). Uptake of DPPC was calculated from total tissue-associated radiolabel, and degradation was calculated from the sum of radiolabel in degradation products. Both uptake and degradation were markedly stimulated by addition of 8-bromo-cAMP to the perfusate. MJ33 had no effect on DPPC uptake but decreased DPPC degradation at 3 h by approximately 40-50%. The effect of MJ33 on lung synthesis of DPPC was evaluated with intact rats over a 12- to 24-h period following intravenous injection of radiolabeled palmitate and choline. MJ33 treatment decreased palmitate incorporation into disaturated phosphatidylcholine of lamellar bodies and surfactant by approximately 65% at 24 h but had no effect on choline incorporation. This result is compatible with inhibition of the deacylation/reacylation pathway for DPPC synthesis. These results obtained with intact rat lungs indicate that aiPLA(2) is a major enzyme for degradation of internalized DPPC and also has an important role in DPPC synthesis.     

Phase separation in monolayers of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids at the air-water interface: composition and structure.

The phase behavior of monolayers containing the complete set of purified phospholipids (PPL) obtained from calf surfactant was investigated as a model for understanding the phase transitions that precede compression of pulmonary surfactant to high surface pressure. During compression, both fluorescence microscopy and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) distinguished domains that separated from the surrounding film. Quantitative analysis of BAM grayscales indicated optical thicknesses for the PPL domains that were similar to the liquid condensed phase for dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the most abundant component of pulmonary surfactant, and higher and less variable with surface pressure than for the surrounding film. BAM also showed the optical anisotropy that indicates long-range orientational order of tilted lipid chains for the domains, but not for the surrounding film. Fluorescence microscopy shows that addition of DPPC to the PPL increased the area of the domains. At fixed surface pressures from 20-40 mN/m, the total area of each phase grew in proportion with the mol fraction of DPPC. This constant variation allowed analysis of the DPPC mol fraction in each phase, construction of a simple phase diagram, and calculation of the molecular area for each phase. Our results indicate that the phase surrounding the domains is more expanded and compressible, and contains reduced amounts of DPPC in addition to the other phospholipids. The domains contain a mol fraction for DPPC of at least 96%.     

Multilayered vesicles prepared by reverse-phase evaporation: liposome structure and optimum solute entrapment

Liposome structure and solute entrapment in multilayered vesicles (MLVs) prepared by reverse-phase evaporation (REV) were studied. MLV-REV vesicles prepared from ether/water emulsions have high entrapment. Entrapment depends on drug, drug concentration, lipid, lipid concentration, and the container used to prepare the vesicles. By use of 300 microL of aqueous phase and 100 mg of phosphatidylcholine (PC), vesicles prepared in a test tube 25 mm X 175 mm have higher entrapment than vesicles prepared in a 100-mL round-bottom or pear-shaped flask. By use of a test tube, 100 mg of PC, and 300 microL of aqueous phase containing sucrose (1-50 mg/mL), greater than 90% sucrose entrapment was obtained. Increasing lipid content to 150 mg of PC decreased entrapment to approximately 80%. Neutral PC MLV-REV vesicles have optimum entrapment. Mixing negatively charged lipids or cholesterol (CH) with PC to make MLV-REV vesicles results in decreased entrapment compared to using only PC. Preparing vesicles with the solid lipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) or DPPC/CH mixtures (0 less than or equal to mol % CH less than or equal to 50) results in approximately 30-40% entrapment when diethyl ether is used to make the MLV-REV emulsion. Substituting diisopropyl ether for diethyl ether and heating the MLV-REV emulsion during vesicle formation generate DPPC/CH vesicles that entrap 60% of added solutes. The high entrapment found for MLV vesicles prepared from water/organic solvent emulsions depends on maintaining a core during the process of liposome formation. A method to calculate the fraction of water residing in the liposomes' core is presented and used to compare multilayered vesicles prepared by different processes. X-ray diffraction data demonstrate that a heterogeneous distribution of lipid may exist in multilayered vesicles prepared by the REV process.     

Degradation and reutilization of alveolar phosphatidylcholine by rat lungs

We have shown previously that phospholipids instilled through the trachea are removed from the air spaces in isolated rat lungs by a process that is stimulated by beta-adrenergic agonists. In this study, we evaluated the fate of radiolabeled lipid vesicles [50% [3H]dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), 25% phosphatidylcholine (PC), 15% cholesterol, and 10% phosphatidylglycerol (PG)]. Vesicles were instilled through the trachea of anesthetized rats, and the lungs removed for perfusion. The percent of instilled 3H that could not be removed from lungs by extensive lung lavage increased progressively; at 3 h this fraction was 25.8 +/- 0.63% (mean +/- SE; n = 8). The percent of dpm in the lung homogenate accounted for by PC decreased progressively while dpm in lyso-PC, unsaturated PC, and aqueous soluble metabolites [choline, choline phosphate, glycerophosphorycholine, and cytidine 5'-diphosphate (CDP) choline (CDP-choline) increased. The dpm in microsomal and lamellar body fractions isolated from lung homogenates also increased progressively with time of perfusion. The presence of 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP) significantly stimulated both uptake of DPPC and the appearance of radioactivity in metabolites and subcellular organelles. This effect of 8-BrcAMP was not due to stimulation of phospholipase A activity. These results indicate that exogenous phospholipids instilled into the air spaces of rat lungs are internalized and degraded by a process that is stimulated by cAMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

New approaches to the simulation of heat-capacity curves and phase diagrams of pseudobinary phospholipid mixtures.

A simulation program using least-squares minimization was developed to calculate and fit heat capacity (cp) curves to experimental thermograms of dilute aqueous dispersions of phospholipid mixtures determined by high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. We analyzed cp curves and phase diagrams of the pseudobinary aqueous lipid systems 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylglycerol/ 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3phosphatidylcholine (DMPG/DPPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidic acid/1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPA/DPPC) at pH 7. The simulation of the cp curves is based on regular solution theory using two nonideality parameters rho g and rho l for symmetric nonideal mixing in the gel and the liquid-crystalline phases. The broadening of the cp curves owing to limited cooperativity is incorporated into the simulation by convolution of the cp curves calculated for infinite cooperativity with a broadening function derived from a simple two-state transition model with the cooperative unit size n = delta HVH/delta Hcal as an adjustable parameter. The nonideality parameters and the cooperative unit size turn out to be functions of composition. In a second step, phase diagrams were calculated and fitted to the experimental data by use of regular solution theory with four different model assumptions. The best fits were obtained with a four-parameter model based on nonsymmetric, nonideal mixing in both phases. The simulations of the phase diagrams show that the absolute values of the nonideality parameters can be changed in a certain range without large effects on the shape of the phase diagram as long as the difference of the nonideality parameters for rho g for the gel and rho l for the liquid-crystalline phase remains constant. The miscibility in DMPG/DPPC and DMPA/DPPC mixtures differs remarkably because, for DMPG/DPPC, delta rho = rho l -rho g is negative, whereas for DMPA/DPPC this difference is positive. For DMPA/DPPC, this difference is interpreted as being caused by a negative rho g value, indicating complex formation of unlike molecules in the gel phase.     

Modeling kinetics of infused 13NN-saline in acute lung injury.

A mathematical model was developed to estimate right-to-left shunt (Fs) and the volume of distribution of 13NN in alveolar gas (VA) and shunt tissue (Vs). The data obtained from this model are complementary to, and obtained simultaneously with, pulmonary functional positron emission tomography (PET). The model describes 13NN kinetics in four compartments: central mixing volume, gas-exchanging lung, shunting compartment, and systemic recirculation. To validate the model, five normal prone (NP) and six surfactant-depleted sheep in the supine (LS) and prone (LP) positions were studied under general anesthesia. A central venous bolus of 13NN-labeled saline was injected at the onset of apnea as PET imaging and arterial 13NN sampling were initiated. The model fit the tracer kinetics well (mean r2 = 0.93). Monte Carlo simulations showed that parameters could be accurately identified in the presence of expected experimental noise. Fs derived from the model correlated well with shunt estimates derived from O2 blood concentrations and from PET images. Fs was higher for LS (54 +/- 18%) than for LP (5 +/- 4%) and NP (1 +/- 1%, P < 0.01). VA, as a fraction of PET-measured lung gas volume, was lower for LS (0.18 +/- 0.09) than for LP (0.96 +/- 0.28, P < 0.01), whereas Vs, as a fraction of PET-measured lung tissue volume, was higher for LS (0.46 +/- 0.26) than for LP (0.05 +/- 0.08, P < 0.01). The main conclusions are as follows: 1) the model accurately describes measured arterial 13NN kinetics and provides estimates of Fs, and 2) in this animal model of acute lung injury, the fraction of available gas volume participating in gas exchange is reduced in the supine position.     

Structural changes in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer promoted by Ca2+ ions: a small-angle neutron scattering study

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) curves of unilamellar dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles in 1-60mM CaCl2 were analyzed using a strip-function model of the phospholipid bilayer. The fraction of Ca2+ ions bound in the DPPC polar head group region was determined using Langmuir adsorption isotherm. In the gel phase, at 20 degrees C, the lipid bilayer thickness, dL, goes through a maximum as a function of CaCl2 concentration (dL=54.4A at approximately 2.5mM of CaCl2). Simultaneously, both the area per DPPC molecule AL, and the number of water molecules nW located in the polar head group region decrease (DeltaAL=AL(DPPC))-AL(DPPC+Ca)=2.3A2 and Deltan=n(W(DPPC))-n(W(DPPC+Ca))=0.8mol/mol at approximately 2.5mM of CaCl2). In the fluid phase, at 60 degrees C, the structural parameters d(L), A(L), and n(W) show evident changes with increasing Ca2+ up to a concentration C(Ca)(2+) < or = 10mM. DPPC bilayers affected by the calcium binding are compared to unilamellar vesicles prepared by extrusion. The structural parameters of DPPC vesicles prepared in 60mM CaCl2 (at 20 and 60 degrees C) are nearly the same as those for unilamellar vesicles without Ca2+.     

Preparation and Characterization of Gas-filled Liposomes: Can They Improve Oil Recovery?

Although well known for delivering various pharmaceutical agents, liposomes can be prepared to entrap gas rather than aqueous media and have the potential to be used as pressure probes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using these gas-filled liposomes (GFL) as tracers, MRI imaging of pressure regions of a fluid flowing through a porous medium could be established. This knowledge can be exploited to enhance recovery of oil from the porous rock regions within oil fields. In the preliminary studies, we have optimized the lipid composition of GFL prepared using a simple homogenization technique and investigated key physico-chemical characteristics (size and the physical stability) and their efficacy as pressure probes. In contrast to the liposomes possessing an aqueous core which are prepared at temperatures above their phase transition temperature (T_c), homogenization of the phospholipids such as 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocoline (DSPC) in aqueous medium below their T_c was found to be crucial in formation of stable GFL. DSPC based preparations yielded a GFL volume of more than five times compared to their DPPC counter part. Although the initial vesicle sizes of both DSPC and DPPC based GFL were about 10 μm, after 7 days storage at 25°C, the vesicle sizes of both formulations significantly (p < 0.05) increased to 28.3 ± 0.3 μm and 12.3 ± 1.0 μm, respectively. When the DPPC preparation was supplemented with cholesterol at a 1:0.5 or 1:1 molar ratio, significantly (p < 0.05) larger vesicles were formed (12–13 μm), however, compared to DPPC only vesicles, both cholesterol supplemented formulations displayed enhanced stability on storage indicating a stabilizing effect of cholesterol on these gas-filled vesicles. In order to induce surface charge on the GFL, DPPC and cholesterol (1: 0.5 molar ratio) liposomes were supplemented with a cationic surfactant, stearylamine, at a molar ratio of 0.25 or 0.125. Interestingly, the ζ potential values remained around neutrality at both stearylamine ratios suggesting the cationic surfactant was not incorporated within the bilayers of the GFL. Microscopic analysis of GFL confirmed the presence of spherical structures with a size distribution between 1–8 μm. This study has identified that DSPC based GFL in aqueous medium dispersed in 2% w/v methyl cellulose although yielded higher vesicle sizes over time were most stable under high pressures exerted in MRI.