Propyl paraben-induced changes in dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles

This article reports the influence of the preservative, propyl paraben (PPB), on the phase transition and dynamics of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) vesicles both in multilamellar vesicular (MLV) and unilamellar vesicular (ULV) forms using DSC and (¹H and ³¹P) NMR. DSC results indicate that the mechanism by which PPB interacts with DPPE vesicles is similar in both forms. Addition of PPB to DPPE dispersion results in lowering of the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (T _m) and consequently increases DPPE headgroup fluidity. At high PPB concentration, additional transitions are observed whose intensity increases with increasing PPB concentration. DSC and NMR data indicate that the PPB molecules get intercalated between the DPPE headgroups as the polar group of the PPB molecules interacts with the polar group of PE, and the alkyl chain of PPB penetrates into the acyl chain region. The interesting finding with MLV is that the gel phase of DPPE in the presence of PPB, on equilibration at 25 °C, transforms to a stable crystalline subgel phases and whose intensity increases with increasing PPB concentration. The effect of inclusion of cholesterol in the PPB-free and PPB-doped DPPE dispersion was also studied.     

Interaction of propyl paraben with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayer: a differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance study

The influence of the preservative, propyl paraben (PPB) on the biophysical properties of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) vesicles, both in multilamellar vesicle (MLV) and unilamellar vesicle (ULV) forms, has been studied using DSC and (¹H and ³¹P) NMR. The mechanism by which PPB interacts with DPPC bilayers was found to be independent of the morphological organization of the lipid bilayer. Incorporation of PPB in DPPC vesicles causes a significant depression in the transition temperature and enthalpy of both the pre-transition (PT) and the gel to liquid crystalline transition. The presence of the PPB also reduces the co-operativity of these transitions. However, at high PPB concentration the PT disappears. DSC and NMR findings indicate that: (i) PPB is bound strongly to the lipid bilayer leading to increased headgroup fluidity due to reduced headgroup–headgroup interaction and (ii) the PPB molecules are intercalated between the DPPC polar headgroups with its alkyl chain penetrate into the co-operative region. MLV incorporated with high PPB concentration shows additional transitions whose intensity increases with increasing PPB concentration. This phase segregation observed could probably be due to co-existence of PPB-rich and PPB-poor phospholipid domains within the bilayers. The effect of inclusion of cholesterol in the PPB-free and PPB-doped DPPC dispersion was also studied. Equilibration studies suggest that PPB molecules are very strongly bound and remain intercalated between the polar headgroup for prolonged time.     

Reduced fluidity of dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid membranes by salicylic acid

This paper presents DSC and NMR study of how the kerotolytic drug, salicylic acid (SA), affects the thermotropic and morphological behavior of a model membrane, dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid (DPPA). The membrane-drug system has been studied in the multilamellar vesicular (MLV) and in the unilamellar vesicular (ULV) forms, for SA/DPPA molar ratios from 0 to 0.5. The mode of interaction of SA molecules with DPPA is similar in MLV and ULV. Chain-melting transition becomes sharper and shifts to higher temperatures in the presence of the drug, implying an enhanced co-operativity of the acyl chains. NMR and DSC data indicate that the drug molecules are located in the aqueous interfacial region neighboring the lipid headgroups. The membrane becomes more rigid in the presence of the drug molecules, due to a stronger interaction between the lipid headgroups leading to reduced permeability. ULVs are destroyed by even a short equilibration at room temperature, whereas prolonged equilibration of the MLV only leads to a slightly reduced interaction between the lipid headgroups due to sequestering of the drug molecules in the interfacial aqueous region.     

Influence of the leprosy drug, dapsone on the model membrane dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine

The influence of the sulfone drug, diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS or dapsone) on the phase transitions and dynamics of the model membrane, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE)-water/buffer has been studied using DSC and (¹H and ³¹P) NMR. These investigations were carried out with DPPE dispersion in both multilamellar vesicular (MLV) and unilamellar vesicular (ULV) forms for DDS/DPPE molar ratio, R, in the range 0-0.5. DSC results indicate that the mechanism by which DDS interacted with the DPPE membrane is independent of the morphological organization of the lipid bilayer and the solvent (water or buffer) used to form the dispersion. DDS affected both the thermotropic phase transitions and the molecular mobility of the DPPE membrane. Addition of increasing amounts of DDS to the DPPE dispersion, resulted in the lowering of the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature (T_m) hence increased membrane fluidity. At all concentrations, the DDS is located close to the interfacial region of the DPPE bilayer but not in the acyl chain region. The interesting finding with MLV is that the gel phase of DPPE-water/buffer both in presence and absence of DDS, on prolonged equilibration at 25 °C, transforms to a stable crystalline subgel phase(s). The DPPE-water system forms both crystalline subgel L_LC (with transition temperature T_LC < T_m) and L_HC (with transition temperature T_HC ≥ T_m) phases, while the DPPE-buffer system forms only subgel L_LC phase. The presence of the drug seems to (i) increase the strength of the subgel L_LC phase and (ii) decrease the strength of subgel L_HC (for R < 0.5) phase. However, the value of the transition temperatures T_LC and T_HC does not change significantly with increasing drug concentration.     

基于硼酸/二醇识别的新型糖囊泡荧光传感器

摘要 合成了含有识别基团苯硼酸、喹啉发色团的新型双亲化合物,N-硼苄基-8-16烷基溴化喹啉（N-(boronobenzyl)-8-hexadecyloxyquinolinium bromide (BHQB)）.该化合物在可选择性溶剂中自组织成囊泡,囊泡的相变温度为52.4℃;研究了BHQB囊泡的荧光性质,结果表明：当向囊泡体系加入糖时,喹啉在425nm 峰逐渐增强而508nm峰急剧减弱,变化趋势为葡萄糖>果糖.实验结果表明,BHQB囊泡可以作为可植入、连续检测血糖浓度的荧光囊泡传感器,可望用于临床实际应用.     

Colloidal adhesion of phospholipid vesicles: high-resolution reflection interference contrast microscopy and theory

High-resolution reflection interference contrast microscopy (HR-RICM) was developed for probing the deformation and adhesion of phospholipid vesicles induced by colloidal forces on solid surfaces. The new technique raised the upper limit of the measured membrane–substrate separation from 1 to 4.5 μm and improved the spatial resolution of the heterogeneous contact zones. It was applied to elucidate the effects of wall thickness, pH and osmotic stress on the non-specific adhesion of giant unilamellar vesicles (ULV) and multilamellar vesicles (MLV) on fused silica substrates. By simultaneous cross-polarization light microscopy and HR-RICM measurements, it was observed that ULV with the wall thickness of a single bilayer would be significantly deformed in its equilibrium state on the substrate as the dimension of its adhesive–cohesive zone was 29% higher than the theoretical value of a rigid sphere with the same diameter. Besides, electrostatic interaction was shown as a significant driving force for vesicle adhesions since the reduction in pH significantly increased the degree of deformation of adhering ULV and heterogeneity of the adhesion discs. The degree of MLV deformation on the solid surfaces was significantly less than that of ULV. When the wall thickness of vesicle increased, the dimension of contact zone was reduced dramatically due to the increase of membrane bending modulus. Most important, the adhesion strength of colloidal adhesion approached that of specific adhesion. Finally, the increase of osmotic stress led to the collapse of adhering vesicles on the non-deformable substrate and raised the area of adhesive contact zone. To interpret these results better, the equilibrium deformation of adhering vesicle was modeled as a truncated sphere and the adhesion energy was calculated with a new theory.     

Salicylic acid-induced effects in the mixed-lipid (dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine) model membrane

The effect of the keratolytic drug salicylic acid (SA) on the thermotropic properties and fluidity of the mixed lipid membrane dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC)-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) had been studied using DSC, (1H and 31P) NMR, SAXS, and dynamic light scattering. The membrane was in multilamellar vesicular (MLV) and unilamellar vesicular (ULV) form with SA/(DPPC+DPPE) molar ratios, R(m), in the range from 0 to 0.5. It was found that the mechanism of interaction of SA with the lipid mixture exhibited similar patterns in both ULV and MLV. Both the NMR and DSC studies indicated that the drug molecules were probably localized in the lipid-water interfacial region neighboring the lipid headgroups or the glycerol moiety. The presence of the drug increased the fluidity of the membrane and the acyl chain order. However, studies on MLV showed that the presence of the drug in high concentration (R(m)0.2), caused destabilization of the DPPC-DPPE mixture, as indicated by the appearance of two endothermic transitions. DSC studies indicated that prolonged equilibration of the membrane led to reduced interaction between the lipid headgroups and the SA molecules. This reduced interaction could be due to the sequestering of the drug molecules into the lipid-water interfacial region, out of proximity to the polar headgroup or glycerol moiety. Effect of inclusion of cholesterol in the membrane systems was also studied.     

Photophysical characterization of 1,8 naphthalimide in micelle-diblock copolymer nano-composite: a case of morphological transformation and vesicle formation

This paper reports a morphological transition of the spherical colloidal structures of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyethylene-b-polyethylene glycol (SDS-PE-b-PEG) complex and anionic micelle (SDS) to "rod-shaped" colloidal structures induced by a charge transfer dye, 1,8-naphthalimide (NAPMD) (forms anions in aqueous solution by intermolecular charge transfer). The distinct steady-state results of NAPMD in the above two media point toward the formation of a new microenvironment. SDS and SDS-PE-b-PEG form unilamellar (ULV) and multilamellar vesicles (MLV), respectively, along with the rod-shaped colloidal structures as observed from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. This dye causes a variation in the hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio and forms a hydrogen bond with the copolymer in the SDS-PE-b-PEG complex and subjected to electrostatic interaction with the SDS micelle in aqueous solution, which causes this morphological transformation. These vesicles show complete encapsulation of a hydrophobic dye in its interior as evident from the TEM images. ULV get ruptured at low pH, pointing toward their lower stability over MLV at low pH value. The formation of these vesicles with complete idea of its mechanism, encapsulation of bioactive molecules and its rupture at lower pH raise hope as a potential nanoscale vehicle for biologically relevant compounds and their release at low pH medium.     

On the interaction of the anthraquinone barbaloin with negatively charged DMPG bilayers

Barbaloin is a bioactive glycosilated 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone present in several exudates from plants, such as Aloe vera, which are used for cosmetic or food purposes. It has been shown that barbaloin interacts with DMPG (dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol) model membranes, altering the bilayer structure (Alves, D. S.; Pérez-Fons, L.; Estepa, A.; Micol, V. Biochem. Pharm. 2004, 68, 549). Considering that ESR (electron spin resonance) of spin labels is one of the best techniques to monitor structural properties at the molecular level, the alterations caused by the anthraquinone barbaloin on phospholipid bilayers will be discussed here via the ESR signal of phospholipid spin probes intercalated into the membranes. In DMPG at high ionic strength (10 mM Hepes pH 7.4 + 100 mM NaCl), a system that presents a gel-fluid transition around 23 degrees C, 20 mol % barbaloin turns the gel phase more rigid, does not alter much the fluid phase packing, but makes the lipid thermal transition less sharp. However, in a low-salt DMPG dispersion (10 mM Hepes pH 7.4 + 2 mM NaCl), which presents a rather complex gel-fluid thermal transition (Lamy-Freund, M. T.; Riske, K. A. Chem. Phys. Lipids 2003, 122, 19), barbaloin strongly affects bilayer structural properties, both in the gel and fluid phases, extending the transition region to much higher temperature values. The position of barbaloin in DMPG bilayers will be discussed on the basis of ESR results, in parallel with data from sample viscosity, DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), and SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering).     

Low-pH-induced transformation of bilayer membrane into bicontinuous cubic phase in dioleoylphosphatidylserine/monoolein membranes

Cubic biomembranes, nonbilayer membranes with connections in three-dimensional space that have a cubic symmetry, have been observed in various cells. Interconversion between the bilayer liquid-crystalline (L(alpha)) phase and cubic phases attracted much attention in terms of both biological and physicochemical aspects. Herein we report the pH effect on the phase and structure of dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS)/monoolein (MO) membranes under a physiological ion concentration condition, which was revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement. At neutral pH, DOPS/MO membranes containing high concentrations of DOPS were in the L(alpha) phase. First, the pH effect on the phase and structure of the multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) of the DOPS/MO membranes preformed at neutral pH was investigated by adding various low-pH buffers into the MLV suspension. For 20%-DOPS/80%-MO MLVs, at and below pH 2.9, a transition from the L(alpha) to cubic (Q(224)) phase occurred within 1 h. This phase transition was reversible; a subsequent increase in pH to a neutral one in the membrane suspension transformed the cubic phase into the original L(alpha) phase. Second, we found that a decrease in pH transformed large unilamellar vesicles of DOPS/MO membranes into the cubic phase under similar conditions. We have proposed the mechanism of the low-pH-induced phase transition and also made a quantitative analysis on the critical pH of the phase transition. This finding is the first demonstration that a change in pH can induce a reversible phase transition between the L(alpha) and cubic phases of lipid membranes within 1 h.     

The effect of electrostatics on the contact mechanics of adherent phospholipid vesicles

Adhesion of cells on biomaterial surface is resulted from the complex interplay of specific recognitions and colloidal interactions. Thus understanding the role of electrostatic interactions in bioadhesion may help to elucidate the physiochemical basis of cell signaling pathway on therapeutic devices. In this report, high-resolution reflection interference contrast microscopy, cross-polarized light microscopy and contact mechanics modeling are applied to probe the equilibrium adhesion of giant phospholipid vesicles on 3-amino-propyl-triethoxy-silane coated glass. Simultaneously, the effects of vesicle wall thickness, pH, osmotic stress and surface chemistry on the electrostatic interactions at the membrane–substrate interface are evaluated. The results show that both unilamellar vesicles (ULV) and multilamellar vesicles (MLV) strongly adhere on the cationic substrates at neutral pH. In the presence of electrostatic interactions, ULV is slightly deformed on the substrate as the dimension of its adhesive–cohesive zone is only 6–10% higher than the theoretical value of a rigid sphere with the same mid-plane diameter. The variances of contact angle and capillary length at different locations surrounding MLV are ten times higher than those of ULV. The adhesion energy of ULV with mid-plane diameter of 45 and 20 μm is determined as 3.8×10⁻¹² and 8.6×10⁻¹² J/m², respectively, from the truncated sphere model. Moreover, the increase of osmotic stress induces irregular pattern in ULV's adhesion disc and raises the adhesion energy by 10-fold. Finally, the reduction of pH further enhances the electrostatic attractions/repulsions between vesicle surface and cationic or anionic substrates and leads to an increase of adhesion strength.     

Preparation and properties of vesicles from condensable amphiphilic amino acids

Three double‐chain amphiphiles with amino acid groups as hydrophilic moiety were synthesized. These amphiphiles can be easily dispersed in buffer solution to form transparent dispersion. Examination of the dispersion by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the formation of stable vesicular aggregates, which was also confirmed by the ability to encapsulate water‐soluble dyes. Since amino acid groups are located on the surface of the vesicles, water‐soluble carbodiimide can induce the condensation of these groups to form peptide. The phase transition temperatures of these vesicles were estimated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a decrease of phase transition temperature was observed after polycondensation due to the disturbance of the ordered arrangement of the hydrophobic chains. The leakage rate of the vesicles before and after condensation was studied by monitoring the increase of fluorescence intensity of water‐soluble dye. These vesicles belong to the least permeable ones and the leakage rate can be controlled by varying the degree of condensation or the temperature.     

Charge-induced unilamellar vesicle formation and phase separation in solutions of Di-n-decylmethylamine oxide

A double-tail amine oxide surfactant, di-n-decylmethylamine oxide (2C10MAO), was prepared, and the effects of protonation on aggregate structure were examined by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), turbidity, electric conductivity, and solubilization of an oil-soluble dye at various degrees of neutralization, X, defined as the mole ratio of HCl/2C10MAO. The surfactant makes an L(2) phase in the nonprotonated state (X = 0) in water. The L(2) phase is in equilibrium with an aqueous L(1) phase. On protonation, unilamellar vesicles (ULVs) are formed over a wide range of compositions (0.05 < X< 0.4-0.5 at C = 10 mM) as observed by cryo-TEM. At X = 0.2, the ULV is stable over a wide concentration range (3 mM < or = C < 0.1 M), but an L(alpha) phase replaces the vesicle phase at C > 0.1 M. SANS results show that the mean radius of the ULV is about 25 nm and the bilayer thickness is about 2 nm, consistent with the extended configuration of the alkyl chains of the surfactant. An important contribution to the enhanced stability of the bilayer structures over the L(2) phase is suggested to be the translational entropy of the counterions. The enhanced stability of the bilayers diminishes as the counterion concentration increases either by an increase of X or by the addition of a salt. When the counterion concentration exceeds a critical value, the ULV solutions transform into the L(2) phase (or L(2)/L(1) two-phase system at low surfactant concentrations). The critical composition X is about 0.4-0.5 in water, but it is below 0.4 in D(2)O. The critical NaCl concentration is below 5 mM at X = 0.2. The stability of ULVs against multilamellar vesicles is ascribed partly to undulation forces and partly to the adjustable nature of the spontaneous curvature of amine oxide monolayers. The characteristics of the ULV of the surfactant remain the same within a temperature range 25-50 degrees C at X = 0.2. An iridescent lamellar phase and possibly an L(3) phase were observed in a very narrow X range (0 < X < 0.02) prior to the vesicle phase.     

含Schiff碱基双分子膜聚集状态对荧光效率的影响

合成双分子膜的功能化是近年来引人注目的研究课题之一,它为以可控制方式合成开发功能材料和仿生器件提供了一条趋于实际意义的途径。最近我们合成了含Schiff碱基的单链双亲性分子(缩写为C_nSBC_4N~+)     

Kemp elimination in membrane mimetic reaction media: probing catalytic properties of catanionic vesicles formed from double-tailed amphiphiles

The rate-determining deprotonation of 5-nitrobenzisoxazole (Kemp elimination) by hydroxide is efficiently catalyzed by vesicles formed from dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride (C(18)()C(18)()(+)()). Gradual addition of sodium didecyl phosphate (C(10)()C(10)()(-)()) leads to the formation of catanionic vesicles, which were characterized by cryo-electron microscopy, and their main phase transition temperatures (DSC) and zeta-potentials. Increasing percentages of C(10)()C(10)()(-)() in the vesicular bilayers decrease the catalysis of the Kemp elimination. A detailed kinetic analysis, supported by consideration of substrate binding site polarities and counterion binding percentages, suggest that the catalytic effects of C(18)()C(18)()(+)()/C(10)()C(10)()(-)() catanionic vesicles are primarily determined by the binding of catalytically active hydroxide ions to the vesicular surface area. The formation of neutral microdomains between 10 and 30 mol % of C(10)()C(10)()(-)() in the bilayer, as revealed by DSC, is not apparent from the catalytic effects found for these vesicles. Interestingly, the catalytic effects observed for 50 mol % C(10)()C(10)()(-)() in the catanionic vesicles indicate an asymmetric distribution of C(18)()C(18)()(+)() and C(10)()C(10)()(-)() over the bilayer leaflets. The overall kinetic results illustrate the highly complex mix of factors which determines catalytic effects on reactions occurring in biological cell membranes.     

A novel viscoelastic system from a cationic surfactant and a hydrophobic counterion

The phase behavior of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid (2,1-HNC) mixed with cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (CTAOH) is reported. This novel system is compared with the published one of 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (3,2-HNC) mixed with CTAOH. We investigated the phase behavior and properties of the phases in aqueous solutions of 100 mM CTAOH with 2,1-HNC. In both systems a multilamellar vesicle phase is formed when the naphthoate/surfactant ratio (r) reaches unity. When an increasing amount of 2,1-HNC is mixed with a micellar solution of 100 mM CTAOH, an isotropic low-viscous micellar solution, a viscoelastic gel (consisting of rodlike micelles), a turbid region (two-phase region), and a viscoelastic liquid crystalline gel (consisting of multilamellar vesicles, MLV) were formed. The vesicular phase is highly viscoelastic and has a yield stress value. The transition from the micellar to the vesicle phase occurs for CTAOH/2,1-HNC over a two-phase region, where micelles and vesicles coexist. Also it was noticed that 2,1-HNC is dissolved in 100 mM CTAOH until the naphthoate/surfactant ratio reaches approximately 1.5, and the liquid crystalline phases were found to change their color systematically when they were viewed between two crossed polarizers. The vesicles have been characterized by differential interference contrast microscopy, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The vesicles were polydisperse and their diameter ranged from 100 to 1000 nm. The interlamellar spacing between the bilayers was determined with small angle neutron scattering and agrees with the results from different microscopical methods. The complex viscosity rises by six orders of magnitude when rodlike micelles are formed. The complex viscosity decreases again in the turbid region, and then rises approximately six orders of magnitude above the water viscosity. This second rising is due to the formation of the liquid crystalline MLV phase.     

单链2,7-取代萘刚性生色基双亲化合物的合成及其在稀溶液中的自组织

合成了系列单链含2,7-取代萘刚性生色基的双亲化合物C_nNaph(2,7)C₆N⁺(n=4,7,10,12,16),分别用透射电镜、¹HNMR和DSC观测了该系列双亲物在稀溶液中的聚集形态,研究了聚集体内的分子运动和凝胶态到液晶态的相变.结果表明,当尾链n≥7时,该系列化合物在稀溶液中自组织成双分子层排列的囊泡,当n=4时聚集体无确定形态.     

Thermotropic and barotropic phase transitions of dialkyldimethylammonium bromide bilayer membranes: effect of chain length

The bilayer phase transitions of dialkyldimethylammonium bromides (2C(n)Br; n = 12, 14, 16) were observed by differential scanning calorimetry and high-pressure light-transmittance measurements. Under atmospheric pressure, the 2C(12)Br bilayer membrane underwent the stable transition from the lamellar crystal (L(c)) phase to the liquid crystalline (L(α)) phase. The 2C(14)Br bilayer underwent the main transition from the metastable lamellar gel (L(β)) phase to the metastable L(α) phase in addition to the stable L(c)/L(α) transition. For the 2C(16)Br bilayer, moreover, three kinds of phase transitions were observed: the metastable main transition, the metastable transition from the metastable lamellar crystal (L(c(2))) phase to the metastable L(α) phase, and the stable lamellar crystal (L(c(1)))/L(α) transition. The temperatures of all the phase transitions elevated almost linearly with increasing pressure. The temperature (T)-pressure (p) phase diagrams of the 2C(12)Br and 2C(14)Br bilayers were simple, but that of the 2C(16)Br bilayer was complex; that is, the T-p curves for the metastable main transition and the L(c(2))/L(α) transition intersect at ca. 25 MPa, which means the inversion of the relative phase stability between the metastable phases of L(β) and L(c(2)) above and below the pressure. Moreover, the T-p curve of the L(c(2))/L(α) transition was separated into two curves under high pressure, and as a result, the pressure-induced L(c(2P)) phase appeared in between. Thermodynamic quantities for phase transitions of the 2C(n)Br bilayers increased with an increase in alkyl-chain length. The chain-length dependence of the phase-transition temperature for all kinds of transitions observed suggests that the stable L(c(1))/L(α) transition incorporates the metastable L(c(2))/L(α) transition in the bilayers of 2C(n)Br with shorter alkyl chains, and the main-transition of the 2C(12)Br bilayer would occur at a temperature below 0 °C.     

Complexation of cationic polyelectrolyte with anionic phospholipid vesicles: Concentration, molecular weight and salt effects

The influence of cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) on the morphology and phase behavior of anionic phospholipid vesicles was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescent microscopy and light scattering technique. A wide range of polymer concentration has been examined for the first time. The polycation can bind electrostatically to the vesicles to compensate, neutralize and reverse the vesicular charge, depending on the molar ratio of cationic to anionic group R. For R<1, charge compensation weakened the electrostatic repulsion between the lipid molecules, leading to formation of polymer-modified vesicles, each with an increased number of bilayers. The bilayer exhibits a rising main phase transition temperature from a gel to liquid crystalline state. This behavior persisted until R≈1 around the neutralization condition, where the complexes became largest and precipitate. With R>1, charge reversal took place, the complex size reduced. Interestingly, the main phase transition temperature was found for the first time to shift back towards the original value in the absence of polymer for large enough R. Although the thermal behavior was nearly independent of the polymer molecular weight, the complex morphology could be different.     

Spontaneously Forming Unilamellar Phospholipid Vesicles

Unilamellar vesicles (ULV) consisting of a single lipid bilayer are of special interest as drug delivery vehicles. Here, we report on a spontaneously forming ULV system composed of the short- and long-chain phospholipids, dihexanoyl (DHPC) and dimyristoyl (DMPC) phosphorylcholine, respectively, doped with the negatively charged lipid, dimyristoyl phosphorylglycerol (DMPG). Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were employed to systematically investigate the effects of lipid concentration, salinity, and time on vesicle stability. It is found that ULV size is practically constant over a range of lipid concentration and temperature. The spontaneously formed ULV are stable for periods of four months, or greater, without the use of stabilizers.