The purpose of this work was to study the effect of pH on the liposomal encapsulation of a model camptothecin anti-tumor agent, DB-67, by considering the state of ionization and bilayer membrane/ water partitioning of the drug as a function of pH. A novel fluorescence method was developed to monitor intravesicular pH in liposomal formulations containing entrapped DB-67 by using the drug itself as a pH indicator. Fluorescence spectra were recorded in aqueous buffers and liposomes and used to estimate the ionization constant of the A-ring phenol of DB-67 (pKa 2 ) and shifts in ionization constants (pKa 1 and pKa 2 ) due to membrane binding. Bilayer/water partitioning studies by equilibrium dialysis were employed to show that DB-67 is highly membrane bound over the entire pH range examined though binding decreases with an increase in pH. The observed ionization constants of membrane-bound DB-67 obtained from the equilibrium dialysis experiments were consistent with observations from fluorescence measurements and previous permeability results. The pH dependence of DB-67 loading using a passive loading technique was found to reflect the pH dependence of membrane binding of the drug. This results in poor encapsulation efficiency of DB-67 at high pH, necessitating further development of formulation strategies to improve loading efficiency.
In liposomes, cyclodextrin complexation competes with liposomal membrane binding which may temper the potential benefit of complexation in prolonging hydrophobic drug retention. Cyclodextrin complexation combined with drug ionization may nevertheless significantly enhance the retention of ionizable hydrophobic drugs in liposomes as complexation may compete more favorably with membrane binding when the drug is ionized.
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