Optimal preparation of the complex of paclitaxel loaded heparin nanoparticles and microbubbles and screening for the optimized ultrasound condition for different breast cancer cells

Abstract

Objective To investigate the optimal preparation of the complex of paclitaxel-loaded heparin nanoparticles and microbubbles and screen the optimized ultrasound (US) condition for highly aggressive breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and less aggressive breast cancer cells MCF-7. Methods Paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using heparin as nanocarrier, and biotinlyated microbubbles were prepared by mechanical shaking. Paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles was conjugated with microbubbles to prepare the complex using avidin-biotin system. The optimized method was screened. Breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 were treated with the prepared complex and different ultrasonic parameters including irradiation intensity and exposure duration were evaluated by cellular uptake experiments. Results The drug loading in the complex was 106.7 μg/108 microbubbles when the paclitaxel-nanoparticle concentration was 2 mg/ml. For MDA-MB-231 cells, the optimal irradiation intensity was 1.0 W/cm2 and the optimal exposure duration was 40 s, and they were 1.5W/cm2 and 40s for MCF-7 cells, respectively. Conclusions The complex with high drug loading weight, composed of paclitaxel-loaded heparin nanoparticles and microbubbles, was successfully prepared, and it was found the optimal ultrasound condition was different in two breast cancer cells. Key words: Ultrasonography; Paclitaxel-nanoparticle; Microbubbles; Tumor cells