Gel-liquid Crystalline Phase Transition Research Articles

Controlling the formation of ionic complex vesicles through double-tailed surfactants.

Liposomes are often used in cosmetics since they are naturally derived and have excellent texture enhancing capabilities. However, when preparing them by using phospholipids with unsaturated acyl groups, they easily suffer from oxidative degradation. Accordingly, hydrogenated phospholipids are preferred, however, it is difficult to prepare stable liposomes due to its high gel-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature. On the other hand, although dialkyl dimethyl ammonium type cationic surfactants are widely known to form vesicles, they have rarely been used for skincare products except for water-in-oil type emulsion creams stabilized by organically modified clay minerals. We decided to overcome all of the problems above through ionic complex vesicles formed by double-tailed cationic and anionic surfactants. Distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DSAC) and sodium dilauramidoglutamide lysine (DLGL) were selected as cationic and anionic surfactants, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) measurements were performed to confirm the DSAC/DLGL/water ternary phase diagram. Newly developed ionic complex vesicle formation was confirmed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The adsorbed cosmetic film structure on the skin invivo was evaluated through the polarized infrared external reflection (PIR-ER). Finally, a cosmetic lotion formula was developed and the vesicle size was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). DSC and SWAXS data indicated that stable vesicles could be obtained at a molar ratio of DLGL to DSAC = 6:4. At this molar ratio, multi lamellar vesicles with diameters less than 100 nm were observed through cryo-TEM. PIR-ER data revealed that the developed vesicles formed a highly perpendicular orientation to the human skin surface. We have succeeded in formulating a cosmetic lotion containing developed vesicles with a mean diameter of 63.2 nm, which was stable over 1 month at 0, 37, and 50°C. Our newly developed vesicles can be easily obtained through a coagulation process. Also, the adsorbed film structure supported by PIR-ER experiments implies that the developed lotion has an excellent texture that is the same as cosmetic lotions containing liposomes. Therefore, it's possible that this ionic complex vesicle could take the place of liposomes.

THE INFLUENCE OF CHLORPROMAZINE HYDROCHLORIDE ON THE THERMOTROPIC BEHAVIOR OF DIMYRISTOYL PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE LIPOSOMES AS REVEALED BY DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the model cationic, amphiphilic, drug chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ-HCl) on the thermotropic behavior of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) liposomes, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of sonication, charged lipids and CPZ-HCl at concentrations known to cause anesthesia on the enthalpy (ΔHt), entropy (ΔSt), phase transition (Tc), pre-transition (pre-TC) and half-height width (HHW) of DSC thermograms were examined. Methods: The experiments conducted, using the Perkin Elmer (DSC-2C), include the effect of a wide range of CPZ-HCl concentrations on ΔHt, ΔSt, Tc, pre-Tc and HHW of DSC thermograms of DMPC liposomes. The effect of sonication on ΔHt, ΔSt, Tc and HHW of DSC thermograms of DMPC/CPZ-HCl liposomes as a function of sonication time. The effect of both positively charged stearyl amine (ST) and negatively charged diacetyl phosphate (DCP) lipids on ΔHt, ΔSt and Tc of DMPC/CPZ-HCl liposomes. In addition, the effect of CPZ-HCl at concentrations known to cause anesthesia on ΔHt, ΔSt. and Tc of DMPC liposomes in the presence and absence of ST and DCP in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), was also carried out. Results: Using DSC, CPZ-HCl concentrations as low as 1×10-7M were observed to alter the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition and thus to possess a membrane destabilizing effect. CPZ-HCl reduces ΔHt, ΔSt, TC, the pre-TC and increases HHW of DMPC liposomes. ΔHt and ΔSt of DMPC liposomes were observed to decrease with increasing CPZ-HCl concentrations, exhibiting an inflection point at 5×10-5M. ΔHt of DMPC liposomes was observed to decrease linearly in the absence and presence of and CPZ-HCl as a function of sonication time. Both ΔHt and ΔSt of DMPC liposomes were observed to increase in the presence of cationic lipid (ST) and to decrease in the presence of anionic lipid (DCP). ΔSt and Tc of DMPC, DMPC/ST, DMPC/DCP liposomes, were found to decrease as a function of CPZ-HCl concentrations known to cause anesthesia. Conclusion: Using DSC, CPZ-HCl concentrations, as low as 1×10-7 M were observed to influence the enthalpy, entropy, phase transition, pre-transition and half-height width of DSC thermograms of DMPC liposomes, altering the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition and thus possessing a membrane destabilizing effect. It can also be inferred that CPZ-HCl interacts with both the polar head group and the hydrophobic interior of the phospholipid bilayer. These results could support the hypothesis that the addition of local anesthetics might trigger a change in the lipid surrounding the sodium channel from the gel to the liquid crystalline state, allowing the sodium channel to close with the resulting anesthesia.

Chlorosulfolipid (Danicalipin A) Membrane Structure: Hybrid Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies.

Chlorosulfolipids (CSLs) are major components of flagellar membranes in sea algae. Unlike typical biological lipids, CSLs contain hydrophilic sulfate and chloride groups in the hydrocarbon tail; this has deterred the prediction of the CSL membrane structure since 1960. In this study, we combine coarse-grained (CG) and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to gain significant insights into the membrane structure of Danicalipin A, which is one of the typical CSLs. It is observed from the CG MD that Danicalipin A lipids form a stable monolayer membrane structure wherein the hydrocarbon moieties are sandwiched by hydrophilic sulfate and chloride groups in both the head and tail regions. On the basis of the mesoscopic structure, we built the corresponding atomistic model to investigate the integrity of the CSL monolayer membrane structure. The monolayer membrane comprising bent lipids shows high thermal stability up to 313 K. The gel-liquid crystalline phase transition is observed around 300 K.

Urea-Assisted Reconstitution of Discoidal High-Density Lipoprotein.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a naturally occurring composite of lipids and lipid-binding proteins. The cholate dialysis method, first reported by Jonas in 1969, is the most widely used approach for reconstituting discoidal HDL (dHDL) in test tubes with phospholipids and the most dominant protein, apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-I). Here, we show that a dHDL-relevant complex can also be prepared by gently mixing 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and apoA-I or its mutants in ethanol/H2O solutions containing urea at a concentration of a few molar and then incubating the mixture at the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature in test tubes. Subsequent purification steps involve quick dialysis following size exclusion chromatography. The yields (73 ± 3% and 70 ± 1% protein and DMPC, respectively) of the resulting HDL-like nanoparticles, designated as uHDL, were comparable to the values of 68 ± 9% and 71 ± 12% obtained in the cholate dialysis method. Using apoA-I and two mutants, the key factor in this method was found to be urea at the folded and unfolded transition midpoint concentration. By using this urea-assisted method in the presence of a hydrophobic drug, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), one-step preparation of ATRA-loaded uHDL was also possible. The loading efficiency was comparable to that in the mixing of ATRA and uHDL or dHDL reconstituted by the cholate dialysis method. Atomic force microscopy analysis revealed that uHDL and ATRA-loaded uHDL were discoidal. Our urea-assisted method is an easy and efficient method for reconstituting dHDL and can be utilized to prepare various drug-dHDL complexes.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids do not fluidify bilayers in the liquid-crystalline state

This work reports on the effects of two omega-3 fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic (C22:64,7,10,13,16,19) acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic (C20:55,8,11,14,17) acid (EPA), with oleic (C18:19) acid (OA) as a control, on the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Mainly differential scanning calorimetry has been used, together with Laurdan fluorescence, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. All three fatty acids DHA, EPA and OA exhibited fluidifying properties when added to the DPPC bilayers, decreasing the main transition temperature. DHA and EPA were somewhat more effective than OA in this respect, but the effects of all three were of the same order of magnitude, thus the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids failed to exhibit any peculiar fluidifying potency. The same was true when the omega-3 fatty acids were esterified in the sn-2 position of a phosphatidylcholine. Moreover the omega-3 fatty acids had very small or no effects on the fluidity of bilayers in the liquid-crystalline, or fluid disordered state (egg phosphatidylcholine and others), or in the fluid ordered state (phospholipid: cholesterol mixtures). The hypothesis that some physiological effects of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids could be related to their special fluidifying properties is not supported by these data.

Filling gaps in the knowledge of melittin on lipid membranes

Melittin (ML) is a small peptide of 26 residues rich in arginine (Arg) and lysine (Lys). Several studies have been done to understand the mechanism of interaction with neutral and negatively charged lipids. However, it is not known with certainty how this interaction depends on the electrostatic or hydrophobic forces according to the composition of the membrane, nor with the different organization of lipids on the membrane, such as the microdomains that could take place in it. Therefore, comparative studies of the interaction and the effect of ML with respect to cationic peptides (Arg-7 and Lys-5) were conducted to get a deeper insight of the ML interaction mechanism with membranes. In this regard, measurements of zeta potential of different model membranes (DOPC, DMPC and DMPE liposomes) in the presence of the peptides, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed. In the special case of DMPC, we worked in its gel like-ripple phase, in order to analyzed defects of packing that potentially expose hydrocarbon regions.In relation with experimental results, molecular analysis of ML interaction with zwiterionic lipid membrane in its ripple phase was performed by unbiased molecular dynamics simulations.The results allow us to remark that ML penetration is favored in the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition in zwitterionic lipids. The importance of this study lies in the understanding of the first stages of action of the ML in eukaryotic membranes, in model systems of its main lipid composition.

Rapamycin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: Morphology and impact of the drug loading on the phase transition between lipid polymorphs

Abstract In recent decades solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) have become a well-performing tool for the site-targeted delivery of water-insoluble drugs. In this study, Compritol ® 888 ATO-based SLN, coated with polysorbate 80, were loaded with rapamycin (Rap), a lipophilic immunomodulator, broadly-used in therapies of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Rap-SLN were formulated using cold high-pressure homogenization and ultrasound-assisted emulsion. The exploitation of these methods yielded the nanoparticles of various values of zeta-potential (from −1 mV to −20 mV) and efficacies of the Rap entrapment (from 37.5 ± 2.3% to 77.0 ± 5.4%). The SEM and AFM imaging and shape-modeling by the combined DLS-SANS analysis revealed that the Rap-SLN of the hydrodynamic radius of ∼46 nm preserve the platelet-like or flat ellipsoidal structure with a thickness as large as 8–9 nm. These dimensions correspond to a single lipid bilayer, organized in a triclinic L β polymorph, and covered with a 1–2-nm shell of the surfactant. Consistently, FT-IR spectra acquired in the range 52–75 °C, showed that the Rap incorporation within the lipid matrix decreases the point of the gel-liquid crystalline (L β -L α ) phase transition. These outcomes imply a thermodynamically-driven mechanism of the Rap release from SLN.

Solid-state NMR shows that dynamically different domains of membrane proteins have different hydration dependence.

Hydration has a profound influence on the structure, dynamics, and functions of membrane and membrane-embedded proteins. So far the hydration response of molecular dynamics of membrane proteins in lipid bilayers is poorly understood. Here, we reveal different hydration dependence of the dynamics in dynamically different domains of membrane proteins by multidimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy using 121-residue integral diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK) in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC)/1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DMPG) lipid bilayers as a model system. The highly mobile and immobile domains of DAGK and their water accessibilities are identified site-specifically by scalar- and dipolar-coupling based MAS ssNMR experiments, respectively. Our experiments reveal different hydration dependence of the dynamics in highly mobile and immobile domains of membrane proteins. We demonstrate that the fast, large-amplitude motions in highly mobile domains are not triggered until 20% hydration, enhanced at 20-50% hydration and unchanged at above 50% hydration. In contrast, motions on submicrosecond time scale of immobile residues are observed to be independent of the hydration levels in gel phase of lipids, and at the temperature near gel-liquid crystalline phase transition, amplitude of whole-molecule rotations around the bilayer normal is dominated by the fluidity of lipid bilayers, which is strongly hydration dependent. The hydration dependence of the dynamics of DAGK revealed by this study provides new insights into the correlations of hydration to dynamics and function of membrane proteins in lipid bilayers.

Interplay between Phase Transition of DPPC Bilayer and Photoisomerization of Doped Stilbene Molecules

Abstract 1,2-Dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayer with stilbene was investigated by using phase-contrast and fluorescence microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. The results indicate that the temperature of the gel–liquid-crystalline phase transition of the DPPC bilayer with cis-stilbene is much lower than that with trans isomer. Photoirradiation to trans-stilbene in the DPPC bilayer suppresses the pretransition (Lβ′ to Pβ′), while the gel–liquid-crystalline phase transition (Pβ′ to Lα) changes little because of the poor photoisomerization rate in both gel and liquid-crystalline phases. It is shown that the photoisomerization of incorporated stilbene and the phase behavior of the lipid bilayer depend on each other.

Unique thermal behavior of sphingomyelin species with nonhydroxy and 2-hydroxy very-long-chain (C28-C32) PUFAs

In rat germ cells and spermatozoa, sphingomyelin (SM) contains molecular species with nonhydroxy (n) and 2-hydroxy (h) very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (V), the most abundant being SMs with (n- and h-) 28:4n-6, 30:5n-6, and 32:5n-6 as acyl chains. The aim of this study was to gain information about their thermotropic behavior and interactions with other lipids. After isolation from rat testis, multilamellar and giant unilamellar vesicles from these SMs were examined using fluorescent probes. Only n-32:5 SM and h-32:5 SM displayed a gel-liquid transition temperature (Tt ∼ 21-22°C), the rest remaining in the liquid state in the 5°C-45°C range. The degree of order was larger in bilayers of any of the h-V SMs than in those of their chain-matched n-V SMs. Both, but n-V SM relatively more than h-V SM, decreased the Tt of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine as their proportion increased in binary phosphatidylcholine:SM liposomes. In contrast to the established ability of 16:0 SM to form lateral cholesterol/SM-rich ordered domains in ternary dioleoylphosphatidylcholine:cholesterol:SM bilayers, neither n-V SM nor h-V SM showed a tendency to do so. Thus, these SMs are in the fluid state and are not involved in this type of domains in spermatozoa at physiological temperatures. However, this state could be altered at the very low temperatures at which these gametes are usually preserved.

Biophysical changes induced by xenon on phospholipid bilayers

Structural and dynamic changes in cell membrane properties induced by xenon, a volatile anesthetic molecule, may affect the function of membrane-mediated proteins, providing a hypothesis for the mechanism of general anesthetic action. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulation and differential scanning calorimetry to examine the biophysical and thermodynamic effects of xenon on model lipid membranes. Our results indicate that xenon atoms preferentially localize in the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer, inducing substantial increases in the area per lipid and bilayer thickness. Xenon depresses the membrane gel–liquid crystalline phase transition temperature, increasing membrane fluidity and lipid head group spacing, while inducing net local ordering effects in a small region of the lipid carbon tails and modulating the bilayer lateral pressure profile. Our results are consistent with a role for nonspecific, lipid bilayer-mediated mechanisms in producing xenon's general anesthetic action.

High tensile strength and high ionic conductivity bionanocomposite ionogels prepared by gelation of cellulose/ionic liquid solutions with nano-silica

Novel bionanocomposite ionogels consisting of an ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and nano-silica (nano-SiO2) particles with high tensile strength and high ionic conductivity have been successfully prepared. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements reveal a homogeneous dispersion of nano-SiO2 in the MCC/nano-SiO2/EMIMAc bionanocomposite ionogels. In order to clarify the influences of added nano-SiO2 on the sol–gel transition process and liquid crystalline phase transition for the MCC/nano-SiO2/EMIMAc systems, the complexes were investigated by dynamic rheological measurements, mechanical tensile property tests and polarized optical microscope (POM) observations. The rheological results indicate that the introduction of nano-SiO2 can induce and accelerate the gelation for the MCC/nano-SiO2/EMIMAc solutions. By adjusting the MCC and nano-SiO2 concentrations, the gel-sol transition temperature and elastic modulus can be well controlled and the optimized values reach 125 °C and 7 × 105 Pa, respectively. The POM results reveal that the addition of nano-SiO2 significantly suppresses the liquid crystalline behavior of ionogels. A more significant result is that the bionanocomposite ionogels exhibit high ionic conductivity in the order of 10−3 S cm−1 at 30 °C. The ionic conductivity of the ionogels increases with increasing temperature and decreasing MCC concentration. The above results demonstrate that the novel bionanocomposite ionogels with high tensile strength are promising for the application as gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) in electrochemical devices.

Stabilization of sphingomyelin interactions by interfacial hydroxyls — A study of phytosphingomyelin properties

D-ribo-phytosphingosines are biologically significant long-chain bases present in various sphingolipids from yeasts, fungi, plants and mammals. In this study we prepared phytopalmitoylsphingomyelin (phytoPSM) analogs based on the D-ribo-phytosphingosine base. The N-linked acyl chains were either 16:0, 2OH(R)16:0 (natural isomer), or 2OH(S)16:0. The gel-phase of phytoPSM was more stable than that of PSM (Tm 48.6°C and 41.0°C, respectively). The gel-liquid crystalline phase transition enthalpies were 9.1±0.4 and 6.1±0.3kcal/mol for phytoPSM and PSM, respectively. An N-linked 2OH(R)16:0 in phytoPSM destabilized the gel phase relative to phytoPSM (by ~+6°C, based on DPH anisotropy measurements), whereas 2OH(S)16:0 in phytoPSM stabilized it (by ~−6°C). All phytoPSM analogs formed sterol-enriched ordered domains in a fluid ternary bilayer, and those containing phytoPSM or 2OH(S)phytoPSM were more thermostable than the domains containing 2OH(R)phytoPSM or PSM. The affinity of cholestatrienol for POPC bilayers containing 20mol% phytoPSM was higher than for comparable bilayers with an equal amount of PSM. The 2-hydroxylated acyl chains in phytoPSM did not markedly alter sterol affinity. We conclude that phytoPSM is a more ordered sphingolipid than PSM, and is fully capable of interacting with cholesterol.

Apolipoprotein-induced conversion of phosphatidylcholine bilayer vesicles into nanodisks

Apolipoprotein mediated formation of nanodisks was studied in detail using apolipophorin III (apoLp-III), thereby providing insight in apolipoprotein–lipid binding interactions. The spontaneous solubilization of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) vesicles occured only in a very narrow temperature range at the gel–liquid–crystalline phase transition temperature, exhibiting a net exothermic interaction based on isothermal titration calorimetry analysis. The resulting nanodisks were protected from proteolysis by trypsin, endoproteinase Glu-C, chymotrypsin and elastase. DMPC solubilization and the simultaneous formation of nanodisks were promoted by increasing the vesicle diameter, protein to lipid ratio and concentration. Inclusion of cholesterol in DMPC dramatically enhanced the rate of nanodisk formation, presumably by stabilization of lattice defects which form the main insertion sites for apolipoprotein α-helices. The presence of fully saturated acyl chains with a length of 13 or 14 carbons in phosphatidylcholine allowed the spontaneous vesicle solubilization upon apolipoprotein addition. Nanodisks with C13:0-phosphatidylcholine were significantly smaller with a diameter of 11.7±3.1nm compared to 18.5±5.6nm for DMPC nanodisks determined by transmission electron microscopy. Nanodisk formation was not observed when the phosphatidylcholine vesicles contained acyl chains of 15 or 16 carbons. However, using very high concentrations of lipid and protein (>10mg/ml), 1,2,-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine nanodisks could be produced spontaneously although the efficiency remained low.

Interaction of amphiphilic derivatives of chitosan with DPPC (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine)

The interaction of chitosan and its N-dodecyl and poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) vesicles was studied to evaluate the influence of molecular architecture of the polymers on the liposomes. The study was carried out in aqueous solution using differential scanning microcalorimetry (DSC) and dynamic light scattering. The interaction of these polymers with DPPC vesicles altered the gel–liquid crystalline phase transition temperature and decreased both the enthalpy (ΔH) and cooperativity of the phase transition. The results obtained indicate that perturbations in the vesicles surface and the incorporation of chitosan and its derivatives into the lipid bilayer upon polysaccharides interaction are responsible for the formation of large vesicles.

Morphological transformation of self-assembled nanostructures prepared from cholesteryl acyl didanosine and the optimal formulation of nanoparticulate systems: Effects of solvents, acyl chain length and poloxamer 188

Self-assembled nanostructures were obtained through injecting cholesteryl-succinyl didanosine (CSD) solutions in tetrahydrofuran (THF) into water. The incorporation of THF leads to CSD flexible bilayers. Spherical vesicles of CSD initially formed based on hydrophobic interaction and transformed to short nanotubes with THF leaving. A large proportion of THF led to formation of long flexible nanoribbons, also transforming to short nanotubes after removing THF because of rigid bilayers recovering. Cholesteryl-adipoyl didanosine (CAD) only formed spherical vesicles due to its long and flexible tails. A triblock copolymer, poloxamer 188 (P188) could insert into CSD monolayers at the air/water interface. P188 stabilized CSD nanoparticulate systems by incorporation and adsorption. The optimal formulation of nanoparticulate systems was identified and the appropriate ratio of CSD/P188 and CSD concentration in injected solutions were the keys. A highly concentrated system had a narrow size distribution, allowing heat sterilization at 100 °C, and resisting aggregation under high gravity accelerations in spite of the low zeta potential of −18.5 mV. A gel–liquid crystalline phase transition at 47 °C occurred. The system may become promising self-assembled drug delivery systems (SADDS) for anti-HIV therapy.

Influence of Perfluorinated Compounds on the Properties of Model Lipid Membranes

The influence of selected perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), on the structure and organization of lipid membranes was investigated using model membranes-lipid monolayers and bilayers. The simplest model--a lipid monolayer--was studied at the air-water interface using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique with surface pressure and surface potential measurements. Lipid bilayers were characterized by NMR techniques and molecular dynamics simulations. Two phospholipids, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), characterized by different surface properties have been chosen as components of the model membranes. For a DPPC monolayer, a phase transition from the liquid-expanded state to the liquid-condensed state can be observed upon compression at room temperature, while a DMPC monolayer under the same conditions remains in the liquid-expanded state. For each of the two lipids, the presence of both PFOA and PFOS leads to the formation of a more fluidic layer at the air-water interface. Pulsed field gradient NMR measurements of the lateral diffusion coefficient (DL) of DMPC and PFOA in oriented bilayers reveal that, upon addition of PFOA to DMPC bilayers, DL of DMPC decreases for small amounts of PFOA, while larger additions produce an increased DL. The DL values of PFOA were found to be slightly larger than those for DMPC, probably as a consequence of the water solubility of PFOA. Furthermore, 31P and 2H NMR showed that the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature decreased by the addition of PFOA for concentrations of 5 mol % and above, indicating a destabilizing effect of PFOA on the membranes. Deuterium order parameters of deuterated DMPC were found to increase slightly upon increasing the PFOA concentration. The monolayer experiments reveal that PFOS also penetrates slowly into already preformed lipid layers, leading to a change of their properties with time. These experimental observations are in qualitative agreement with the computational results obtained from the molecular dynamics simulations showing a slow migration of PFCs from the surrounding water phase into DPPC and DMPC bilayers.

Carboxyfluorescein Leakage from Poly(ethylene glycol)-Grafted Liposomes Induced by the Interaction with Serum

The effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on carboxyfluorescein (CF) leakage from poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted liposomes (PEG-liposomes) were investigated. PEG-liposomes were prepared from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and distearoyl-N-monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-succinyl-phosphatidylethanolamines (DSPE-PEG) having PEG molecular weights of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000. The presence of FBS dramatically increased CF leakage from liposomes near the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature, but had little effect at lower and higher temperatures. The CF leakage from PEG-liposomes whose molecular weight in PEG units was above 2000 was suppressed compared with that of liposomes without PEG. And, there was hardly any difference in the effect of the PEG molecular weight of the PEG-lipids on CF leakage from PEG-liposomes with FBS when PEG-lipids with a molecular weight in PEG units above 2000 were used. On the other hand, the leakage of CF from liposomes containing 0.145 mol fractions of DSPE-PEG1000 was larger than that of liposomes without PEG. Furthermore, the effects of FBS on the cooperative units of lipid molecules during the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition of liposomes were examined. However, the cooperative units of liposomes with FBS had little change compared with that of liposomes without FBS.

Langmuir monolayers of the long-chain alkyl derivatives of a nucleoside analogue and the formation of self-assembled nanoparticles

The long-chain alkyl derivatives of a nucleoside analogue—acyclovir were prepared in the paper. One is stearyl-glycero-succinyl-acyclovir (SGSA) with a single 18-carbon length (C18) alkyl chain. Another is dioctadecyl-aspartate-succinyl-acyclovir (DASA) with double C18 alkyl chains. They were prepared by the esterification of succinyl-acyclovir with the lipids, and sodium salts of them were also prepared. Guanine moieties and alkyl moieties bring the derivatives intermolecular hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction in water separately. The forces are influenced by the number of alkyl chains and the charged state, and determine the solubility and the self-assembly behavior of the derivatives. The double alkyl-chain derivatives (DASA and DASA-Na) formed rigid Langmuir monolayers on air/water surface, while the single alkyl chain derivatives (SGSA and SGSA-Na) did not. However, cholesterol (Chol) could assist SGSA to form rigid monolayers through inserting into the alkyl chains of SGSA to mimic the second alkyl chain. SGSA self-aggregates in water were prepared by the injection method with tetrahydrofuran as solvent. Cuboid-like shape and nanoscale size demonstrated that SGSA self-aggregates were self-assembled nanoparticles. Shape, particle size, zeta potential and phase transition of the nanoparticles were characterized. And they showed an average size of 83.2 nm, a negative surface charge of −31.3-mV zeta potential and a gel–liquid crystalline phase transition of 50.38 °C. The formation mechanism of self-assembled nanoparticles was analyzed. Hydrophobic interaction of alkyl chains improves SGSA molecules to form bilayers, and then cuboid-like nanoparticles were obtained by layer-by-layer aggregation based on inter-bilayers hydrogen bonding. However, the charged guanine moieties make SGSA-Na lose the function of hydrogen bonding so that SGSA-Na only forms vesicles in water based on hydrophobic interaction. Strong hydrophobicity and wide-open rigid double alkyl chains of DASA and DASA-Na restrict self-assembly in water media, and no homogeneous suspensions were obtained. Therefore, the molecular self-assembly behavior of the long-chain alkyl derivatives of nucleoside analogues on water surface or in water media is determined by the number of alkyl chains and the charged state.

Effects of lysozyme and bovine serum albumin on membrane characteristics of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol liposomes

The effects of adsorption of two kinds of proteins on the membrane characteristics of liposomes were examined at pH 7.4 in terms of adsorption amounts of proteins on liposomes, penetrations of proteins into liposomal bilayer membranes, phase transition temperature, microviscosity and permeability of liposomal bilayer membranes, using positively charged lysozyme (LSZ) and negatively charged bovine serum albumin (BSA) as proteins and negatively charged l- α-dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) liposomes. The saturated adsorption amount of LSZ was 720 g per mol of liposomal DPPG, while that of BSA was 44 g per mol of liposomal DPPG. The penetration of LSZ into DPPG lipid membranes was greater than that of BSA. The microviscosity in the hydrophobic region of liposomal bilayer membranes increased due to adsorption (penetration) of LSZ or BSA, while the permeability of liposomal bilayer membranes increased. The gel–liquid crystalline phase transition temperature of liposomal bilayer membranes was not affected by adsorption of LSZ or BSA, while the DSC peak area (heat of phase transition) decreased with increasing adsorption amount of LSZ or BSA. It is suggested that boundary DPPG makes no contribution to the phase transition and that boundary DPPG and bulk DPPG are in the phase-separated state, thereby increasing the permeability of liposomal bilayer membranes through adsorption of LSZ or BSA. A possible schematic model for the adsorption of LSZ or BSA on DPPG liposomes was proposed.