[Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of modified chitosans as gene carriers].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of arginine modified chitosan or hexadecylated modified chitosan as gene carriers on the cellular uptake by vascular smooth muscle cells and its in vitro cytotoxicity. METHODS Plasmid DNA was labeled with alpha-32P-dATP and complexed with the modified chitosans or unmodified chitosan to form nanoparticle complexes by complex coacervation method. Uptake of all kinds of chitosan/ DNA nanoparticle complexes (CNC) by A10 cells was measured by beta-liquid scintillation counting. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the CNC was evaluated by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.


RESULTS
The diameters of the CNC ranged from 55.9-174.9 nm and the zeta potentials were from 10. 8 mV for the arginine modified chitosan/DNA nanoparticle complexes (ACNC) to 1.8 mV for the hexadecylated chitosan/DNA nanoparticle complexes (HCNC). The cellular uptake of the modified chitosan/ DNA nanoparticle complexes (MCNC) by A10 cells increased significantly when compared with the unmodified chitosan/DNA nanoparticle complexes (UCNC) (P < 0.05), with the HCNC at N/P ratio of 1:1 and the ACNC at ratio of 8:1 showing the highest cellular uptake (1.3 fold higher than UCNC, P < 0.05). MCNC were much less cytotoxic when compared with Lipofectamine 2000-DNA nanoparticles.


CONCLUSIONS
DNA nanoparticle complexes prepared with either arginine or hexadecylated modified chitosan can improve the cellular uptake of the DNA, while the in vitro cytotoxicity of both of the modified chitosan is much less than that of Lipofectamine 2000.
Zhang
Hai-Ling
HL
Tianjin Biomedical Materials Key Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, CAMS and PUMC, Tianjin 300192, China.
Zhu
Dun-Wan
DW
Yang
Jian
J
Song
Li-Ping
LP
Bo
Jin-Gen
JG
Yao
Kang-De
KD
Leng
Xi-Gang
XG
D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004247:DNA / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D053758:Nanoparticles; D051381:Rats
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D019343:Citric Acid; C011396:agaric acid; D004247:DNA; D048271:Chitosan; D001120:Arginine