title: Combination antiretroviral drugs in PLGA nanoparticle for HIV-1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Combination antiretroviral (AR) therapy continues to be the mainstay for HIV treatment. However, antiretroviral drug nonadherence can lead to the development of resistance and treatment failure. We have designed nanoparticles (NP) that contain three AR drugs and characterized the size, shape, and surface charge. Additionally, we investigated the in vitro release of the AR drugs from the NP using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) containing ritonavir (RTV), lopinavir (LPV), and efavirenz (EFV) were fabricated using multiple emulsion-solvent evaporation procedure. The nanoparticles were characterized by electron microscopy and zeta potential for size, shape, and charge. The intracellular concentration of AR drugs was determined over 28 days from NPs incubated with PBMCs. Macrophages were imaged by fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry after incubation with fluorescent NPs. Finally, macrophage cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nanoparticle size averaged 262 +/- 83.9 nm and zeta potential -11.4 +/- 2.4. AR loading averaged 4% (w/v). Antiretroviral drug levels were determined in PBMCs after 100 microg of NP in 75 microL PBS was added to media. Intracellular peak AR levels from NPs (day 4) were RTV 2.5 +/- 1.1; LPV 4.1 +/- 2.0; and EFV 10.6 +/- 2.7 microg and continued until day 28 (all AR >or= 0.9 microg). Free drugs (25 microg of each drug in 25 microL ethanol) added to PBMCs served as control were eliminated by 2 days. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated phagocytosis of NP into monocytes-derived macrophages (MDMs). Cellular MTT assay performed on MDMs demonstrated that NPs are not significantly cytotoxic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrated AR NPs could be fabricated containing three antiretroviral drugs (RTV, LPV, EFV). Sustained release of AR from PLGA NP show high drug levels in PBMCs until day 28 without cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Creighton University School of Pharmacy & Health Professions, Omaha, NE, USA. destache@creighton.edu
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Destache
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belgum
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Akhilesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Alekha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dash
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000737:chemistry; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004339:Drug Compounding; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D061466:Lopinavir; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000737:chemistry; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D061466:Lopinavir; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; C098320:efavirenz; D019438:Ritonavir