title: Influence of phospholipid composition on cationic emulsions/DNA complexes: physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and transfection on Hep G2 cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cationic nanoemulsions have been recently considered as potential delivery systems for nucleic acids. This study reports the influence of phospholipids on the properties of cationic nanoemulsions/DNA plasmid complexes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nanoemulsions composed of medium-chain triglycerides, stearylamine, egg lecithin or isolated phospholipids, ie, DSPC, DOPC, DSPE, or DOPE, glycerol, and water were prepared by spontaneous emulsification. Gene transfer to Hep G2 cells was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedure resulted in monodispersed nanoemulsions with a droplet size and zeta potential of approximately 250 nm and +50 mV, respectively. The complexation of cationic nanoemulsions with DNA plasmid, analyzed by agarose gel retardation assay, was complete when the complex was obtained at a charge ratio of ≥ 1.0. In these conditions, the complexes were protected from enzymatic degradation by DNase I. The cytotoxicity of the complexes in Hep G2 cells, evaluated by MTT assay, showed that an increasing number of complexes led to progressive toxicity. Higher amounts of reporter DNA were detected for the formulation obtained with the DSPC phospholipid. Complexes containing DSPC and DSPE phospholipids, which have high phase transition temperatures, were less toxic in comparison with the formulations obtained with lecithin, DOPC, and DOPE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show the effect of the DNA/nanoemulsion complexes composition on the toxicity and transfection results.
authors: Post Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Fraga
authors: Fernanda
authors: F
authors: Bruxel
authors: Valeska Lizzi
authors: VL
authors: Lagranha
authors: Helder Ferreira
authors: HF
authors: Teixeira
authors: Ursula
authors: U
authors: Matte
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D004355:Drug Stability; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D002412:Cations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004655:Emulsions; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D004247:DNA; C009317:stearylamine