Abstract
Purpose. To investigate the influence of animal species and nanoparticle surface characteristics on the intrasplenic distribution of polystyrene nanoparticles.
Methods. Two types of fluorescent polystyrene nanoparticles (Estapor® and Fluoresbrite®), plain or coated, were used in mice and rats. First, a fluorimetric method was developed for nanoparticle tissue quantification. Then, intrasplenic distribution of plain or coated nanoparticles was studied using histological examination and image analysis. Finally, the role of direct interactions between nanoparticles and spleen capturing cells was assessed by in vitro binding assays, using incubation of thick spleen slices with polystyrene nanoparticles.
Results. The two types of polystyrene nanoparticles showed different levels of trapping: Fluoresbrite® nanoparticles were more efficiently trapped by the spleen than Estapor® nanoparticles, both in mice and rats. In mice, most of the injected nanoparticles were localized in the marginal zone of the spleen, involving a special population of capturing cells, while in rats, the predominant capture occured in the red pulp. In mice, coated nanoparticles were localized both in the marginal zone and in the red pulp, whereas the coating did not seem to change the intrasplenic distribution of the nanoparticles in rats.
Conclusions. These complementary approaches showed different uptake pathways of nanoparticles, according to their surface characteristics and the rodent species used.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Y. Arakami, K. Akiyama, T. Hara, and S. Tsuchiya. Recognition of charged liposomes by rat peritoneal macrophages: effects of fibronectin on the uptake of charged liposomes. Eur. J. Pharm. Sci. 3:63–70 (1995).
D. Liu, A. Mori, and L. Huang. Large liposomes containing ganglioside GM1 accumulate effectively in spleen. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 1066:159–165 (1991).
S. S. Davis, L. Illum, S. M. Moghimi, C. J. H. Porter, A. Muir, A. Brindley, N. M. Christy, M. E. Norman, P. Williams, and S. E. Dunn. Microspheres for targeting drugs to specific body sites. J. Contr. Rel. 24:157–163 (1993).
S. M. Moghimi. Mechanisms of splenic clearance of blood cells and particles: towards development of new splenotropic agents. Adv. Drug Del. Rev. 17:103–115 (1995).
S. M. Moghimi, C. J. Porter, I. S. Muir, L. Illum, and S. S. Davis. Non-phagocytic uptake of intravenously injected microspheres in rat spleen: influence of particle size and hydrophilic coatings. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 177(2):861–866 (1991).
S. M. Moghimi, H. Hedeman, L. Illum, and S. S. Davis. Effect of splenic congestion associated with haemolytic anaemia on filtration of' spleen-homing' microspheres. Clin. Sci. 84:605–609 (1993).
S. M. Moghimi, H. Hedeman, I. S. Muir, L. Illum, and S. S. Davis. An investigation of the filtration capacity and the fate of large filtered sterically-stabilized microspheres in the rat spleen. Biophys. Biochem. Acta 1157:233–240 (1993).
C. J. Porter, S. M. Moghimi, L. Illum, and S. S. Davis. The polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block co-polymer selectively redirects intravenously injected microspheres to sinusoidal endothelial cells of rabbit bone marrow. FEBS Lett. 305:62–66 (1992).
L. Illum, S. S. Davis, R. H. Müller, E. Mak, and P. West. The organ distribution and circulation tissue of intravenously injected colloïdal carriers sterically stabilized with a block co-polymer: poloxamine 908. Life Sci. 40:367–374 (1987).
S. M. Moghimi. Poloxamer 188 revisited: a potentially valuable immune modulator. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 88:766–768 (1996).
S. M. Moghimi, H. Hedeman, N. M. Christy, L. Illum, and S. S. Davis. Enhanced hepatic clearance of intravenously administered sterically stabilized microspheres in zymozan-stimulated rats. J. Leuk. Biol. 54:513–517 (1993).
R. H. Müller, and K. H. Wallis. Surface modification of I.V. injectable biodegradable nanoparticles with poloxamers polymers and poloxamine 908. Int. J. Pharm. 89:25–31 (1993).
M. Demoy, S. Gibaud, J. P. Andreux, C. Weingarten, B. Gouritin, and P. Couvreur. Splenic trapping of nanoparticles: complementary approaches for in situ studies. Pharm. Res. 14:463–468 (1997).
L. Weiss. Mechanisms of splenic clearance of the blood; a structural overview of the mammalian spleen. In: A. J. Bowdler (ed), The spleen: structure, function and clinical significance. Chapman and Hall, London, 1990, pp. 25–35.
R. H. Müller, D. Rühl, M. Lück, and B. R. Paulke. Influence of fluorescent labelling of polystyrene particles on phagocytic uptake, surface hydrophobicity and plasma protein adsorption. Pharm. Res. 14:18–24 (1997).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Demoy, M., Andreux, JP., Weingarten, C. et al. Spleen Capture of Nanoparticles: Influence of Animal Species and Surface Characteristics. Pharm Res 16, 37–41 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018858409737
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018858409737