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Abstract
The effect of Epirubicin (farmorubicin, FR), either free or associated with poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCN) upon the phagocytic and natural killer (NK) activity of peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) harvested from Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-bearing-mice was investigated. Phagocytic and NK activity were tested 72 and 96 h, respectively after the last four intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of the tested compounds have been administered to the mice. Phagocytic activity was evaluated in vitro by phagocytic index and ingestion capacity using a phagocytic assay. NK activity was evaluated in a direct cytotoxic test, in which PECs were used as effector cells while human erythroleukemic K-562 cells were used as target cells. The phagocytic activity of PECs, harvested from tumor-bearing mice, was stimulated after treatment with FR free, FR associated with polymer nanoparticles and with unloaded PBCN. The NK activity of PECs was strongly stimulated by unloaded PBCN. FR both free and encapsulated into the polymer matrix during the polymerization of n-butylcyanoacrylate (n-BCA) stimulated the NK activity of PECs, while FR adsorbed onto nanoparticles restrained it. These results suggest that the association of FR with nanoparticles modifies selectively its immunomodulating ability without producing any significant immunological disturbances. The toxicity of some of FR polymer forms towards PECs, displaying NK activity, probably comes from the enhanced local drug concentration on the membrane surface of the immune cells. However, it is insufficient to preclude the use of nanoparticles as drug delivery system.