Engineered human erythrocytes as carriers for ciprofloxacin

Abstract

Ciprofloxacin (CFX), a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, was loaded into human erythrocytes by a method based on hypotonic preswelling, hemolysis, isotonic resealing, and reannealing. Various parameters such as volume of aqueous drug solution added, drug concentration, and temperature were optimized to obtain maximum loading of drug into erythrocytes. The loaded cells were characterized for drug content, hemoglobin content, percent cell recovery, morphology, osmotic fragility, turbulence shock, and in vitro drug as well as hemoglobin efflux. No appreciable detrimental effects on cell morphology, osmotic fragility, and turbulence shock in comparison with normal cells were noted. Osmotic fragility and turbulence shock studies indicated that the loaded erythrocytes are less resistant than the normal erythrocytes. Glutaraldehyde treatment stabilized both types of cells with respect to drug and hemoglobin release, osmotic fragility, and turbulence fragility. The studies suggest the potential of CFX-loaded, glutaraldehyde-treated human erythrocytes as an intravenous drug delivery system for localization in liver to improve therapeutic value and reduce side effects

Key Words :

• Carrier Erythrocytes
• Ciprofloxin
• Cross-Linking
• Engineered Erythrocytes
• Glutaraldehyde
• Targeting