Effect of Drug Loading on the Physicochemical Properties and Stability of Cationic Lipid-based Plasmid DNA Complexes

Recently, co-delivery of drug and gene has been attempted for higher therapeutic effects of anticancer agents. In this study, cationic liposomes were prepared using 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniopropane (DOTAP) as a cationic lipid to investigate the effect of drug loading on the physicochemical characteristics of cationic liposomes/DNA complexes. The complex formation between cationic liposomes and negatively charged plasmid DNA was confirmed and the protection from DNase was observed. Particle size of complexes was reduced not by drug loading, but by the increased ratio of cationic lipid to plasmid DNA. Meanwhile, zeta potential of complex was increased by the addition of cationic liposomes to complexes and the effect of drug loading on the zeta potential was not much higher than on particle size. Gel retardation of complexes was indicated when the complexation weight ratios of cationic lipid to plasmid DNA were higher than 24:1 for drug free complexes and 20:1 for drug loaded ones, respectively. Agarose gel retardation showed the similar complexation between plasmid DNA and drug free liposomes or drug loaded liposomes. Both complexes protected plasmid DNA from DNase independent of complexation temperature. From the results, drug loading may affect not the complex formation of cationic liposomes and plasmid DNA, but the particle size of complex.