Preparation and characterization of conjugates of (modified) human serum albumin and liposomes: Drug carriers with an intrinsic anti-HIV activity

Human serum albumin (HSA) derivatized with cis-aconitic anhydride (Aco-HSA) that was earlier shown to inhibit replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), was covalently coupled to conventional liposomes, consisting of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and maleimido-4-(p-phenylbutyryl)phosphatidylethanolamine using the heterobifunctional reagent N-succinimidyl-S-acetylthioacetate (SATA). The amount of HSA that could be coupled to the liposomes depended on derivatization of the HSA and ranged from 64.2 +/- 9.2 mu g HSA/mu mol total lipid for native HSA to 29.5 +/- 2.7 mu g HSA/mu mol total lipid for HSA in which 53 of the epsilon amino groups of lysine were derivatized with cis-aconitic anhydride (Aco(53)-HSA). Incorporation of 3.8 mol% of total lipid of a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative of phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) in the liposomes resulted in a lower coupling efficiency of Aco-HSA. The elimination and distribution of the liposomal conjugates in rats in vivo was largely dependent on the modification of the HSA coupled to the liposomes. With native HSA-liposomes, more than 70% of the conjugate was still found in the blood plasma 30 min after i.v. injection in rats, while at this time Aco-HSA-liposomes were completely cleared from the circulation, The rapid clearance of conventional Aco-HSA-liposomes was due to a rapid uptake into the liver and could be considerably decreased by incorporating PEG-PE in the liposomal bilayer, After 3 h 60% of Aco-HSA-PEG-liposome conjugates were found in the blood. In an in vitro anti-HIV-1 assay, the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for Aco(39)-HSA-liposomes and Aco(53)-HSA-liposomes expressed as protein weight, were 2.87 mu g/ml and 0.154 mu g/ml, respectively. When PEG-PE was incorporated, the Aco(53)-HSA-liposomes retained anti HIV-1 activity (IC50: 3.13 mu g/ml). The possibility to modulate the residence time in the bloodstream of Aco-HSA-liposomes and the potent anti-HIV-1 activity of these conjugates, may allow the development of an intrinsically active drug carrier system. By incorporating anti HIV-1 drugs such as AZT into such liposomes a drug delivery system can be designed that might act simultaneously on the virus/cell binding by virtue of the coupled Aco-HSA and on the RNA/DNA transcription of the HIV-1 replication cycle through the nucleoside analogue.