Enhanced gastrointestinal absorption of N3-O-toluyl-fluorouracil by cationic solid lipid nanoparticles

This study was aimed to prepare N-3-O-toluyl-fluorouracil (TFu) loaded cationic solid lipid nanoparticles (TFu-SLNs) and evaluate the potential of a novel lipid-based drug delivery system to enhance the oral absorption of TFu. TFu-SLNs were prepared by the film dispersion-ultrasonication method, using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide as cationic tenside. The formulation and manufacture parameters were optimized concerning the drug encapsulation efficiency and the particle size. The in vitro release characteristics, in vivo pharmacokinetic properties and bioavailability, and in situ intestinal absorption features were investigated. The morphology of TFu-SLNs was approximately spherical and the mean particle size was 178.8 +/- 9.99 nm; the zeta potential was + 19.54 +/- 0.32 mV. The mean entrapment efficiency and drug loading were 71.03 +/- 1.19% and 3.57 +/- 0.08%, respectively. The release behaviors of TFu from TFu-SLNs in PBS were fitted to the bioexponential model, while in artificial gastric juice, artificial intestinal juice and artificial gastric juice (2 h) followed by artificial intestinal juice (2-48 h) were fitted to the Weibull equation. The results of the pharmacokinetic studies in mice showed that the bioavailability of TFu-SLNs was significantly increased compared with that of the TFu suspensions after oral administration. The absorption of TFu-SLNs in intestine of rat was fitted to first-order kinetics with passive diffusion mechanism and the main segments of TFu-SLNs absorbed in intestine were duodenum and jejunum for the bioadhesion mediated by electrostatic interaction between the positively charged colloidal particles and the negatively charged mucosal surface. These results indicated that cationic SLNs would offer a promising delivery system for the facilitation of the bioavailability of poorly oral absorption drugs by enhancing the bioadhesion between the absorption mucosal surface and the drug carriers.