Abstract
Although normal liver parenchymal cells have galactose-specific asialoglycoprotein receptors, little is known about the other regulatory factors except for terminal non-reduced galactose. We investigated the in-vitro uptake of liposomes coated with polysaccharides (pullulan)(control), galactosamine pullulan, and 1-amino-lactose pullulan into a rat hepatoma cell line(AH66 cells)and isolated rat hepatocytes(parenchymal cells). The uptake of 1-amino-lactose pullulan into AH66 cells was about 1.4 times as great as that of pullulan, and that of galactosamine pullulan about 1.2 times as great. The uptake of these substances into hepatocytes, however, was almost the same as that of pullulan. Consequently the elevated uptake of pullulan with galactose groups into AH66 cells might not be connected with galactose receptors. However, it is also possible that the viability of AH66 cells and isolated hepatocytes in vitro might be different, Considering that polysaccharide-coated liposomes become more stable, both physiochemically and biochemically, than conventional liposomes, 1-amino-lactose pullulan coated liposomes may be useful in targeting hepatoma cells.
