Specific Inhibitory Effects of Hybrid Liposomes on the Growth of Various Tumor Cells

Abstract

The inhibitory effects of hybrid liposomes composed of lipids having a variety of head groups (zwitterionic L-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), anionic L-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), and cationic 1, 2-dimyristoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DMTAP)) and polyoxyethylene (10) dodecyl ether (C₁₂(EO)₁₀) on the growth of tumor cells (human lung carcinoma (RERF-LC-OK), human hepatoma (Hep-G₂), human stomach tumor (GT3TKB)) in vitro were examined. The hybrid liposomes of DMPC/10 mol % C₁₂(EO)₁₀ and DMPG/10 mol % C₁₂(EO)₁₀ were fairly more effective for inhibiting the growth of all tumor cells employed in this study as compared with liposomes (DMPC and DMPG) or micelles (C₁₂(EO)₁₀). Especially, it is attractive that the highly specific inhibitory effect of the hybrid liposomes of DMPG/10 mol % C₁₂(EO)₁₀ without any antitumor drugs on the growth of RERF-LC-OK and GT3TKB was obtained for the first time.