MPEO-PLA nanoparticles: effect of MPEO content on some of their surface properties.

Nanoparticles of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and of blends of PLA and monomethoxypoly(ethylene oxyde) (MPEO-PLA) were prepared by the double emulsion method. Sucrose was added to overcome nanoparticle aggregation with freeze-drying. Whereas PLA nanoparticles rapidly are phagocytosed by the mononuclear phagocyte system cells, the uptake of MPEO-PLA nanoparticles is delayed. Opsonization is one of the steps of phagocytosis, and serum complement is a major component of the opsonin system. The in vitro complement consumption of the prepared nanoparticles was evaluated as a function of time and of their surface area. To avoid the aggregation of MPEO-PLA nanoparticles due to MPEO crystallization, sucrose was necessary, and its concentration was dependent on MPEO proportion in the nanoparticle suspension. As expected, the complement consumption for PLA nanoparticles is faster and more important than for PLA/MPEO-PLA blends. The complement consumption decreases with the increase in MPEO surface density. Complement is less consumed with the lower surface density provided by a higher molecular weight than by the higher surface density provided by a lower molecular weight MPEO. The complement consumption seems to be dependent on the number of nanoparticles in contact with human serum. Finally, the model of steric repulsion of MPEO towards proteins and the importance of the surface density of MPEO were emphasized. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.