Lactosylated high density lipoprotein: a potential carrier for the site-specific delivery of drugs to parenchymal liver cells.

Mammalian liver contains two types of galactose receptors, specific for Kupffer or parenchymal cells. Because galactose-specific receptors are largely confined to the liver, galactose-bearing carriers are promising vehicles for the specific delivery of drugs to liver cells. In the present study, high density lipoprotein (HDL), a spherical particle with a diameter of 10 nm, in which a variety of lipophilic drugs can be incorporated, was provided with galactose residues by reductive lactosamination. After injection into rats, lactosylated 125I-HDL was rapidly cleared from the plasma (half-life, less than 1 min). Ten minutes after injection, the liver contained about 95% of the dose, whereas only small amounts of radioactivity were found in other tissues. The hepatic uptake was inhibited by preinjection with N-acetylgalactosamine, which indicates that the hepatic recognition sites are galactose specific. Subcellular fractionation of the liver indicated that recognition of lactosylated HDL is followed by internalization and degradation of the apoprotein in the lysosomes. Liver cells were isolated at 10 min after injection of lactosylated 125I-HDL, and it was found that uptake occurs almost exclusively by parenchymal cells. These cells contained about 98% of the hepatic radioactivity. The liver uptake of the lipid moiety of lactosylated HDL, labeled with [3H]cholesteryl oleate, was identical to that of the 125I-labeled apoproteins, which indicates that the particle is taken up as a unit. Thus, lactosylated HDL is taken up rapidly and selectively by parenchymal liver cells, and it appears that it might be a very effective vehicle for the specific delivery of lipophilic drugs to these cells.