Liposomal amphotericin B inhibits in vitro T-lymphocyte response to antigen.

The effects of free amphotericin B (as Fungizone) and amphotericin B (AMB) incorporated into liposomes on the proliferation of lymphocytes were determined. Freshly obtained guinea pig and rat antigen-specific lymphocytes were compared with rat T-lymphocyte cell lines cultured for a long period of time. Incorporation of AMB into multilayered vesicles significantly reduced its effect relative to that of Fungizone on cultured T-cell lines, as reported by others for mammalian cells. In contrast, the effects on freshly obtained antigen-specific lymphocytes were different. Fungizone inhibited proliferation of antigen-specific lymph node cells freshly obtained from immunized guinea pigs at fungicidal concentrations, and incorporation into multilayered lipid vesicles did not have much of a protective effect. Higher concentrations of Fungizone were required to inhibit proliferation of fresh rat lymph node cells, but incorporation into multilayered lipid vesicles still did not have much of a protective effect. Some T lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation of guinea pigs and in the lymph nodes of rats were more resistant to liposomal AMB than another more sensitive T-lymphocyte population was. Proliferation of lymphocytes in response to mitogens was inhibited less than that in response to specific antigen was. Thus, sensitivity to AMB depended on the species, the strength of the stimulus used to activate the lymphocytes, and on some other property of the lymphocytes, possibly their state of differentiation. Regardless of the reason for the difference in effects on freshly obtained lymph node lymphocytes and cultured line cells, the former may be more relevant to effects in vivo and should be considered in a complete evaluation of the in vivo toxicity of these forms of the drug. Incorporation into sonicated unilamellar vesicles had more of a protective effect, while equimolar drug-lipid complexes had even more of a protective effect. These forms of AMB might have less of an immunosuppressive potential than multilayered vesicles containing low amounts of AMB do.