Biocompatibility Assessment of Polyethylene Glycol-Poly L-Lysine-Poly Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid Nanoparticles In Vitro and In Vivo.

The present study was designed to evaluate the biocompatibility of nanoparticles polyethylene glycol (PEG)-poly L-lysine (PLL)-poly lactic-co-glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA) (PEG-PLL-PLGA) before clinical application. We applied some tests to assess the safety of PEG-PLL-PLGA nanoparticles (NPs). There was low cytotoxicity of PEG-PLL-PLGA NPs in vitro as detected by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and intracellular accumulation of PEG-PLL-PLGA were determined by FCM assay. The apoptotic rate induced by nanoparticles and the fluorescence intensity of intracellular daunorubicin (DNR) demonstrated that DNR-PEG-PLL-PLGA could be taken up by the mouse fibroblast cells (L929 cells). Hemolysis test and micronucleus (MN) assay demonstrated that the nanoparticles have no obviously blood toxicity and genotoxicity. DNR-PEG-PLL-PLGA NPs were injected into mice through tail vein to calculate the median lethal dose (LD50), the results showed that they had a wide safe scale. Blood was taken by removing the eyeball of mice to study the influence of DNR-PEG-PLL-PLGA in hepatic and renal functions. The results revealed that there was no significant difference as compared with the control group. Interestingly, the pathologic changes of heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney were observed in nanoparticles treated mice. Thus, this study demonstrates that PEG-PLL-PLGA NPs appear to be highly biocompatible and safe nanoparticles that can be suitable for further application in the treatment of tumor.