Studies on the intracerebral injection of vincristine free and entrapped within liposomes in the rat.

The cerebral tissue response and behaviour of rats injected with vincristine of increasing concentration, free and entrapped within liposomes was studied. In separate experiments, blood, urine and brain levels of vincristine were measured after intracerebral injection of free and liposome-entrapped vincristine. When entrapped within liposomes, vincristine clearance from the brain was significantly reduced and the amount of tissue damage was directly related to the amount of drug given, being slightly greater at the same dose when entrapped. These results indicate a potential application for drugs entrapped within liposomes acting as a depot preparation in the treatment of cerebral gliomas.