Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin as a red blood cell substitute by reverse micelle processing, II : characterization and efficacy

Abstract EN

This paper characterizes liposome encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) produced by reverse micelle processing and investigated their efficacy (1).

Characterization included viscosity of LEH suspended in a colloidal albumin or dextran solutions, particle size, oxygen carrying capacity as a result of encapsulated hemoglobin (Hb) concentra-tion and its relation to the precursor Hb concentration, circulation half life and stability of encapsulated Hb as a function of storage.

Efficacy tests included material acute toxicity and animal survival as a result of blood exchange.

Results show that the LEH produced by the above method suspended in either albumin or dextran solutions, exhibit non Newtonian behavior with LEH-dextran showing higher values and asymptotic viscosity of both types of less than 10 cp and LEH-albumin samples showing values of less than 6 cp.

Particle size (diameter) was less than 3 jam, normalized oxygen caitying capacity (NOCC) value of 25-30 ml O2/ 100 ml sample and the product was stable with respect to Hb functionality to 36 days.

No acute toxicity was observed and blood exchange experiments suggested an improvement by utihzing LEH over just plasma expander.