Acid-Triggered Release from Sterically Stabilized Fusogenic Liposomes via a Hydrolytic DePEGylation Strategy

A novel acid-labile poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-conjugated lipid, (R)-1,2-di-O-(1‘Z,9‘Z-octadecadienyl)-glyceryl-3-(ω-methoxy-poly(ethylene glycolate, MW5000) (BVEP), a neutral PEG-derivatized analogue of diplasmenylcholine, has been used at low molar ratios to disperse the nonlamellar, fusogenic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) as unilamellar liposomes. It was anticipated that acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the vinyl ether linkages would destabilize BVEP/DOPE liposomes by removal of the water-soluble, sterically stabilizing PEG layer, thereby promoting contents release and membrane−membrane fusion. This paper describes the hydrolysis rates, contents release rates, and fusion kinetics of BVEP-stabilized DOPE liposomes at 1:99, 3:97, and 5:95 molar ratios of BVEP/DOPE. Calcein leakage kinetics indicate that 3:97 BVEP/DOPE liposomes offer the best stability at pH 7.4 while retaining favorable leakage properties at pH 4.5 (t<INF>50%release</INF> ≈ 4 h). N-Rhodamine phosphatidylethanolamine/N-nitrobenzoxadiazole phosphatidylethanolamine lipid mixing assays show that membrane fusion occurs on a much slower time scale than leakage in these systems, with ~12% lipid mixing occurring over a 24 h time period at pH 2.0. No appreciable membrane fusion occurred in these liposomes at either pH 7.4 or 4.5 when monitored for up to 3 days. ³¹P NMR spectra at pH 7.4 contain a single isotropic line shape, consistent with the presence of large liposomes. The ³¹P NMR line shape did not change significantly even after long exposure times at pH 4.0; however, Mn²⁺ addition experiments with acid-treated samples produced line-broadened spectra, indicating that all the phosphorus sites were continuous with the bulk water phase. Time-dependent cryogenic transmission electron microscopy experiments indicate that extensive liposome collapse to give small dense aggregates occurs over a 1−4 h period when 3:97 BVEP/DOPE liposomes are acidified to pH 4.5. Taken together, these results suggest that acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of BVEP/DOPE liposomes does result in dePEGylative triggering; however, the primary outcome of this cleavage process is contents leakage and liposome collapse to give &lt;100 nm particles that are presumed to be inverted hexagonal phase structures, with membrane lipid mixing occurring on a kinetically slower time scale.