Preparation and in vitro and in vivo characterization of cyclosporin A-loaded, PEGylated chitosan-modified, lipid-based nanoparticles

A new cyclosporin A-loaded, PEGylated chitosan-modified lipid-based nanoparticle was developed to improve upon the formulation of cyclosporin A. PEGylated chitosan, synthesized in three steps using mild reaction conditions, was used to modify the nanoparticles. Cyclosporin A-loaded, PEGylated chitosan-modified nanoparticles were prepared using an emulsification/solvent evaporation method. The drug content and encapsulation efficiency of the cyclosporin A-loaded, PEGylated chitosan-modified nanoparticles were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The average size of the nanoparticles was determined by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The pharmacokinetic behavior of the nanoparticles was investigated in rabbits after intravenous injection. Cyclosporin A concentrations in a whole blood sample were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography using tamoxifen as the internal standard. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using the 3p87 software program.