Polyethylene glycol–phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate (PEG–PE)-based mixed micelles: Some properties, loading with paclitaxel, and modulation of P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux

Mixed micelles prepared of poly(ethylene glycol)2000–phosphatidyl ethanolamine conjugate (PEG2000–PE) and d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) in 1:1 molar ratio have been investigated. Micelle formation was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. CMC of the micelles was found to be 1.5 × 10−5 M. Poorly soluble anti-cancer drug paclitaxel (PCL) was efficiently solubilized in 15 nm non-toxic PEG–PE/TPGS micelles. PCL entrapment was quite stable with only about 20% of the incorporated drug released from micelles after 48 h at 37 °C. In addition, PCL-containing PEG2000–PE/TPGS micelles were stable in vitro under various conditions modeling the physiological ones, in particular, at low pH values and in the presence of bile acids, which is especially important for their possible oral administration. Fluorescently labeled micelles demonstrated time-dependent internalization by human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, Caco-2. The internalization of PEG2000–PE/TPGS micelles loaded with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate, rhodamine-123 (RH-123), opposite to the internalization of the free RH-123, was not influenced by the inhibition of the P-gp pump with verapamil hydrochloride, which assumes a P-gp-independent micelle internalization.