pH effects on drug interactions with lipid bilayers by liposome electrokinetic chromatography

Liposome electrokinetic chromatography (LEKC) provides convenient and rapid methods for studying drug interactions with lipid bilayers using liposomes as a pseudostationary phase. LEKC was used to determine the effects of pH on the partitioning of basic drugs into liposomes composed of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC), anionic phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and cholesterol, which mimic the composition of natural cell membranes. An increase in pH results in a smaller degree of ionization of the basic drugs and consequently leads to a lower degree of interaction with the negatively charged membranes. From the LEKC retention data, the fractions of drugs distributed in the bulk aqueous and the liposome phase were determined at various pH values. Finally, lipid mediated shifts in the ionization constants of drugs were examined.