Effectiveness of submicron-sized, chitosan-coated liposomes in oral administration of peptide drugs

The mucoadhesive behavior of chitosan-coated liposomes in the intestinal tract of the rat was examined to elucidate their particle size effects on the absorption of an entrapped drug, calcitonin. The intestine was removed from rats after oral administration of liposomes containing a fluorescent dye, and its various parts were observed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Penetration of submicron-sized liposomes (ssLip) or chitosan-coated ssLip (ssCS-Lip) into the mucosa was observed, while such behavior was not observed for the multilamellar liposomes, even when coated with chitosan (CS-Lip). The retentive property of ssCS-Lip was confirmed by measuring the amount of dye in each part of the intestine. The pharmacologic effects of calcitonin-loaded liposomes of different particle size were measured after oral administration in rats. The pharmacologic effect of oral administration of ssLip coated with chitosan was detected up to 120 h after administration. The extensive pharmacologic effect of ssCS-Lip was attributed to their prolonged retention in the intestinal mucosa, partly owing to their penetrative property into the intestinal mucosa. The chitosan-coated ssLip, with their higher retentive property in the intestinal tract, are much more effective than ssLip and CS-Lip in improving the enteral absorption of peptide drugs.