Effect of N-pyridinium positions of quaternized chitosan on transfection efficiency in gene delivery system

•Chitosan containing different N-pyridinium positions was synthesized as model DNA carriers.•Transfection efficiency depended on N-pyridinium positions and N/P ratios.•N4-pyridinium position of chitosan showed higher transfection efficiency than N2 and 3-pyridinium positions.•N3-pyridinium position of chitosan showed highest cytotoxicity.

Methylated N-pyridylmethyl chitosan chlorides (M-PyMeChCs) with a similar total degree of quaternization (DQT) and molecular weight but different N-pyridinium positions were synthesized by reductive amination and methylation, respectively. The effect of N-pyridinium positions on transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity was investigated in human hepatoma (Huh7) cell lines. The results revealed that M-PyMeChCs are able to form a complete complex formation with DNA since there is an N/P ratio of 5. The particle sizes of M-PyMeChCs/DNA nanopolyplexes were approximately 300 nm and indicated a positive charge. The morphology of these nanopolyplexes was found to be in a spherical shape which was investigated by using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The M4-PyMeChC/DNA nanopolyplexes showed highest in vitro transfection efficiency in Huh7 cells at N/P ratio of 20 compared to M2-PyMeChC/DNA and M3-PyMeChC/DNA nanopolyplexes. In comparison to M3-PyMeChC/DNA nanopolyplexes, M2-PyMeChC/DNA and M4-PyMeChC/DNA nanopolyplexes showed lower cytotoxicity in Huh7 cells. Our result demonstrated that N-pyridinium positions of M-PyMeChCs are related to transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity.