Mn. Jones et al., THE USE OF PHOSPHOLIPID LIPOSOMES FOR TARGETING TO ORAL AND SKIN-ASSOCIATED BACTERIA, Journal of drug targeting., 2(5), 1994, pp. 381-389
Phospholipid (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) plus phosphatidyli
nositol (PI)) proteoliposomes with surface bound lectins (succinylated
concanavalin A (s con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)) have been p
repared covering a range of size and surface density of lectin. Negati
vely charged phospholipid liposomes from DPPC PI mixtures covering a r
ange of PI mole % and positively charged liposomes from DPPC-cholester
ol-stearylamine (SA) mixtures covering a range of SA mole % have been
prepared. The targeting of the liposomes and proteoliposomes to a rang
e of oral and skin-associated bacterial biofilms has been investigated
. The oral bacteria Streptococcus mutans and gordonii and the skin-ass
ociated bacterium Corneform hofmanni can be targeted with s con A bear
ing proteoliposomes while the skin associated bacterium Staphylococcus
epidermidis can be targeted with WGA bearing proteoliposomes. Both or
al and skin-associated bacteria can be targeted with positively charge
d liposomes although the extents of adsorption to the biofilm are low
except for Staphylococcus epidermidis. In the case of negatively charg
ed liposomes targeting is critically dependent on the PI content of th
e liposomes and for all the bacteria studied optimum levels PI for tar
geting have been found. The adsorption of the oral bacterium Streptoco
ccus gordonii to immobilised monolayers having the optimum PI level fo
r adsorption has been studied by total internal reflection microscopy
(TIRM). Both the phospholipid and proteoliposomes have been used to de
liver the bactericide Triclosan(R) to biofilms. All the systems studie
d inhibited bacterial growth to varying degrees. The proteoliposomes a
nd the DPPC-PI liposomes containing low levels of Triclosan(R) inhibit
ed bacterial growth more effectively than the equivalent levels of fre
e bactericide.