Effects of liposomes on permeability of various compounds through rabbit corneas.

The effects of multilamellar liposomes (neutral, negative and positive charge) on the permeability of a hydrophilic compound, a macromolecular compound and a lipophilic compound through the rabbit corneas in vitro were examined. The corneal permeability of liposomal entrapped 6-carboxyfluorescein (CF), a hydrophilic compound, did not change as compared with that of a CF solution in phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4). Those of liposomal entrapped FITC-dextran (mol. wt 4000) and rhodamine B, a macromolecular compound and a lipophilic compound, respectively, decreased as compared with those of FITC-dextran and rhodamine B solutions (pH 7.4). In conclusion, liposomes did not increase the corneal permeabilities of these compounds.