Stability of erythrocyte ghosts: a gamma-ray perturbed angular correlation study.

The structural integrity of erythrocyte ghosts made by the preswell and slow-dialysis techniques has been studied in vitro by use of gamma-ray perturbed angular correlation (PAC) techniques and also by standard in vitro leakage methods employing sequestered labeled markers. Complexes of 111In3+ and nitrilotriacetate were encapsulated in ghosts made from human, rabbit, rat, and mouse erythrocytes, and their leakage was monitored by both methods. In addition, 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin was encapsulated, and ghost integrity was monitored by conventional leakage measurements. With the PAC technique the percentage of material released from human ghosts was determined quantitatively, and the results were equivalent to those obtained by the conventional method. In addition, at various times after intravenous injection, tissue distribution of the ghosts in the mouse was studied. The percent injected dose per gram of tissue of the labeled surface proteins of erythrocyte ghosts in circulation approximated that of the entrapped labeled albumin. This suggests that the ghost membrane and contents are strongly associated in vivo. Large 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin molecules and small 111In3+-nitrilotriacetate complexes were delivered in high quantitites to the lung initially, and to the liver and spleen. Because erythrocyte ghosts have the ability to entrap a wide range of substances and deliver them to specific organs, ghosts may be preferable to other drug carriers or drug therapy for treatment of certain disorders.