Attenuation of dermal toxicity of doxorubicin by liposome encapsulation.

The severe tissue damage which occurs when doxorubicin (Dxn) is extravasated during infusion has been attenuated by encapsulating the drug in anionic liposomes. Mice were injected intradermally with either 0.05 or 0.10 mg of Dxn in the free or liposome-entrapped form. At both dose levels, the animals receiving free drug developed dermal lesions at a higher frequency and of a greater severity than did those animals receiving Dxn-liposomes. Determination of tissue-associated fluorescence indicated that free Dxn was removed from the area of the dermal injection more rapidly than was the liposome-entrapped drug. The data suggest that the dermal toxicity of Dxn may be determined more by its mode of disposition than by the absolute amount of drug in tissue. Similar observation was made earlier for the Dxn-induced chronic cardiotoxicity.