Studies on liposome-encapsulated carboquone. III. Enhancement of lymphatic transport of carboquone by encapsulation.

To examine the possibility of utilizing liposomes as drug carriers of carboquone (CQ), an antitumor agent, effects of encapsulation on transport into lymphatics have been studied. Enhancement of lymphatic transport of CQ was obtained by the administration of liposome encapsulated CQ (CQ-liposome) into abdominal cavity in thoracic duct cannulated rats. And also, the enhancement of CQ transport into regional lymph nodes belong to gastrointestinal tract was also demonstrated in normal rats. When CQ-liposome was administered intravenously or intramuscularly, however, excellent transport into lymphatics was not recognized. Various pharmaceutical formation such as emulsions and oily solution failed to produce as high a lymph level as CQ-liposome. These results show that liposome may represent an effective system to deliver CQ into lymphatics by intraperitoneal administration.