Properties of liposomal membranes composed of short-chain lecithins.

Permeability properties of multilamellar liposomes prepared from synthetic, saturated short-chain (C8, C10, C12) lecithins (3-sn-phosphatidyl choline) were studied. Dioctanoyllecithin, didecanoyllecithin, and dilauroyllecithin form "stable" bilayers which are practically impermeable to glucose when prepared with proportions of more than 1.2, 0.75, and 0.6 of cholesterol (molar ratio to phospholipid), respectively. Dioctanoyllecithin liposomes were rather leaky above 30 degrees, even when a proportion of 1.5 of cholesterol (molar ratio to lecithin) was incorporated. Judging from their sensitivities to temperature, Triton X-100, serum albumin, and other reagents, short-chain lecithin bilayers show characteristic properties, different from those of both saturated long-chain lecithins (dipalmitoyllecithin and dimyristoyllecithin) and lecithins having unsaturated fatty acid residues (egg lecithin and dioleoyllecithin).