I. F. Volkova

Water-soluble N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl]chitosan chloride as a nucleic acids vector for cell transfection

To endow the cationic polysaccharides with solubility in the whole pH-range without loss of functionality of the amino groups, different chitosan samples were treated with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride. Each modified unit of the exhaustively alkylated quaternized chitosan (QCht) contained both quaternary and secondary amino groups. The intercalated dye displacement assay and ζ-potential measurements implied stability of QCht polyplexes at physiological conditions and protonation of the secondary amino groups in slightly acidic media which is favorable for transfection according to proton sponge mechanism. The cytotoxicity and transfection efficacy increased with the chain lengthening. Nevertheless, the longest chains of QCht, 250 kDa were less toxic than PEI for COS-1 cells and revealed comparable and even significantly higher transfection activity of siRNA and plasmid DNA, respectively. Thus, highly polymerized QCht (250 kDa) provided the highest level of the plasmid DNA transfection being 5 and 80 times more active than QCht (100 kDa) and QCht (50 kDa), respectively, and 4-fold more effective than PEI, 25 kDa. The established influence of QCht molecular weight on toxicity and transfection efficacy allows elaborating polysaccharide vectors that possess rational balance of these characteristics.

Water-Soluble Modified Chitosan and Its Interaction with a Polystyrenesulfonate Anion

The selective alkylation of primary amino groups of polysaccharide is conducted through the interaction of chitosan with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride with introduction of the quaternized amino group into every alkylated unit, thereby ensuring a positive charge and solubility of the polymer over the entire pH range. The structure of the modified chitosan is studied via FTIR spectroscopy and 13C and 1H NMR measurements. On the basis of the potentiometric titration of solutions of the parent polysaccharide, its modified derivative, and their mixtures with the polystyrenesulfonate anion, as well as ζ-potential measurements and turbidimetric titration of polymer mixtures, it is demonstrated that the secondary amino group of the complexed modified chitosan can be protonated in weakly acidic solutions. This behavior is of particular importance for the design of biocompatible and biodegradable vehicles suitable for the delivery of genetic material and drugs to cells.

Water-soluble nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of modified chitosan

A modified polysaccharide that, in each deacetylated unit, carries a functional secondary amino group and a quaternized amino group that provides a positive charge and solubility to the polymer throughout the pH range is prepared by the alkylation of primary amino groups of chitosan with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride. The mixing of modified chitosan solutions with solutions of polystyrenesulfonate or polymethacrylate anions in neutral solutions gives rise to negatively charged nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes soluble and stable under physiological conditions. The effects of pH, ionic strength, the degree of polymerization, the nature of the lyophilizing polyanion, and the charge-to-charge ratio of components on the boundaries of existence of soluble complexes are ascertained. The collected experimental data may serve as a basis for designing biocompatible and biodegradable means useful for the delivery of genetic material and drugs to living cells.

Molecular properties of modified chitosan containing a quaternary amino group

A homologous series of the chitosan derivative N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)pro-pyl]chitosan in a 0.33 M CH3COOH + 0.2 M CH3COONa mixture is studied via viscometry and static and dynamic light scattering. The molecular masses of the homologous series are determined, and the scaling relationships for the intrinsic viscosity, translational-diffusion coefficient, and hydrodynamic radius of molecules are derived. For the mentioned polymer-solvent system, the mean hydrodynamic invariant is estimated as A0 = (3.4 ± 0.1) × 10−15 kg m2/(s2 deg mol1/3). The equilibrium thermodynamic rigidity of modified chitosan chains is found to be 20 ± 2 nm. This value, like the parameters of the scaling relationships, suggests that the chitosan derivative under investigation belongs to the class of rigid-chain polymers. It is shown that, in the selected mixed solvent, the molecules of the modified chitosan are more compact than molecules of its nonmodified analog having close degrees of polymerization.

Water-soluble nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan with a polystyrenesulfonate anion

Chitosan complexes that meet the performance criteria of water-soluble nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes have been first prepared via the interaction of chitosan with excess polystyrenesulfonate anions in acidic media. Thus, the region of the existence of soluble complexes can be narrowed down through a decrease in the degree of polymerization of a lyophilizing polyanion until fully degenerates as in the case of oligomeric anions. The critical concentration of a salt that brings about phase separation decreases with an increase in the relative content of a blocking chitosan in a mixture and depends on the ratio of chain lengths of polymer components. This is also typical of nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes. The results of this study may be useful for designing soluble chitosan complexes with polyanions, including those of biological origin.

Nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan soluble in neutral solutions

The technique of preparing nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan soluble in neutral solutions is developed. Chitosan complexes soluble in neutral solutions and meeting the behavioral criteria of water-soluble nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes are prepared via mixing of strongly acidic solutions of chitosan and polystyrenesulfonate anions taken in a nonequimolar charge-charge ratio and subsequent neutralization of the products by a solution of alkali. Thus, the region of existence of soluble complexes narrows with a decrease in the length of the host polyanion up to its full degeneration in the case of oligomeric anions. The critical concentration of a salt that brings about phase separation decreases with an increase in the relative content of the guest chitosan in a mixture and depends on the ratio of chain lengths of polymer components.