EVALUATION OF RECEPTOR MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS ON CELLULAR INTERNALIZATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PEGYLATED NANOPARTICLES AND FOLATE ANCHORED PEGYLATED NANOPARTICLES ON MDA-MB-231 CELLS
The present work was aimed to develop, explore & compare the use of Folate anchored PEGylated nanoparticles (FANPs) made of the conjugate poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) - polyethylene glycol (PEG) & – folic acid with non anchored PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles (PEGyNPs) for targeting solid tumor. For that first optimum cytotoxic concentration of PLGA (polymer) and cisplatin (drug) were optimized through MTT assay. The optimum size and percent entrapment efficiency were found to be 171±5.5 nm and 75.9±2.6% for PEGyNPs and 185±4.2 nm and 75.9±2.1% for FANPs. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of FANPs and PEGyNPs were investigated & compared with drug solution (cisplatin) on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, which revealed that FANPs are more cytotoxic in a time dependent manner. The rhodamine B isothiocyanate loaded PEGyNPs and FANPs were prepared & compared for cell uptake studies which conformed that targeted NPs (FANPs) were more taken up by the MDA-MB-231 cells. To determine the effect of ligand (folic acid) on internalization, cells were incubated with FANPs and PEGyNPs. Results confirmed that the presence of ligand gradually increases internalization of carriers and exhibited maximum uptake of FANPs then PEGyNPs. Results suggesting that FANPs are promising approach for targeting solid tumor & to achieve deeper cellular internalization.