Among polycation nanoparticles, chitosan nanoparticles (ch) have emerged as promising carriers for gene delivery, nevertheless low transfection efficiency and slow dissociation rate of the nanoparticles in cytoplasm are disadvantages of using ch. here, the ch -mediated sirna delivery was improved using of ch (20 kda), polyethylenimine (pei, 25 kda) and carboxymethyl dextran (cmd) complexes to transfer sirna into hek 293 cells.
Methods
: in this study, we determined the optimized nanoparticles preparation method and effects of cmd to ch (cmd:ch) and pei to ch (pei:ch) molar rations on physical characteristics and in vitro efficacy of the nanoparticle.
Results
Our results showed that the physicochemical properties and characteristics of nanoparticles, including morphology, particle size, zeta potential and retarding of sirna by nanoparticle were depended on the preparation method, and cmd:ch and pei:ch molar rations. in addition, in vitro toxicity and cellular uptake was affected by various compositions of nanoparticles. the average size and morphology of the optimized nanoparticles, confirmed by dls and sem, showed that the nanoparticles were spherical in shape, well dispersed (polydispersity index (pdi)=0.25) and a size of 105±20 nm. also, these nanoparticles showed low toxicity and reproducible transfection efficiencies in vitro in hek 293 cells.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this modified nanosystem based on ch might be found as an efficient vector for sirna delivery in vitro.
