Title: Liposomal oxygen-carriers, effect on ultrasonic shear and potential applications

Authors: Ajay Rajaram

Addresses: Division of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan #1A26, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A9, Canada

Abstract: Hypoxia arising due to vaso-occlusion (in trauma and diseases like sickle-cell anaemia) and lower oxygen pressures is an issue of critical concern in medicine. Efficient oxygen exchange in laboratory cell culture could also be a plight. In the current study, liposomes are investigated as oxygen carriers for hypoxic conditions. They are prepared using soy lecithin by incorporating different hydrating solutions and cholesterol in each formulation. The liposomes, sized in the micron range, show effective release of oxygen in a hypoxic solution. Efficacy of diffusion through two membranes is analysed in real-time and it is shown that the shearing of liposomes leads to increased oxygen release. These oxygen-saturated liposomes may be proposed as effective oxygen carriers in hypoxic conditions, especially in cell culture, making them advantageous for tissue engineering.

Keywords: liposomes; soy lecithin; oxygen release kinetics; oxygen carriers; dual layered cell culture flask; ultrasonic shear; hypoxia; vaso-occlusion; oxygen pressure; tissue engineering.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2012.049220

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2012 Vol.9 No.4, pp.369 - 377

Published online: 12 Dec 2014 *

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