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Biomedical subjects

R L Beissinger

Publications and source records attributed to R L Beissinger.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin processing methods.

An effective and safe red blood cell substitute is being developed based on double emulsion/evaporation techniques followed by high pressure homogenization to form liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH). Formulations are made up of hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine (PC, soy or egg), cholesterol, phosphatidylinositol (PI), and alpha-tocopherol in a molar ratio of 1:1:0.2:0.02, respectively. Resulting LEH-encapsulated hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations are greater than 80% of precursor Hb solutions. Met-Hb generation accompanying LEH processing appears to be small with only a 3% increase for encapsulated over precursor. These results correspond to an oxygen content for an LEH suspension sample (50% by volume LEH) of 15 volume% oxygen. Oxygen affinity and cooperativity values for LEH suspensions appear to be near the normal values expected for whole blood. The viscosity of LEH suspension samples (50% by volume LEH in phosphate-buffered saline containing 7.5 wt% albumin) were slightly higher than that of whole blood. The effect of shear rate on leakage of encapsulated Hb from LEH was small, i.e. 0.5% or less. Nearly total isovolemic exchange transfusion using a cannulated rat model demonstrates efficacy of LEH suspension samples. There appears to be no difference in rat internal organ weights between rats exchanged with control compared to rats exchanged with LEH. Circulation half-life following 50% isovolemic exchange-transfusion is about 15 to 18 hours.

Animals

Artificial surface effect on red blood cells and platelets in laminar shear flow.

Red blood cell (RBC) effects on platelet adhesion to a nonbiologic test surface (tetrafluoroethylene propylene copolymer) and platelet aggregation during laminar shear flow for shear rates to 5,680 s-1 (corresponding to shear stress to 200 dyne/cm2) were investigated. Results on hemoglobin (Hb) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) release from RBCs, percent decrease of single platelets in the bulk, and percent of test surface covered with platelets were obtained in a cone-and-plate (CP) viscometer for samples of whole blood, suspensions of RBC ghosts in platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and suspensions of RBCs in either PRP or platelet-poor plasma. Results obtained over the shear rate range studied for samples of normal hematocrit indicated that low-stress shearing led to ADP and Hb release from intact RBCs; shear-induced release of ADP from RBCs was about twice that of platelets, and of the total ADP released, the ADP released from RBCs contributed about six times that of the platelets to single platelet reduction in the bulk and about twice that of the platelets to platelet adhesion, ie, coverage of the test surface with platelets. Results obtained for various hematocrits showed that above a threshold hematocrit of about 25% to 35% the RBCs (suspended in PRP) had a greater contribution to ADP release, platelet adhesion, and platelet aggregation than the platelets themselves. Single platelet reduction for samples of RBC ghosts suspended in PRP correlated with shear rate level and not with shear stress.

Adenosine Diphosphate

Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin as an artificial red blood cell: characterization and scale-up.

Encapsulation methods using high pressure extrusion and homogenization were developed which produce hemoglobin-containing liposomes, approximately one micron or less in diameter with an oxygen-carrying capacity of more than half that of red blood cells (RBCs). These methods were developed for scaling-up liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) production. Previously, the lack of adequate scale-up methods has been a serious barrier to full scale efficacy and toxicity testing for all the researchers engaged in such investigations. The scale-up methods and characterization of the resulting LEH preparations are presented.

Blood Substitutes

Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin: a synthetic red cell.

Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) is being developed at the Naval Research Laboratory as a universally transfusable oxygen-carrying blood replacement. A chemical engineering scale-up feasibility study has been completed recently. We report here the development of an encapsulation method which produces liters of phospholipid/cholesterol liposomes containing at least 16 g% hemoglobin in a few hours. The 0.2 micron liposomes are produced with a Microfluidizer TM (Microfluidics Corp., Newton, MA) adapted for this purpose, and then washed and sterile filtered using a Pellicon (Millipore, Bedford, MA) tangential flow filtration device. Previously, production limitations and lack of sterility have been serious barriers to toxicity testing for all the researchers engaged in related investigations. The biophysical properties of the LEH thus produced are ideal for use as a blood substitute, resembling those of red blood cells. The oxygen-binding affinity of LEH can be maintained at the level of fresh whole blood for many weeks by co-encapsulation of pyridoxal-5-phosphate. The circulation persistence time of liposomes is a function of the type of phospholipid. We have developed a formulation which has a circulation persistence time of 15-20 hours. The LEH oxygen binding characteristics, circulation half-life and its lipid composition dependence, scale-up preparation method, and a sterilization method are presented.

Animals

Red blood cell effect on platelet adhesion and aggregation in low-stress shear flow. Myth or fact?

Evidence has been accumulating which suggests that red blood cells affect platelet adhesion on nonbiological surfaces and platelet aggregation in the bulk; this in vitro study investigated these red blood cell effects. For samples of either whole blood or suspensions of either ghosts or red blood cells in platelet rich plasma undergoing low-stress simple shear flow, data on hemoglobin and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) released from red blood cells, single platelet reduction (which is a measure of platelet adhesion to nonbiological surfaces and platelet aggregation in the bulk) and percent of surface covered with platelets and platelet aggregates were obtained in a cone-and-plate viscometer for shear rates up to 5680 s-1. The results obtained suggest that red blood cells release a significant fraction of their ADP (2% at 5680 s-1), which is enough to induce platelet aggregation, and contribute about 65% to the total ADP release for a sheared blood sample; ADP released from red blood cells contributes about 60% to single platelet reduction and about 28% to platelet adhesion, whereas ADP from platelets contributes about 8% and 14%, respectively; and the physical effect of red blood cells, which is coupled to the chemical effect, acts to catalyze (enhance) the chemical effects. Based on the results obtained a mechanism was developed to describe both the chemical and physical nature of the red blood cell effect.

Adenosine Diphosphate