The purpose of our study was to improve the delivery of a direct-acting antiviral drug, daclatasvir, to the site of action, liver tissues, using physically and biologically stable cationic bile-based vesicles. Accordingly, cationic bile-based vesicles were prepared as pro-bile-based vesicles and diethylaminoethyl dextran (DEAE-Dx)-stabilized bile-based vesicles to increase their stability without negatively affecting their hepatic affinity. The prepared bile-based vesicles were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index, ζ-potential, in vitro daclatasvir release, and ex vivo permeation using non-everted gut sac intestine. The in vivo biodistribution was experimented after oral administration utilizing the radiolabeling assay, where the liver showed the highest accumulation of the DEAE-Dx-stabilized bile-based vesicles after 4 h, reaching a value of 4.6% ID/g of the total oral administered dose of the labeled drug compared to drug solution, pro-bile-based vesicles, and cationic bile-based vesicles where the accumulation was 0.19, 1.3, and 0.31% ID/g, respectively. DEAE-Dx-stabilized bile-based vesicles increased the drug deposition into the liver about 42-fold compared to oral solution. The high physical stability and the high resistance to opsonization and clearance show that DEAE-Dx-stabilized bile-based vesicles could be efficiently applied for enhancing daclatasvir delivery to the liver after oral administration.
Keywords: DEAE-Dx-stabilized BBVs; daclatasvir; oral hepatic specific delivery; pro-BBVs.