Aim: This study is aimed to evaluate borneol as a penetration enhancer to improve brain target of nanoliposome.
Materials & methods: Effects of borneol on pharmacokinetics, targeting efficiency, brain subareas distribution and neuron-targeting level and pathway were studied by fluorescence spectrophotometry and immunofluorescence.
Results: Borneol did not influence physicochemical property of doxorubicin hydrochloride nanoliposome (Dox-nanoLips). Co-administration of Dox-nanoLips with borneol elevated brain-target efficiency due to selective distribution increase in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus without difference in contralateral hemisphere. Borneol improved neuronal-targeting level of Dox-nanoLips in the cortex, CA3 and dentate gyrus regions via opening tight junctions of blood-brain barrier and then bypassing astrocyte.
Conclusion: Borneol is potential to be a promising penetration enhancer for nanocarrier to target neurons.
Keywords: astrocyte; borneol; brain targeting; cerebral cortex; hippocampus; nanoliposomes; neurons; neurovascular units; penetration enhancer; vascular endothelial cell.