Polysaccharide-coated liposomal amphotericin B for the treatment of murine pulmonary candidiasis.

Amylopectin-coated liposomal amphotericin B was investigated in a murine model of pulmonary candidiasis. The LD50 of amylopectin-coated liposomal amphotericin B in normal mice was more than 10.0 mg/kg, and that of conventional amphotericin B was 1.2 mg/kg. Amylopectin-coated liposomes showed twice the concentration in the lungs of conventional liposomes. Candida albicans was inoculated intratracheally into BALB/C mice. Twenty-four hours later, the number of Candida in the lungs of mice treated with amylopectin-coated liposomes was less than in those treated with conventional liposomes, and amylopectin-coated liposomes improved the survival rate of inoculated mice. Coating liposomes with amylopectin aids the targeting of amphotericin B to the lungs.