Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Chitosan has been paid much attention due to its unique advantages in the research field of drug carrier.
OBJECTIVE: To review the in vivo bioeffect and safety of chitosan-based nano-drug carrier, including drug efficacy, drug metabolism, tissue distribution and in vivo toxicity studies.
METHODS: CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed databases were searched by computer for papers concerning in vivo pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetics and toxicity tests of nanoparticles and nano-drug carriers prepared by chitosan and its ramifications (1998-01/2010-05). The key words were “chitosan, nano-particle, in vivo” or “drug action” or “pharmacokinetics” or “ tissue distribution or toxicity” in Chinese, and “chitosan and nanoparticle and in vivo” or “chitosan and nanoparticle and pharcodynamic or pharmacokinetic or biodistribution or toxicity” in English. Papers related to in vivo experiments of nanoparticles, and published recently and authoritatively in the same field were included. Totally 166 papers were initially searched, and 43 papers were included.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The searched papers were summarized and analyzed. Chitosan and its ramifications can be as the carriers of protein, cytotoxic type, nucleic acid drugs and diagnostic reagent. Compared with the prototype drug, the nano-drug carrier showed longer in vivo circulation time, better drug effectiveness and little toxic side effect. Bioeffect and safety of in vivo drug effectiveness and biodistribution are different, and the research methods are also different. Chitosan shows the great potential as nano-drug carriers