Cellular uptake and toxicity of microparticles in a perspective of polymyxin B oral administration

Alginate/chitosan microparticles for the targeting of Polymyxin B to M-cells were assayed for transport ability by enterocytes. Caco-2 cells model, combined with confocal microscopy, showed that microparticles were endocytosed. Furthermore, microparticles maintained the biological activity of the antibiotic and decreased the antibiotic cytotoxicity against Vero cells cultures. Therefore, simultaneous pathways via both M-cells and enterocytes could be proposed for such a microparticulate carrier.