Cellular uptake and transcytosis of lipid-based nanoparticles across the intestinal barrier: Relevance for oral drug delivery

Oral administration is the preferred route for drug delivery and nanosystems represent a promising tool for protection and transport of hardly soluble, chemically unstable and poorly permeable drugs through the intestinal barrier. In the present work, we have studied lipid nanoparticles cellular uptake, internalization pathways and transcytosis routes through Caco-2 cell monolayers. Both lipid nanosystems presented similar size (∼180nm) and surface charge (-30mV). Nanostructured lipid carriers showed a higher cellular uptake and permeability across the barrier, but solid lipid nanoparticles could enter cells faster than the former. The internalization of lipid nanoparticles occurs mainly through a clathrin-mediated endocytosis mechanism, although caveolae-mediated endocytosis is also involved in the uptake. Both lipid nanoparticles were able to cross the intestinal barrier by a preferential transcellular route. This work contributed to a better knowledge of the developed nanosystems for the oral delivery of a wide spectrum of drugs.