The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetics of total and lactone forms of 9-nitrocamptothecin (9-NC), an effective antineoplastic drug, after intravenous injection of drug incorporated into poly (DL-lactic-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (NPs). Drug-loaded NPs (9-NC.NP) were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method and examined for particle characteristics and in-vitro release in phosphate buffered saline. The best formulation showed a narrow size with an average diameter of 207±26 nm and a drug loading of more than 33.5%. The drug release profile showed a sustained 9-NC release up to 160 h. For a pharmacokinetic study, the concentration of 9-NC as the lactone form (9-NC.lac) and as the total of the lactone and carboxylate forms (9-NC.tot) in plasma was determined by using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography after intravenous administration of 9-NC.NP and a control solution to cannulated Wistar rats. In-vitro cytotoxic activity of 9-NC.NP and control solution was evaluated on the human ovarian cancer cell line (A2780sn) by MTT cell cytotoxicity assay. Results of in-vivo studies showed that NP encapsulation markedly increased the plasma concentration of both lactone and total forms of 9-NC compared with free drug. In comparison with free drug, NPs resulted in 3.63-fold and 5.40-fold increases in area under the plasma concentration-versus-time curve (AUC0-∞) for lactone and total forms of 9-NC, respectively. The values of mean residence time and elimination half-life (T1/2) were also significantly higher for NPs than for free drug. The in-vitro cytotoxicity study revealed that the IC50 value of NPs decreased 10-fold compared with the drug solution. Prepared NPs described here were considered potentially useful in both stabilizing and delivering 9-NC and enhancing the efficacy of this drug for cancer treatment for which high drug retention in the body, protection from the drug-active lactone form, and gradual drug release appeared to be related.