Development of thiolated poly(acrylic acid) microparticles for the nasal administration of exenatide

The purpose of this study was to develop a microparticulate formulation for nasal delivery of exenatide utilizing a thiolated polymer. Poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine (PAA-cys) and unmodified PAA microparticles loaded with exenatide were prepared via coprecipitation of the drug and the polymer followed by micronization. Particle size, drug load and release of incorporated exenatide were evaluated. Permeation enhancing properties of the formulations were investigated on excised porcine respiratory mucosa. The viability of the mucosa was investigated by histological studies. Furthermore, ciliary beat frequency (CBF) studies were performed. Microparticles displayed a mean size of 70–80?µm. Drug encapsulation was ～80% for both thiolated and non-thiolated microparticles. Exenatide was released from both thiolated and non-thiolated particles in comparison to exenatide in buffer only within 40?min. As compared to exenatide dissolved in buffer only, non-thiolated and thiolated microparticles resulted in a 2.6- and 4.7-fold uptake, respectively. Histological studies performed before and after permeation studies showed that the mucosa is not damaged during permeation studies. CBF studies showed that the formulations were cilio-friendly. Based on these results, poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine-based microparticles seem to be a promising approach starting point for the nasal delivery of exenatide.     

Temperature-responsive, Pluronic-g-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers in situ gels for ophthalmic drug delivery: rheology, in vitro drug release, and in vivo resident property

To prolong the precorneal resident time and improve ocular bioavailability of the drug, Pluronic-g-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers were studied as a temperature-responsive in situ gelling vehicle for an ophthalmic drug delivery system. The rheological properties and in vitro drug release of Pluronic-g-PAA copolymer gels, as well as the in vivo resident properties of such in situ gel ophthalmic formulations, were investigated. The rheogram and in vitro drug release studies indicated that the drug release rates decreased as acrylic acid/Pluronic molar ratio and copolymer solution concentration increased. It was also shown that the drug concentration had no obvious effect on drug release. The release rates of drug from such copolymer gels were mainly dependent on the gel dissolution. In vivo resident experiments showed the drug resident time and the total resident amount increased by 4-fold and 1.2-fold for in situ gel compared with eye drops. These in vivo experimental results, along with the rheological properties and in vitro drug release studies, demonstrated that in situ gels containing Pluronic-g-PAA copolymer may significantly prolong the drug resident time and thus improve bioavailability. The results showed that the Pluronic-g-PAA copolymer can be a promising in situ gelling vehicle for ophthalmic drug delivery.     

叶酸-聚乙二醇-聚乳酸纳米粒子的稀释稳定性和对乳腺癌细胞的靶向选择性研究

叶酸受体在实体瘤组织细胞表面的过度表达使得叶酸介导的靶向释药系统成为治疗癌症的研究热点;纳米粒子能够逃避网状巨噬细胞(RES)的捕获并加强渗透和滞留效应(EPR)是其应用于药物控释系统的主要原因。以聚乳酸、氨基封端的聚乙二醇和叶酸为原料,采用活性酯的方法合成了聚乳酸-聚乙二醇-叶酸偶合物,并以此为载体,采用溶液挥发自组装的方法制备具有主动靶向性的纳米微粒。采用1 HNMR,对材料结构进行表征;采用荧光探针法对微粒的稳定性进行检测;采用人乳腺癌细胞(MCF-7)和成纤维细胞(CCL-110)对微粒的细胞靶向选择性进行实验。结果表明,在成功合成材料的基础上,制备的纳米粒子具有很好的细胞选择性,和同类材料相比具有较好的稀释稳定性,有望成为叶酸受体介导的靶向药物控释系统的载体材料。     

Mydriatics release from solid and semi-solid ophthalmic formulations using different in vitro methods

The aim of the present paper was the development of semi-solid (hydrogels) and solid (film) ophthalmic formulations for the controlled release of two mydriatics: phenylephrine and tropicamide. The formulations – based on polyvinylalcohol and hyaluronic acid – were characterized, and release studies were performed with three different in vitro set-ups, i.e. Franz-type diffusion cell, vial method and inclined plane; for comparison, a solution and a commercial insert, both clinically used to induce mydriasis, were evaluated. Both gels and film allowed for a controlled release of drugs, appearing a useful alternative for mydriatics administration. However, the release kinetic was significantly influenced by the method used, highlighting the need for optimization and standardization of in vitro models for the evaluation of drug release from ophthalmic dosage forms.     

软骨细胞在聚乳酸支架中的体外生长行为

采用明胶和氯化钠颗粒作为致孔剂,使用溶剂浇铸／颗粒沥滤法制备了高孔隙率、孔间连通和高机械性能的聚乳酸支架,采用软骨细胞体外培养研究了这两种多孔支架对细胞生长性能的影响．结果表明,软骨细胞在以明胶颗粒为致孔剂制备的多孔支架中的相对数量和GAG的分泌量更多,细胞的活性更高。     

一种生物素改性聚乳酸生物材料的制备与性能研究

研究试图通过本体改性,将生物素接枝到聚乙二醇接枝聚乳酸(PPLA)上,以改善聚乳酸微球在药物缓释应用中血液循环时间短和无主动靶向性的缺点.在本实验室制备的聚乙二醇接枝改性聚乳酸的基础之上,采用N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺活化酯法,将生物素接枝到PPLA上,制备生物素改性聚乳酸(BPLA),通过茚三酮显色、核磁共振(1H-NMR)...     

In vitro release dynamics of thiram fungicide from starch and poly(methacrylic acid)-based hydrogels

In order to make the judicious use of pesticide/fungicide and to maintain the environment and ecosystem we have developed the starch and poly(methacrylic acid)-based agrochemical delivery system for their controlled and sustained release. The delivery device was prepared by using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (N,N'-MBAAm) as crosslinker and was characterized with FTIR, TGA and with swelling studies as a function of time and crosslinker concentration. This article discusses the swelling kinetics of polymer matrix and release dynamics of thiram (fungicide) from hydrogels for the evaluation of the diffusion mechanism and diffusion coefficients. The values of the diffusion exponent 'n' for both cases, that is the swelling of hydrogels and for the release of thiram from the hydrogels have been observed between 0.7 and 0.9 when the concentration of the crosslinker in the polymers were varied from 6.49x10(-3) to 32.43x10(-3) moles/L. It is inferred from the values of the 'n' that Non-Fickian diffusion mechanism has occurred in both the cases.     

Preparation and evaluation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles as a carrier for pulmonary delivery of recombinant human interleukin-2: II. In vitro studies on aerodynamic properties of dry powder inhaler formulations

Objective: The aim of this study was the preparation and evaluation of dry powder formulations of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2)-loaded microparticles to be administered to the lung by inhalation.

Methods: As indicated in our previous study, the microparticles were prepared by modified water-in-oil-in-water (w₁/o/w₃) double emulsion solvent extraction method using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymers. The dry powder formulations were prepared with blending of microparticles and mannitol as a coarse carrier. The actual aerodynamic characteristics of the microparticles alone and prepared mixtures with mannitol are evaluated by using the eight-stage Andersen cascade impactor.

Results: Due to the low tapped density of microparticles (<0.4?g/cm³), the theoretical aerodynamic diameter (MMADt) values were calculated (<5 μm) on the basis of the geometrical particle diameter and tapped density values. The lowest tapped density value (0.17?g/cm³) belongs to the cyclodextrin-containing formulation. According to the results obtained using the cascade impactor, the emitted doses for all microparticle formulations were found to be rather high and during the aerosolization for all the formulations except F3 and F5, >90% of the capsule content was determined to be released. However, the actual aerodynamic diameter (MMADa) values were seen to be higher than the MMADt values. The blending of the microparticles with mannitol allowed their aerodynamic diameters to decrease and their fine particle fraction values to increase.

Conclusion: The obtained results have shown that the mixing of rhIL-2-loaded microparticles with mannitol possess suitable aerodynamic characteristics to be administered to the lungs by inhalation.     

In vitro enzymatic biodegradation of amino acid based poly(ester amide)s biomaterials

A systematic in vitro biodegradation study of regular poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) composed of naturally occurring hydrophobic alpha-amino acids, fatty diols and dicarboxylic acids was carried out in the presence of hydrolases like trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and lipase. An automatic potentiometric titration method was used to examine the biodegradation property of the PEAs. Spontaneous immobilization (absorption) of the enzymes onto the PEAs films surfaces was observed. The surface immobilized enzyme not only accelerated the erosion of the PEAs but also was able to catalyze the hydrolysis of both low-molecular-weight (ATEE) and high-molecular-weight (protein) external substrates. It was found that the enzyme surface absorption process is reversible by nature. A kinetic method for a quantitative determination of the enzyme desorbed from the film surface was developed. The enzymes could also be impregnated into the PEAs to make them "self-destructive" at a target rate. A comparison of the PEAs' in vitro biodegradation data with polylactide (PDLLA) showed that PEAs exhibited a far more tendency toward enzyme catalyzed biodegradation than PDLLA.     

Covalently linking poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles to microbubbles before intravenous injection improves their ultrasound-targeted delivery to skeletal muscle

Intravenously injected nanoparticles can be delivered to skeletal muscle through capillary pores created by the activation of microbubbles with ultrasound; however, strategies that utilize coinjections of free microbubbles and nanoparticles are limited by nanoparticle dilution in the bloodstream. Here, improvement in the delivery of fluorescently labeled ≈150 nm poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles to skeletal muscle is attempted by covalently linking them to albumin-shelled microbubbles in a composite agent formulation. Studies are performed using an experimental model of peripheral arterial disease, wherein the right and left femoral arteries of BalbC mice are surgically ligated. Four days after arterial ligation, composite agents, coinjected microbubbles and nanoparticles, or nanoparticles alone are administered intravenously and 1 MHz pulsed ultrasound was applied to the left hindlimb. Nanoparticle delivery was assessed at 0, 1, 4, and 24 h post-treatment by fluorescence-mediated tomography. Within the coinjection group, both microbubbles and ultrasound are found to be required for nanoparticle delivery to skeletal muscle. Within the composite agent group, nanoparticle delivery is found to be enhanced 8- to 18-fold over 'no ultrasound' controls, depending on the time of measurement. A maximum of 7.2% of the initial nanoparticle dose per gram of tissue was delivered at 1 hr in the composite agent group, which was significantly greater than in the coinjection group (3.6%). It is concluded that covalently linking 150 nm-diameter poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles to microbubbles before intravenous injection does improve their delivery to skeletal muscle.     

Simultaneous Determination of Pyridoxine Hydrochloride and Doxylamine Succinate from Tablets by Ion Pair Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC)

A new, simple, precise, and rapid ion pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of pyridoxine hydrochloride (PYR) and doxylamine succinate (DOX) in tablets. The stationary phase was a Microbondapak C18 column (10 μ, 300 mm × 3.9 mm i.d.). The mobile phase was water:methanol (60:40) containing 10 mM heptanesulfonic acid and 0.25% triethylamine and adjusted to pH 2.2 with orthophosphoric acid. Detection was carried out at 263 nm using an ultraviolet (UV) detector. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min, and retention times were 3.65 min and 7.32 min for PYR and DOX, respectively. The linearity was obtained in the concentration range 0.5–500 μg/ml for PYR and DOX. Mean percentage recoveries were 100.20% and 101.20% for PYR and DOX, respectively.     

Thermosensitive Y-shaped micelles of poly(oleic acid-Y-N-isopropylacrylamide) for drug delivery

A novel thermosensitive amphiphilic copolymer comprised of two hydrophobic poly(oleic acid) (POA) segments and one hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) segment was designed and synthesized. The structure of the copolymer was confirmed as Y-shaped by FTIR, 1H NMR, and SEC-MALLS analysis. A cytotoxicity study shows that the P(OA-Y-NIPAAm) copolymer exhibits good biocompatibility. The copolymer may self-assemble into micelles in water, with the hydrophobic POA segments at the cores of micelles and the hydrophilic PNIPAAm segments as the outer shells. The resulting micelles demonstrate temperature sensitivity with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 31.5 degrees C and a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 12.6 mg L(-1). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the micelles exhibit a nanospheric morphology within a narrow size range of approximately 10-30 nm. A study of controlled release reveals that the self-assembled micelles have great potential as drug carriers.     

In vitro degradation of porous poly(lactic acid)/quantum dots scaffolds

In this study, cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide (CdSe/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) were introduced into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for fabrication of photoluminescent PLA/QDs scaffolds. TEM images revealed that the QDs were uniformly dispersed in the PLA. Compressive modulus and thermal stability of the PLA/QDs scaffolds are higher than those of the unfilled PLA scaffold. Cytotoxicity test results confirmed the non-cytotoxicity of the PLA/QDs scaffolds. During the process of in vitro degradation, the degradation rate of the PLA was accelerated by the presence of the QDs, and the molecular weight distributions of the PLA/QDs scaffolds were much broader when compared with the unfilled PLA ones. During the first 84 weeks of the degradation process, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the PLA/QDs scaffolds decreased with almost the same degradation ratio. The results suggested that the CdSe/ZnS QDs have potential applications for monitoring in vivo degradation of tissue engineering scaffolds.     

Effect of poly (ethylene glycol) molecular weight and microparticle size on oral insulin delivery from P(MAA-g-EG) microparticles

Five years of successful work in our lab have shown that graft copolymer networks of poly(methacrylic acid-g-ethylene) [P(MAA-g-EG)], are very promising candidates for oral drug delivery. In an acidic environment, these copolymers form interpolymer complexes, protecting the active agent from the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. At high pH, these complexes dissociate, causing the polymer to swell and release the drug. Films of P(MAA-g-EG) with a monomer ratio of 1:1 (MAA:EG) were prepared by free radical solution UV-polymerization, washed in order to remove the unreacted monomer, and crushed to form microparticles with different particle size distribution. Previous studies in our lab have focused on using polymer disks in their swelling studies. The swelling properties of polymer disks vs. crushed particles were investigated via equilibrium swelling experiments in this study. Another goal in this study is to compare different PEG chain length (MW-400 and MW-1000) and different particle size (150-212 microns, 90-150 microns and 25-90 microns) in their loading and release behavior. After 6 hours of exposing the polymer with the insulin solution we achieved approximately 90% of insulin loading.     

Intelligent anticancer drug delivery performances of two poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based magnetite nanohydrogels

This article evaluates the anticancer drug delivery performances of two nanohydrogels composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-itaconic anhydride) [P(NIPAAm-co-IA)], poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. For this purpose, the magnetite nanohydrogels (MNHGs) were loaded with doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a universal anticancer drug. The morphologies and magnetic properties of the DOX-loaded MNHGs were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating–sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The sizes and zeta potentials (ξ) of the MNHGs and their corresponding DOX-loaded nanosystems were also investigated. The DOX-loaded MNHGs showed the highest drug release values at condition of 41?°C and pH 5.3. The drug-loaded MNHGs at physiological condition (pH 7.4 and 37?°C) exhibited negligible drug release values. In vitro cytotoxic effects of the DOX-loaded MNHGs were extensively evaluated through the assessing survival rate of HeLa cells using the MTT assay, and there in vitro cellular uptake into the mentioned cell line were examined using fluorescent microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometry analyses. As the results, the DOX-loaded MNHG1 exhibited higher anticancer drug delivery performance in the terms of cytotoxic effect and in vitro cellular uptake. Thus, the developed MNHG1 can be considered as a promising de novo drug delivery system, in part due to its pH and thermal responsive drug release behavior as well as proper magnetite character toward targeted drug delivery.     

基于非平衡现象的聚乳酸聚氧化乙烯复合材料梯度结构的自组织制备

基于热力学非平衡现象,将聚乳酸(PLA)-聚氧化乙烯(PEO)-CHCl₃溶液置于远离热力学平衡状态的开放系中干燥,自组织构筑了PLA-PEO复合体系内部的梯度相分离结构.通过偏光显微镜(POM)和衰减全反射傅里叶变换红外(ATR-FTIR)光谱对复合材料共混膜试样内部的梯度结构进行了表征.结果表明:在热力学非平衡状态下,复合体系内部形成了梯度结构;随着体系远离平衡状态,PLA富集在能量流出的空气侧,PEO则富集在能量流入的底部,膜的组成在能量流动方向上形成梯度分布,并随体系远离平衡状态呈增大的趋势,而热力学平衡状态是影响梯度结构形成的主要因素.     

Encapsulation and release of rifampicin using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-poly(methacrylic acid) polyelectrolyte capsules

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly(methacrylic acid) multilayer capsules based on hydrogen bonding have been prepared by the layer-by-layer approach and used to encapsulate and release rifampicin, an anti-tuberculosis drug. Removal of silica core using a buffer of ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid at about pH 3 was found to produce better capsules than hydrofluoric acid alone. An eight-layered capsule had a wall thickness of 20 nm. Maximum encapsulation was found to be about 86 μg at 40 °C with 1 ± 0.2 × 10⁶ capsules. Release studies showed a burst kind of release and maximum release was obtained above pH 7 where the capsules disintegrate rapidly thereby releasing the drug in a short period. Interactions studies with Mycobacterium smegmatis showed that the capsules were cytocompatible and the released drug functioned with the same efficacy as the free drug.     

改性聚天冬氨酸/聚(丙烯酸-丙烯酰胺)互穿网络吸水性树脂的制备及表征

以接枝γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷(KH550)的聚琥珀酰亚胺(KPSI)、丙烯酸(AAc)和丙烯酰胺(AM)为原料,过硫酸钾(KPS)为引发剂,N,N’-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(MBA)为交联剂,采用一步法在水体系中合成了改性聚天冬氨酸/聚(丙烯酸-丙烯酰胺)互穿网络吸水性树脂(KPAsp/P(AAc-AM)IPNAP)。探讨了组成对吸液性能的影响,当KPSI和AAc-AM质量比为1∶2,AM和AAc-AM质量比为1∶5时,IPNAP在去离子水和生理盐水中的溶胀倍率分别为713.5 g/g和145.4g/g。研究了吸水性树脂在不同介质中的溶胀行为,结果表明IPNAP对p H、温度、盐都表现出显著的敏感性。对吸水性树脂进行了傅里叶变换红外光谱、扫描电镜和热失重分析表征,表明制得的IPNAP是由KPAsp和P(AAc-AM)相互贯穿而成,第二网络的引入明显改善了树脂的孔道结构,且IPNAP比KPAsp具有更好的热稳定性。     

Layer-by-layer assembly of poly (N-acryloyl-N'-propylpiperazine) and poly (acrylic acid): Effect of pH and temperature

Layer-by-layer assembly technique was applied to fabricate multilayer films of poly(N-acryloyl-N'-propylpiperazine) (PAcrNPP) and poly(acrylic acid). The film buildup was followed by Quartz Crystal Microbalance, and the effect of temperature and pH on the layer-by-layer assembly was investigated. Below the lower critical solution temperature of PAcrNPP, the adsorption amount increased with increase of temperature. As the pH of dipping solutions was systematically varied from 2.0 to 7.5, adsorption amount of polymers initially increased and then decreased. The relationship between adsorption amount and degree of ionization of polymers was discussed. When an eight-bilayer film was alternately exposed to HCl aqueous solution (pH = 3.5) and neutral water (pH = 6.5), the film showed pH-response, which could be the result of polymer rearrangement.