聚乳酸及其共聚物载药微球的研究进展

聚乳酸及其共聚物由于其无毒、生物相容性好和可降解性而在医药领域有广泛的应用.本文对聚乳酸及其共聚物在药物控释及靶向方面的研究进行综述和展望.     

赖氨酸在甘草次酸弹性囊泡形成过程中的作用机制

制备和评价含赖氨酸的甘草次酸弹性囊泡, 并考察赖氨酸在囊泡形成过程中的作用机制. 在水合介质中加入赖氨酸, 利用薄膜-高压均质法制备甘草次酸弹性囊泡. 并合成了甘草次酸赖氨酸盐及其弹性囊泡作为对比制剂. 通过对粒径、zeta电位、包封率、相转变温度、变形性和体外经皮渗透性的测试, 考察赖氨酸在甘草次酸弹性囊泡中的存在形式及作用. 结果显示加入赖氨酸后, 甘草次酸弹性囊泡的粒径略有降低, 膜相转变温度降低, 包封率和囊泡变形性显著提高, 载药量提高近30倍(1.5 mg·mL-1), 并显著高于其赖氨酸盐所形成囊泡的载药量和弹性. 此外, 赖氨酸的加入使弹性囊泡的变形能力增加, 8 h累积透过量和皮肤驻留量分别提高4.3倍和9.2倍. 表明赖氨酸与甘草次酸形成离子缔合物, 促进甘草次酸参与膜的形成, 使膜的流动性增加, 赖氨酸与弹性囊泡对提高囊泡载药量起协同作用.     

Functional and unmodified MWNTs for delivery of the water-insoluble drug Carvedilol - A drug-loading mechanism

The purpose of this study was to develop carboxyl multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and unmodified MWNTs loaded with a poorly water-soluble drug, intended to improve the drug loading capacity, dissolubility and study the drug-loading mechanism. MWNTs were modified with a carboxyl group through the acid treatment. MWNTs as well as the resulting functionalized MWNTs were investigated as scaffold for loading the model drug, Carvedilol (CAR), using three different methods (the fusion method, the incipient wetness impregnation method, and the solvent method). The effects of different pore size, specific surface area and physical state were systematically studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The functional MWNTs allowed a higher drug loading than the unmodified preparations. The methods used to load the drug had a marked effect on the drug-loading, dissolution, and physical state of the drug as well as its distribution. In addition, the solubility of the drug was increased when carried by both MWNTs and functional MWNTs, and this might help to improve the bioavailability.     

Characterization of ultrasound-mediated destruction of drug-loaded microbubbles using an improved in vitro model

Introduction

Ultrasound mediated destruction of microbubbles (MBs) has become a promising tool for site specific drug and gene delivery. One of the most important properties of drug-loaded MBs is their destructibility by ultrasound. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a new in vitro model that allows evaluation of the kinetics of ultrasound-mediated MB destruction at near physiological conditions.In this work, a newly developed drug-loaded MB formulation was compared with unloaded MBs in order to assess the influence of drug-loading on their acoustic destructibility. Furthermore, drug-loaded MBs were compared to acoustically active lipospheres (AALs), comprising an additional layer of triacetin, as well as to a marketed MB contrast agent (SonoVue^®, Bracco Diagnostics, USA), used as standard.

Methods

MBs with phospholipid monolayer shells were produced by mechanical agitation of liposomal dispersions and octafluoropropane gas. AALs were accordingly produced by agitation of phospholipid-stabilized aqueous triacetin microemulsions with gas.The in vitro experimental setup for acoustic destructibility testing comprised a membrane cell, pressurized and brought to 37 °C in order to imitate human blood pressure and body temperature. The optimized egg-like cell shape provided optimal flow conditions and a minimized dead volume.Ultrasound with frequencies of 1 and 3 MHz and intensities, varying from 1 to 4 W/cm², was applied through a silicone membrane window to the cell. MB size distribution and concentration were measured by light blockage in equal time intervals during the sonication.

Results

The optimized in vitro setup demonstrated differences in the ultrasound destructibility of the MB formulations used. The fastest decay upon ultrasound exposure was found for SonoVue^®. Unloaded and drug-loaded MBs appeared to be comparably destructible to SonoVue^®. AALs were about 4.5-fold more stable than SonoVue^®. MB destructibility was also found to depend on particle diameter, corresponding to theoretical models described in the literature.

Conclusion

The optimized in vitro setup has rendered a fast and reliable laboratory tool for characterization of MB formulations.