Original Article: Drug Delivery
pH-controlled drug loading and release from biodegradable microcapsules

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2008.06.004Get rights and content

Abstract

Microcapsules made of biopolymers are of both scientific and technological interest and have many potential applications in medicine, including their use as controlled drug delivery devices. The present study makes use of the electrostatic interaction between polycations and polyanions to form a multilayered microcapsule shell and also to control the loading and release of charged drug molecules inside the microcapsule. Micron-sized calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles were synthesized and integrated with chondroitin sulfate (CS) through a reaction between sodium carbonate and calcium nitrate tetrahydrate solutions suspended with CS macromolecules. Oppositely charged biopolymers were alternately deposited onto the synthesized particles using electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly, and glutaraldehyde was introduced to cross-link the multilayered shell structure. Microcapsules integrated with CS inside the multilayered shells were obtained after decomposition of the CaCO3 templates. The integration of a matrix (i.e., CS) permitted the subsequent selective control of drug loading and release. The CS-integrated microcapsules were loaded with a model drug, bovine serum albumin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA), and it was shown that pH was an effective means of controlling the loading and release of FITC-BSA. Such CS-integrated microcapsules may be used for controlled localized drug delivery as biodegradable devices, which have advantages in reducing systemic side effects and increasing drug efficacy.

Section snippets

Materials

Poly-l-lysine hydrobromide (PLL, MW 150–300 kDa), chondroitin sulfate sodium salt (CS), glycine, sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (Ca(NO3)2), FITC-BSA, and GA were purchased from Sigma (St. Louis, Missouri). EDTA was obtained from Fisher (Fair Lawn, New Jersey), and quartz slides were purchased from Electron Microscopy Sciences (Hatfield, Pennsylvania). A 0.05 M glycine solution of pH 5.5 was prepared and used throughout this study. PLL (1 mg/mL) and CS (1 mg/mL)

Results

In this study, CaCO3 microparticles integrated with CS were prepared, and LBL was applied to form multilayered shells on the particles. After dissociation of the CaCO3 particles, polyelectrolyte microcapsules were obtained, and the integration of CS inside the capsules was intended to alter the physical properties of the capsule interior, which would allow control of subsequent drug loading and release via pH. A model drug, FITC-BSA, was loaded and its release investigated. pH was explored as a

Discussion

Development of biodegradable drug delivery systems with controllable loading and release capabilities is of importance. Despite the progress made in the last couple of years in preparation of polyelectrolyte microcapsules, the control of drug loading and release from polyelectrolyte microcapsules is still a challenging task for researchers in biotechnology and medicine. The present study reports a new strategy to load charged drug molecules in polyelectrolyte microcapsules for triggered or

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the use of the confocal laser scanning microscope at the Microscopic Imaging Facilities at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. The authors also thank Suzanne Smith for proofreading.

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    Financial support from National Aeronautics and Space Administration West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, West Virginia University (WVU) Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and WVU Senate Grant are acknowledged. No commercial associations, current and within the past 5 years, that might pose a potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest, were reported by the authors of this article.

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