Preparation of nanogels with different gelation speeds as embolization and drug delivery materials and evaluation of their capacity / 中国药学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To design nanogels with different phase transition speeds and screen embolization and drug delivery materials that can be used for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: Random copolymer PNA nanogels and interpenetrating polymer PNA-IPN nanogels, in which the ratio of co-monomers between N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AA) were 3∶1, 2∶1 and 1∶1, respectively, were prepared by emulsion polymerization. The embolization and drug-loaded capacities of nanogels were evaluated by characterization of their particle morphology, temperature sensitivity, solution phase transition behavior and rheological properties. RESULTS: Nanogel particles were relatively uniform spheres. The particle size of PNA was 386-795 nm, and the particle size of PNA-IPN was 367-750 nm. The increase of temperature led to the decrease of particle size, while the increase of the ratio of the co-monomer AA caused the decrease of temperature sensitivity and gel strength of nanogels, and the increase of the phase transition temperature and the gelation speed. Compared with PNA, PNA-IPN-2 had slightly smaller particle size, lower gelation temperature, faster gelation speed and significantly increased gel strength. The PNA-IPN-2 could load doxorubicin by charge action with 10.3% of loading efficiency. CONCLUSION: The 140 mg•mL-1 PNA-IPN-2 solution has suitable gelation temperature, gelation speed and gel strength. The shearthinning nature and drug release feature are very favorable for TACE, so the PNA-IPN-2 solution is promising for the applications in TACE as nanogels embolization and drug delivery materials.