Hyaluronic Acid-Poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) Copolymers as Sources of Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels for Therapy.

One-pot free-radical polymerization of N-acryloyl glycinamide in the presence of hyaluronic acid as transfer-termination agent led to new copolymers in high yields without any chemical activation of hyaluronic acid before. All the copolymers formed thermoresponsive hydrogels of the Upper Critical Solution Temperature-type in aqueous media. Gel properties and the temperature of the reversible gel ↔ sol transition depended on feed composition and copolymer concentration. Comparison with mixtures of hyaluronic acid-poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) failed in showing the expected formation of graft copolymers conclusively because poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) homopolymers are also thermoresponsive. Grafting and formation of comb-like copolymers were proved after degradation of inter-graft hyaluronic acid segments by hyaluronidase. Enzymatic degradation yielded poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) with sugar residues end groups as shown by NMR. In agreement with the radical transfer mechanism, the molar mass of these released poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) grafts depended on the feed composition. The higher the proportion of hyaluronic acid in the feed, the lower the molar mass of poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) grafts was. Whether molar mass can be made low enough to allow kidney filtration remains to be proved in vivo. Last but not least, Prednisolone was used as model drug to show the ability of the new enzymatically degradable hydrogels to sustain progressive delivery for rather long periods of time in vitro.

Poly[(N-acryloyl glycinamide)-co-(N-acryloyl l-alaninamide)] and Their Ability to Form Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels for Sustained Drug Delivery.

In the presence of water, poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) homopolymers form highly swollen hydrogels that undergo fast and reversible gel↔sol transitions on heating. According to the literature, the transition temperature depends on concentration and average molecular weight, and in the case of copolymers, composition and hydrophilic/hydrophobic character. In this article, we wish to introduce new copolymers made by free radical polymerization of mixtures of N-acryloyl glycinamide and of its analog optically active N-acryloyl l-alaninamide in various proportions. The N-acryloyl l-alaninamide monomer was selected in attempts to introduce hydrophobicity and chirality in addition to thermo-responsiveness of the Upper Critical Solubilization Temperature-type. The characterization of the resulting copolymers included solubility in solvents, dynamic viscosity in solution, Fourrier Transform Infrared, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Circular Dichroism spectra. Gel→sol transition temperatures were determined in phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4, isotonic to 320 mOsm/dm³). The release characteristics of hydrophilic Methylene Blue and hydrophobic Risperidone entrapped in poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) and in two copolymers containing 50 and 75% of alanine-based units, respectively, were compared. It was found that increasing the content in N-acryloyl-alaninamide-based units increased the gel→sol transition temperature, decreased the gel consistency, and increased the release rate of Risperidone, but not that of Methylene Blue, with respect to homo poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide). The increase observed in the case of Risperidone appeared to be related to the hydrophobicity generated by alanine residues.

A method to slow down the ionization-dependent release of risperidone loaded in a thermoresponsive poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) hydrogel.

Poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) polymers are soluble in hot aqueous media that gel rapidly on cooling. This gelatin-like behavior was previously compared with drug delivery requirements. Slow releases were demonstrated in vitro using different model molecules and macromolecules and in vivo using methylene blue. Risperidone is a weak basic drug sparingly soluble in water frequently used to treat patients suffering of schizophrenia. A standard risperidone-poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) hydrogel formulation was selected from which the drug was allowed to release comparatively in buffered and non-buffered isotonic media at 37 °C under pseudo sink conditions. Linear release was observed in pH = 7.4 phosphate buffer whereas in buffer-free 0.15 M NaCl, the release was initially faster than in the buffer but became rapidly slower as the pH increased from 6.8 to 8.2. These features were related to the ionization-dependent solubility of risperidone. In order to minimize the ionization and thus the solubility of the drug inside the hydrogel despite outside buffering at 7.4, Mg(OH2), a sparingly soluble mineral base, was added to the standard formulation. This addition resulted in a c.a. threefold increase of the zero-order release duration. The method should be applicable to other sparingly soluble weakly basic drugs.

New synthesis method of HA/P(D,L)LA composites: study of fibronectin adsorption and their effects in osteoblastic behavior for bone tissue engineering.

A novel synthetic method to synthesize hydroxyapatite/poly (D,L) lactic acid biocomposite is presented in this study by mixing only the precursors hydroxyapatite and (D,L) LA monomer without adding neither solvent nor catalyst. Three compositions were successfully synthesized with the weight ratios of 1/1, 1/3, and 3/5 (hydroxyapatite/(D,L) lactic acid), and the grafting efficiency of poly (D,L) lactic acid on hydroxyapatite surface reaches up to 84 %. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the hydroxyapatite particles were successfully incorporated into the poly (D,L) lactic acid polymer and X ray diffraction analysis showed that hydroxyapatite preserved its crystallinity after poly (D,L) lactic acid grafting. Differential scanning calorimetry shows that Tg of hydroxyapatite/poly (D,L) lactic acid composite is less than Tg of pure poly (D,L) lactic acid, which facilitates the shaping of the composite obtained. The addition of poly (D,L) lactic acid improves the adsorption properties of hydroxyapatite for fibronectin extracellular matrix protein. Furthermore, the presence of poly (D,L) lactic acid on hydroxyapatite surface coated with fibronectin enhanced pre-osteoblast STRO-1 adhesion and cell spreading. These results show the promising potential of hydroxyapatite/poly (D,L) lactic acid composite as a bone substitute material for orthopedic applications and bone tissue engineering.

Versatile UCST-based thermoresponsive hydrogels for loco-regional sustained drug delivery.

Poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) is a neutral polymer that can form gel-sol thermoresponsive systems with upper critical solution temperature in aqueous media. The temperature of the reversible gel-sol transition depends on the molar mass and the concentration of macromolecules. These parameters were combined to adjust the transition temperature slightly above body temperature for the sake of respecting living tissues during the sol form injection using a classical syringe. On contact with local tissues, the injected sol turned rapidly to a gel. The simplicity of the process makes it exploitable to administrate and deliver neutral or ionic drug and especially those that are soluble in aqueous media. The versatility was exemplified from formulations with cobalt acetate, small polymers (MW~2000g/mol), tartrazine and methylene blue dyes and albumin. The model compounds were allowed to diffuse in an isotonic pH=7.4 buffered medium at 37°C. All the release profiles were typical of diffusion control with 100% release within 2 to 3weeks and no obvious burst. The in vitro release of methylene blue from a gel formulation was checked prior to injection in the peritoneal cavity of mice where the release of the dye was monitored visually through tissue and organ colorations. A comparable polymer-free dye solution was used as control. Coloration appeared rapidly in tissues and organs and it was still detectable 52h post injection of the gel whereas it was no longer present at 24h in control mice.

Intraperitoneal administration of novel doxorubicin loaded polymeric delivery systems against peritoneal carcinomatosis: experimental study in a murine model of ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal spread is an adverse outcome in ovarian cancer. Despite clinical efficiency, intraperitoneal (i.p.) chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery is associated with high systemic and local toxicity. Two polymer-drug delivery systems (P-HYD1-DOX and P-HYD2-DOX) were developed for i.p. administration by conjugating doxorubicin (DOX) to a poly(l-Lysine citramide) polymer carrier with a hydrazone-based degradable spacer. The aim of this study was to assess the antitumoral efficacy of these two conjugates in a xenograft model of human ovarian carcinomatosis. METHODS: Peritoneal carcinomatosis was generated in athymic mice by i.p. injection of SKOV3-Luc cells. Free DOX, P-HYD1-DOX and P-HYD2-DOX solutions were administered i.p. at the same dose of 10 mg/kg (DOX eq.). For each treatment, tumor load and therapeutic efficacy were compared to untreated mice and assessed by bioluminescence imaging and survival rates. Toxicity profiles in each group and biodistribution of P-HYD2-DOX after i.p. administration were also determined. RESULTS: P-HYD-1-DOX and P-HYD-2-DOX demonstrated significant antitumoral efficacy against peritoneal carcinomatosis. Compared to untreated group, P-HYD1-DOX improved median survival times from 58 to 105 days. For P-HYD2-DOX, median survival was not reached after a follow-up of 120 days. Bioluminescence showed high efficacy of P-HYD-2-DOX compared to free DOX but the difference was not significant. Biodistribution study confirmed that free and active DOX were successively released from P-HYD2-DOX in vivo. P-HYD-DOX conjugates were well tolerated by mice after i.p. injection. CONCLUSION: P-HYD-DOX conjugates demonstrated significant activity against peritoneal carcinomatosis in a xenograft model of ovarian carcinomatosis and their ability to release active DOX in i.p. deposits and tumor. These features are of clinical interest for i.p. administration in the treatment of ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis after cytoreductive surgery.

Degradability of poly(L-lysine) and poly(DL-aminoserinate) complexed with a polyanion under conditions modelling physico-chemical characteristics of body fluids.

Poly(L-lysine), (PLL), and poly(DL-amino serinate), (PSA), are respectively enzymatically and hydrolytically degradable polycations. This work was aimed at investigating their degradability when they are complexed with polyanions, namely poly(acrylic acid) and poly(L-lysine citramide), taken as simple models of DNA in polyplexes. Comparison was made with degradation characteristics of the same polycations in solution in the absence of polyanion on the basis of size exclusion chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis. Complexed PLL remained enzymatically degradable by trypsin, an endopeptidase, but was no longer degradable by aminopeptidase, an exopeptidase. Trypsin yielded a mixture of trilysin and tetralysin. Complexed PSA remained hydrolytically degradable in aqueous media. The hydrolysis of PSA led to DL-serine. However, traces of anionic species were also detected that were identified as residues of constituting repeating units issued from the N-benzyloxycarbonyl polyaminoserinate precursor (PSAZ).

Peptide-poly(L-lysine citramide) conjugates and their in vitro anti-HIV behavior.

Poly(L-lysine citramide) is a degradable bioresorbable polyanion whose polyamide chains are composed of citric acid and L-lysine building blocks. Its chemical and physicochemical properties were extensively investigated in the past for its interest as polymeric drug carrier. In this work, 4(S)-amino-3-(S)-hydroxy-5-phenylpentanoyl-isoleucyl-phenylalanine methyl ester, a pseudopeptide active against the HIV protease in vitro, was linked to poly(L-lysine citramide) in attempts to promote solubility and cell penetration. Conjugates were characterized by FTIR, NMR, SEC, DLS, amino-acid analyses, and toxicity in mice. They degraded slowly at pH 7.4 and more rapidly at pH 4.5, two pH values selected to mimic extra-cellular fluids and intralysosome medium, respectively. According to capillary zone electrophoresis, degradation did not release the peptide. The phenylalanyl-isoleucyl-phenylalanine methyl ester peptide, inactive against the protease in vitro, was used as negative control. The anti-HIV activities of the carrier, of the conjugates and of model molecules, including a fluorescence-labeled pseudopeptide conjugate, were evaluated comparatively in vitro using two cell lines, namely, CEM-SS and MT-4 cells, infected with HIV-1 LAI and IIIB isolates, respectively. Unexpectedly, all the conjugates showed in vitro antiviral activity independent of peptide release and of inhibition of the HIV protease. According to FACS analysis, the antiviral activity was related to the presence of peptide moieties along the polymer chains and depended on the order by which cells, viruses, and conjugates were presented to each other. Although it was not possible to determine whether the antiviral activity resulted from interactions between conjugates and cells or conjugates and virus or both, the conjugates appeared able to inhibit the binding of the virus to cells in vitro when introduced before cell infection. None of the conjugates exhibited acute toxicity in mice.

New amphiphilic lactic acid oligomer-hyaluronan conjugates: synthesis and physicochemical characterization.

The "grafting onto" strategy was used to conjugate DL-lactic acid oligomers (OLA) to hyaluronan (HA) for the sake of developing novel degradable HA-based self-assembling polymeric systems. Grafting was achieved by reacting COCl-terminated OLA with cetyltrimethylammonium hyaluronate (CTA-HA) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The resulting CTA-HAOLA conjugates were purified and turned to sodium form (Na-HAOLA) by dissolution in a phosphate buffer-DMSO mixture and successive dialyses against DMSO, ethanol, and water. In contrast, when the same protocol was applied to CTA-HAOLA, phase separation with gel formation was observed. The solution phase was composed of Na-HAOLA whereas the gel phase was made of mixed CTA-Na-HAOLA salt with ca. 25% of the carboxyl groups neutralized by CTA. Gelation was assigned to intramolecular hydrophobic associations between OLA and cetyl alkyl chains that complemented electrostatic interactions between CTA and HA COO- groups synergistically. Therefore, the corresponding stabilized CTA ions required more drastic conditions to be released. Under the selected dialysis conditions, the CTA-Na-HAOLA gels formed tiny tubes. Na-HAOLA and CTA-Na-HAOLA were characterized by FTIR, one-dimensional 1H and two-dimensional 1H NMR. The extent of grafting was ca. 5% per disaccharidic repeating unit, regardless of the molecular weight, as determined by NMR and capillary zone electrophoresis. Amphiphilic Na-HAOLA molecules were aggregated and formed spherical species in water according to size exclusion chromatography combined with multiangle laser light scattering detection. The critical aggregation concentration ranged between 0.2 and 0.35% (w/v), depending of the molecular weight of the parent hyaluronan.

Biodistribution of doxorubicin-alkylated poly(L-lysine citramide imide) conjugates in an experimental model of peritoneal carcinomatosis after intraperitoneal administration.

Peritoneal spread is a common manifestation in ovarian and gastrointestinal cancer. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery is associated with high systemic or local toxicity. A macromolecular drug delivery system was evaluated with the aim of improving the therapeutic index of i.p. chemotherapy. Peritoneal carcinomatosis was generated in BDIX rats (n=55) by i.p. injection of 2 million DHDK12 cells. Fourteen days later, doxorubicin (DOX) and two DOX-alkylated poly(L-lysine citramide imide) conjugates bearing 9.5% and 20.5% (w/w) chemically bound drug, respectively, were given i.p. to rats at a single 2 mg DOX/kg dose. Free and polymer-bound DOX were assessed in plasma, peritoneal fluid, abdominal tissues and heart, 15 min, 2, 6, 24, 48 and 168 h after injection. According to pharmacokinetic profiles, the peritoneal fluid areas under the concentration versus time curves (AUCs) were 2 and 2.6 times greater for the conjugates (P-DOX20 and P-DOX10, respectively) than for the free drug, respectively. Conjugates crossed the peritoneal barrier slower than the free drug. For the tumor, AUCs were, respectively, 3 and 7 times higher for the conjugates than for free DOX. The elimination half-lives of the conjugates were higher than that calculated for the free drug. Only very small concentrations were detected in peripheral organs and in the heart. In contrast, significant retention and accumulation of the conjugates were found in abdominal organs, particularly in the tumor. There was no sign of macroscopic chemical peritonitis after injection of the polymer-DOX conjugates. In conclusion, the conjugates have higher elimination half-lives than free DOX and were preferentially retained in abdominal organs and in the peritoneal carcinomatosis. This feature is of clinical interest to target tumor deposits.

Polyelectrolyte complex formation and stability when mixing polyanions and polycations in salted media: a model study related to the case of body fluids.

Controlled drug delivery and gene transfection involve contact of artificial polyelectrolytic systems that can interact dramatically with biopolymers and cells when they are introduced in blood. Given the complexity of body aqueous media in terms of physical chemistry, a model approach was selected in attempt to understand the behavior of artificial polyelectrolytes introduced in body fluids. Selection in terms of molecular weight was highlighted in a previous paper. In the present study the formation and the stability of fractions obtained when a polycation is added to a polyanion according to a titrating process mimicking injection into blood was considered for different polycation/polyanion couples. Poly(amino serinate) and poly(L-lysine) were used as polybases, and poly(acrylic acid), poly(L-lysine citramide) and poly(L-lysine citramide imide) as polyacids. Four fractions corresponding to different positive/negative charge ratios were formed for each couple. At low polyion concentration (13 mg/L) and given salt concentration, the stability of the complex fractions depended on molecular weight and charge density of the polyions. The NaCl concentration required to destabilize the different interpolyelectrolyte complexes was found to decrease from the first fraction to the fourth one. Upon decreasing the salt concentration, macroscopic flocculation occurred in the case of PLL/PAA complex fractions only. For the other couples, dynamic light scattering showed that several hundreds nanometer sized particles were formed that were stable in a broad range of NaCl concentration, including the physiological 0.15 ionic strength. At higher polyion concentrations, stable solid precipitate was formed regardless of the system. The absence of flocculation in the case of highly diluted poly(L-lysine citramide) and poly(L-lysine citramide imide) polyanions in salted media is assigned to the presence of non-ionic hydroxyl and amide polar groups along the complexed chains. Data show that introducing non-ionic functions along the polyelectrolyte chains is a good means to keep interpolyelectrolyte complexes dispersed in salted media, a conclusion of interest in the field of condensation of genes by polycations.

Norfloxacin-poly(L-lysine citramide imide) conjugates and structure-dependence of the drug release.

Norfloxacin (Nflx), an antibiotic which is active against some intracellular bacteria, was coupled to a polymeric carrier, namely poly(L-lysine citramide) via a lysine or an ethylcarbamate spacer to obtain a macromolecular prodrug. The carrier, which derived from the two metabolites citric acid and L-lysine, is known to be biocompatible and slowly degradable under slight acidic conditions. Conjugates were characterised by UV, 1H and 13C NMR and SEC. The presence of Norfloxacin and the lysine type spacer caused chain aggregation, due to a probable physical cure. The release of Norfloxacin from these prodrugs and from a prodrug where Norfloxacin is bound to the carrier backbone without spacer arm was investigated comparatively in vitro. Conjugation via a carbamate-type linkage appeared as a method to achieve the release of Norfloxacin from a PLCA-type conjugate at neutral.

A physico-chemical approach of polyanion-polycation interactions aimed at better understanding the in vivo behaviour of polyelectrolyte-based drug delivery and gene transfection.

Polyanions and polycations are known to interact electrostatically and form soluble or insoluble polyelectrolyte complexes. Body fluids, blood and cells are composed of many polyelectrolytic systems such as proteins, glycoproteins, poly(glycosamino glycane)s, polynucleotides, etc. under physiological conditions. Nowadays synthetic polyelectrolytes are proposed as carriers of bioactive compounds, such as drugs and genes, and are thus to be injected into body fluids. For the sake of better understanding the complex behaviour of such artificial polyelectrolytic systems in the pool of natural polyelectrolytes forming living systems, interactions of bi- and multi-components mixtures of synthetic polyanions with the same synthetic polycation, namely poly[(dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate], HCl, were investigated under the conditions imposed by physiological media, namely pH = 7.4, ionic strength mu = 0.15 and T = 37 degrees C. The selected artificial polyanions were the sodium salts of poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(L-lysine citramide) and poly(styrene sulfonic acid) which have different acid strength, charge density and ionogenic group. The influence of ionic strength and pH on complex formation and stability was investigated by turbidimetry at lambda = 520 nm. Phase separation occurred regardless of ionic strength in the case of sodium polystyrene sulfonate. For the other polyanions, redissolution was observed at critical NaCl concentrations much higher than the physiological ionic strength. In the case of mixtures of two or three polyanions with the polycation, the complex formation appeared polyanion-selective at physiological ionic strength. Data are discussed with regard to phenomena that can occur in vivo.