ABSTRACT
Strategies for incorporating water-insoluble photosensitisers (PS) in drug delivery systems have been extensively studied. In this work, we evaluate the formation, characterisation, drug sorption studies, and cytotoxicity of chitosan (CHT)/chondroitin sulphate (CS) polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) coated with polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (AlClPc). The PECs were characterised by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PS-b-PAA NPs on the PEC surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, optical images distinguished the PEC structures containing PS-b-PAA or PS-b-PAA/AlClPc from the unloaded PEC. Kinetic and equilibrium studies investigate the sorption capacity of the PEC/PS-b-PAA toward AlClPc. The encapsulation efficiency reached 95% at 190 µg mL-1 AlClPc after only 15 min. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic fitted well to the experimental data. The PS-b-PAA NPs on the PEC surfaces increase the AlClPc bioavailability and the PEC structure stabilizes the PS-b-PAA/AlClPc nanostructures. The materials were cytocompatible upon healthy VERO (kidney epithelial cells), and cytotoxic against colorectal cancerous cells (HT-29 cells). For the first time, we associate PS-b-PAA/AlClPc with a hydrophilic and cytocompatible polysaccharide matrix. We suggest the use of these materials in strategies to treat cancer by using photodynamic therapy.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Polyelectrolytes/pharmacology , Polysaccharides/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Biocompatible Materials/chemical synthesis , Biocompatible Materials/chemistry , Carbohydrate Conformation , Cell Line , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Humans , Particle Size , Polyelectrolytes/chemical synthesis , Polyelectrolytes/chemistry , Polysaccharides/chemical synthesis , Polysaccharides/chemistryABSTRACT
In the present study, nanofiber meshes (NFs), composed of polycaprolactone and poly[(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] at 80/20 and 50/50 PCL/PDMAEMA blend ratios, were obtained through electrospinning. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) formed in situ were then immobilized on NF surfaces through adsorption processes at different pHs. It was possible to observe that the amount of NF-AgNPs can be tuned by changing the pH of AgNPs immobilization and the PCL/PDMAEMA ratio in the blend. The neat NF and NF-AgNPs were characterized with respect to their morphology and mechanical properties. The effects of AgNPs on the antibacterial activities and cytotoxicity of meshes were also evaluated. The antibacterial performance of such NF was improved by the presence of AgNPs. The NF-AgNPs presented good antibacterial effect against S. aureus and partial toxicity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Also, compared with neat PCL/PDMAEMA the NF-AgNPs presented lower cytotoxicity against VERO cells, showing their potential for applications in tissue engineering for different types of cell growth.
Subject(s)
Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Chlorocebus aethiops , Escherichia coli , Methacrylates , Nanofibers , Nylons , Silver , Staphylococcus aureus , Vero CellsABSTRACT
For the first time, polyelectrolyte complex based on poly[(2-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) was prepared. The properties of novel material and precursors were investigated by WAXS, FTIR, TGA, SEM and DLS analysis. The PDMAEMA/CS PECs presented hydrophilic-hydrophobic transition at pHs 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 whereas the non-complexed PDMAEMA showed such a transition at pH 8.0 and not at pHs 6.0 and 7.0. Studies of CS release from PECs at pHs 6 and 8 confirmed that the samples possess the potential to release the CS in alkaline and not in acidic conditions. Since PECs are thermo-responsive due to the reduction of LCST caused by the increase in pH, the release of CS was dependent on temperature and pH factors. Cytotoxicity assays using healthy VERO cells showed that the complexation between CS and PDMAEMA increased the PECs' biocompatibility related to PDMAEMA. However, the biocompatibility depends on the amount of CS present in the PECs.