Developmental toxicity assessment of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) oligomers in CD-1 mice.

BACKGROUND: Although polymers and hydrogels are used successfully in biomedical applications, including implants and drug delivery devices, smaller molecular weight oligomers, such as those investigated here, have not been extensively studied in vivo. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide), or P(NIPAAm-co-AAm), has a unique thermoresponsive behavior and is under investigation as a novel drug delivery system for metastatic cancer treatment. To date, no studies have been published regarding the safety of P(NIPAAm-co-AAm) to the conceptus. METHODS: From gestation days (GD) 6-16, pregnant CD-1 mice were dosed via i.p. injection with aqueous solutions containing 500, 750, or 1,000 mg/kg/d P(NIPAAm-co-AAm). Dams were sacrificed on GD 17 and their litters were examined for abnormalities. RESULTS: P(NIPAAm-co-AAm) caused no statistically significant difference in maternal weight gain or percent resorbed or dead fetuses compared to control values, but fetal weight was significantly decreased in the two highest dosage groups. CONCLUSIONS: At the highest dosages employed, maternal exposure to P(NIPAAm-co-AAm) was associated with decreased fetal weight. However, as the estimated human exposure levels for persons using this system would be some 1,500-fold lower than the lowest dosage administered in this study, the authors feel that this oligomer was not shown to pose a biologically significant risk at relevant human dosages.

Synthesis and characterization of grafted thermosensitive hydrogels for heating activated controlled release.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAAm, hydrogels are negatively thermosensitive which means that they have an expanded hydrogel structure at low temperatures and a shrunken structure at high temperatures. Based on this negative thermosensitivity of PNIPAAm, a drug delivery system with PNIPAAm oligomers grafted onto poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) PHEMA, a thermally nonresponsive polymer was designed. Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-g-N-isopropylacrylamide), P(HEMA-g-NIPAAm) hydrogels were synthesized to control the release of an imbedded drug. This new grafted system exhibited high diffusivity at temperatures greater than the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAAm oligomers. Utilizing PNIPAAm's LCST of approximately 34 degrees C, the release rate was controlled by the temperature of the release medium. The LCST of PNIPAAm was tuned by making copolymers with hydrophobic butyl methacrylate (BMA). Theophylline and inulin release profiles were studied using PHEMA, PNIPAAm and P(HEMA-g-NIPAAm) at three temperatures with drug diffusion coefficients determined as a function of temperature and drug type. The molecular weights between crosslinks and mesh sizes of PHEMA hydrogels were calculated using Flory-Rehner and rubber-elasticity theories.