Emulsifying properties of biodegradable polylactide-grafted dextran copolymers.

Amphiphilic glycopolymers, polylactide-grafted dextran copolymers (Dex-g-PLA), were synthesized with a well-controlled architecture obtained through a three-step procedure: partial silylation of the dextran hydroxyl groups, ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide initiated from remaining hydroxyl groups, silylether deprotection under very mild conditions. Depending on their proportion in polylactide (PLA), these copolymers exhibited solubility either in water or in organic solvents. The emulsifying properties of these glycopolymers were studied: depending on their PLA-to-dextran ratio, they were able to stabilize either direct or inverse emulsions. Droplet size was related to the amount of amphiphilic copolymer in the continuous phase. The aging mechanism of both direct and inverse emulsions was shown to be Ostwald ripening in the first weeks following preparation. Finally inverse miniemulsion copolymerization of acrylamide and N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide was performed in the presence of an amphiphilic Dex-g-PLA stabilizer. Polyacrylamide hydrogel nanoparticles were prepared in that way.

Nanoparticles of hydrophobically modified dextrans as potential drug carrier systems.

Nanoparticles combining a hydrophobically modified dextran core and a polysaccharide surface coverage were elaborated. Their suitability for applications like drug delivery was evaluated. The selected polysaccharide, dextran, was chemically modified by the covalent attachment of hydrocarbon groups (aliphatic or aromatic) via the formation of ether links. According to the extent of modification, either water-soluble or water-insoluble dextran derivatives were obtained. The latter exhibited solubility in organic solvents like tetrahydrofuran or dichloromethane saturated with water. Water-soluble dextran derivatives were used as polymeric surfactants for the control of nanoparticles surface characteristics. Nanoparticles were prepared either by o/w emulsion or solvent-diffusion methods. The size and surface properties of dextran nanoparticles were correlated to processing conditions. The stability of colloidal suspensions was examined as a function of ionic strength and related to the particle surface characteristics. The redispersability of freeze-dried suspensions without the addition of cryoprotectant was demonstrated. Finally, the degradability of modified dextrans was compared to that of starting dextran, after enzymatic hydrolysis in the presence of dextranase.

Acylation of human hemoglobin with polyoxyethylene derivatives.

Monomethoxypolyoxyethylene (Mw = 5000) was covalently linked to human hemoglobin via an amide bond formed between amino groups of the protein and a carboxylic group introduced onto the polymer. The conjugates thus obtained have a molecular size corresponding to that of a globular protein with a molecular weight of about 190 000. Their oxygen-binding properties depend upon the initial conformation of the hemoglobin and reaction pH: hemoglobin modified in the deoxy state exhibited a lower oxygen affinity than that modified in the oxy state, and the lower the reaction pH, the lower the oxygen affinity of polymer-linked hemoglobin. However, the affinity of modified hemoglobin is always higher than that of native hemoglobin. On the other hand, when deoxyHb was complexed with organic phosphates during the condensation reaction, the resulting conjugates exhibited oxygen-binding characteristics quite similar to those of native hemoglobin, i.e., the same oxygen affinity, modified cooperativity and the same alkaline Bohr effect. Finally, in order to decrease the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin conjugates, the polymer was coupled to deoxy hemoglobin previously covalently modified with pyridoxal phosphate. The oxygen affinity of such conjugates was in fact as low as that of the initial pyridoxylated hemoglobin.

Modification of human hemoglobin by covalent association with soluble dextran.

Stroma-free Hb solutions present some drawbacks when used as erythrocyte substitutes, mainly because the protein has a short in vivo half-life, due to its small hydrodynamic volume. Covalent coupling of oxyHb with dialdehyde-dextran (Mw congruent to 40 000; Mn congruent to 25 000) leads to adducts whose properties depend upon the pH of the condensations. At pH less than 9.6, many labile imine linkages are formed and the conjugates have a high molecular weight at the end of the reaction. In contrast, the final products obtained as pH increases from 9.6 to 10 contain a low-molecular-weight adduct in an increasing ratio; in this case the bond between dextran and Hb is stable and this stability is assumed to result from the rearrangement of a specific imine linkage formed at an NH2 site of Hb, into a ketoamine group (Amadori rearrangement). Dextran-Hb conjugates have oxygen-binding properties characterized by increased oxygen affinity, and decreased subunit cooperativity and alkaline Bohr effect, relative to unconjugated Hb. These differences become less as the time of condensation reaction decreases and seem to be due to modification of amine groups involved in the salt bridges that stabilize the deoxy form of the protein. Taking into account their oxygen-binding characteristics, the low-molecular-weight conjugates can be regarded as potential erythrocyte substitutes.

Covalent fixation of hemoglobin to dextran phosphates decreases its oxygen affinity.

The interactions between various dextran phosphates and Hb (hemoglobin) were studied by measuring the oxygen-binding parameters of the mixtures. The effector properties of polymers were found to depend on the concentration of monoalkylmonophosphate groups on the polymers and also on their molecular weights. The covalent fixation of dextran phosphates bearing aldehydic groups to oxyHb and deoxyHb was carried out. The oxygen-binding properties of the conjugates thus obtained depended upon the initial form of the protein. Thus, only the conjugates synthesized from deoxyHb exhibited a low oxygen affinity, which means that, in this case, the linkages between the dextran phosphate and the protein allow a permanent interaction of the phosphate groups with amines of the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate binding site. The Hill coefficient values of these conjugates were smaller than that of free Hb, corresponding to a loss of the cooperativity of the protein upon fixation of polymers. However, as these new conjugates are capable of unloading more O2 than blood when subjected to oxygen pressures corresponding to physiological conditions, they can be regarded as potential erythrocyte substitutes.

Interaction of a macromolecular polyanion, dextran sulfate, with human hemoglobin.

Interactions of dextran sulfate with amino groups of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin were followed by both potentiometric measurements between pH 6 and 7.3 and oxygen-binding studies. The uptake of protons observed upon addition of dextran sulfate to hemoglobin shows that the interaction with the deoxy form is strong and that the main site is probably located in the phosphate-binding beta-cavity, whereas the interaction with the oxy form is more diffuse, probably with a great number of relatively weak binding sites. The influence of dextran sulfate on the oxygen dissociation curve of hemoglobin confirms these findings, as the effect of the polymer is to lower hemoglobin affinity for oxygen to a great extent, which proves that it stabilizes the deoxy form more strongly than the oxy one.

Synthetic carriers of oxygen.

During the last decade, construction of artificial carriers of oxygen for transfusion purposes has evolved in three main directions, which can be reviewed as follows. The first approach consists of modifying hemoglobin (Hb), the natural oxygen carrier, in order to lower its oxygen affinity and increase its intravascular persistence. To achieve this aim, two basic procedures have been used: molecular and environmental modification. In the first case, Hb is modified with chemical reagents; the second requires encapsulation of Hb to obtain artificial erythrocytes. The second approach is based on the use of synthetic oxygen-carrying chelates that mimic the oxygenation function of Hb. The main products in this class are metalloporphyrins, whose chemical environment is designed to render them efficient as reversible carriers of oxygen in vivo. Finally, the third approach deals with the perfluorochemicals used in emulsified form. Perfluorochemical liquids are excellent gas solvents, but some problems remain unsolved with regard to their development as oxygen carriers in vivo: low O2 dissolving capacity, toxicity, and excretion.

Involvement of neutrophilic granulocytes in the uptake of biodegradable non-stealth and stealth nanoparticles in guinea pig.

The in vivo behavior of monomethoxypoly(ethylene oxide)-poly(lactic acid) (MPEO20-PLA45/PLA (75/25)) nanoparticles in comparison with PLA ones was studied in guinea pig. Indeed, the aim of this study was to bring to the fore the in vivo stealth character of these copolymer nanoparticles and to identify the phagocytic circulating cells involved in their uptake. After the intravascular administration of fluorescent nanoparticles (rubrene), their phagocytosis by granulocytes and monocytes was assayed by flow cytometry. At the same time, the evolution of the number of these phagocytic cells was realized in order to identify their function in the nanoparticle uptake. Finally, a histological study of the spleen (30 h after the nanoparticle administration) was investigated to highlight the splenic trapping of these stealth nanoparticles. This study has shown that the phagocytic circulating cells involved in the nanoparticle uptake were mainly neutrophilic granulocytes and some of them were found in the spleen.

Lidocaine loaded biodegradable nanospheres. II. Modelling of drug release.

The mechanism of the release of encapsulated lidocaine from spherical nanoparticles based on poly(D,L-lactic acid) polymer carrier (PLA) was studied through mathematical modelling. The drug was incorporated in the PLA matrix with particle sizes from approximately 250 to 820 nm and corresponding loadings varying from about 7 to 32% (w/w). The rate of release correlated with the particle drug loading and was fastest at small particles with a low drug content. It was about four times slower at large particles with a high loading when the process of release took up to 100 h. Two simple models, diffusion and dissolution, were applied for the description of the experimental data of lidocaine release and for the identification of the release mechanisms for the nanoparticles of different drug loading. The modelling results showed that in the case of high drug loadings (about 30% w/w), where the whole drug or a large part of it was in the crystallised form, the crystal dissolution could be the step determining the release rate. On the other hand, the drug release was diffusion-controlled at low loadings (less than 10% w/w) where the solid drug was randomly dispersed in the matrix. The estimated values of the diffusion coefficient of lidocaine in these particles were in the range of 5-7x10(-20) m(2)/s. A significant influence of both crystal dissolution and drug diffusion on the overall rate of release was assumed at PLA nanoparticles with medium lidocaine loadings.

Preparation and characterization of protein C-loaded PLA nanoparticles.

This paper deals with the preparation and the characterization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles containing protein C, a plasma inhibitor. Nanoparticles were prepared by the double emulsion method (w/o/w), using methylene chloride as an organic solvent and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or human serum albumin (HSA) as a surfactant. The influence of experimental constraints such as sonication and organic solvent on protein C activity was evaluated. It appears that a short time of sonication as well as the addition of acetone to methylene chloride (1/1) limited the lost of protein C activity. The study of protein C adsorption on blank PLA nanoparticles gave evidence to hydrophobic interactions between these two entities. The increase in PLA molecular weight on the characteristics of the protein C-loaded nanoparticles led to both a slightly decreased particle size and a lower polydispersity index, whereas the entrapment efficiency of protein C was not affected. The use of HSA as a surfactant allowed the increase in the entrapment efficiency of protein C but prevented its release. Finally, the evaluation of the activity of released protein C clearly illustrates that it was disturbed during the nanoparticle preparation. Thus, the obtained results emphasize the potential of protein C-loaded biodegradable nanoparticles for protein progressive delivery in plasma.

Lidocaine-loaded biodegradable nanospheres. I. Optimization Of the drug incorporation into the polymer matrix.

Spherical nanoparticulate drug carriers made of poly(d,l-lactic acid) with controlled size were designed. A local anesthetic, lidocaine, a small hydrophobic molecule, was incorporated in the core with loadings varying from about 7 to 32% (w/w) and increasing with the particle size. Particles with sizes from about 250 to 820 nm and low polydispersity were prepared with good reproducibility; the polymer concentration (at constant surfactant concentration) governed the particle size. The large particles with a high loading ( approximately 30%) showed under in vitro conditions a slow release over 24-30 h, the medium sized carriers (loading of approximately 13%) released the drug over about 15 h, whereas the small particles with small loading ( approximately 7%) exhibited a rapid release over a couple of hours. It seems that the drug release rate is related to the state (crystallized or dispersed) of the drug incorporated in the polymer matrix.

Hydrophobically modified alginate hydrogels as protein carriers with specific controlled release properties.

Amphiphilic derivatives of sodium alginate, prepared by chemical covalent binding of long alkyl chains onto the polysaccharide backbone via ester functions, form strong hydrogels in aqueous solutions. The shear-thinning and thixotropic behaviors of these hydrogels have been exploited to prepare particles (millimetric beads or microparticles) by dispersion in sodium chloride solutions. This all-aqueous procedure was used for the encapsulation of model proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human hemoglobin (Hb), or of a vaccine protein (Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) urease). In all cases, the encapsulation yields were very high (70-100%). No release of model proteins was observed in water within several days, in contrast with protein-loaded calcium alginate particles, which exhibit an important release within only a few hours. The controlled release of proteins can, however, be achieved by inducing the dissociation of the physical hydrophobic network. This dissociation has been obtained either by addition of surfactants, acting as disrupting agents of intermolecular hydrophobic junctions, or of esterases such as lipases, which hydrolyze the ester bond between alkyl chains and the polysaccharide backbone. The level of immunization against H. pylori infection in mice, induced by encapsulated urease administrated by either systemic or mucosal routes, was also assessed.

Influence of experimental parameters on the characteristics of poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles prepared by a double emulsion method.

Nanoparticles were prepared by the double emulsion method (w/o/w), using methylene chloride as an organic solvent and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or human serum albumin (HSA) as a surfactant. Experimental parameters such as the preparation temperature, the solvent evaporation methods, the internal aqueous phase volume, the surfactant concentration and the polymer molecular weight were investigated for particle size, the zeta potential, the residual surfactant percentage and the polydispersity index. Preparation parameters leading to particles with well-defined characteristics such as an average size around 200 nm and a polydispersity index lower than 0.1 were identified. The conditions were optimized to ensure protein encapsulation: a cool temperature, a short processing time, a sufficient internal aqueous phase and careful washing. It appeared that the higher the surfactant concentration in the external aqueous phase was, the smaller the particles, the lower the polydispersity index and the higher the residual amount of surfactant were. For PVA or HSA, the agreement between the convenient surfactant concentration and its critical aggregation concentration could be emphasized. Otherwise, an increased polymer molecular weight led both to a slightly decreased particle size and to a lower polydispersity index. Moreover, multilayer absorption of PVA which does not depend on Poly(lactic-acid) molecular weight was exhibited. Finally, the zeta potential resulted from the polymer molecular weight and the residual PVA.

Production of microspheres based on hydrophobically associating alginate derivatives by dispersion/gelation in aqueous sodium chloride solutions.

A new "all aqueous" procedure for the preparation of stable polysaccharide microparticles was developed. The method consists of dispersing a water solution of an amphiphilic alginate derivative (in the current work, alginate substituted with low amounts of dodecyl chains) first fluidified under mechanical stress, into an NaCl solution. The procedure exploits the ability of amphiphilic associative derivatives to form strong hydrogels in the presence of nonchaotropic salts and their shear-thinning/thixotropic properties. Depending on the experimental conditions, the size of the microparticles can be varied from 10 microm to several hundred micrometers. Their mechanical properties can eventually be reinforced by addition of low concentrations of calcium chloride. The resulting microparticles exhibit a better stability than that of plain Ca(2+)-alginate particles, as they are not disrupted when nongelling cations or calcium-sequestering agents are added to the solution. In addition, the particles can be easily redispersed after being centrifuged or freeze-dried.

Development and characterization of CyA-loaded poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)PEG micro- and nanoparticles. Comparison with conventional PLA particulate carriers.

Cyclosporin A (CyA) loaded poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) micro- and nanoparticles have been developed using an emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Physico-chemical properties, peptide loading content and in vitro release profiles of these novel CyA carriers were compared with those corresponding to conventional PLA micro- and nanoparticles. Results obtained confirm the previously described disposition of PEG chains on the surface of the PLA-PEG formulations. In addition, they revealed the presence of CyA molecules on the surface of both PLA and PLA-PEG systems. Further determination of the surface chemical composition by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) allowed us to quantify the amount of CyA in the nanospheres' top layers, this amount being higher for nanoparticles than for microparticles, and higher for the PLA systems than for those based on PLA-PEG. In vitro release experiments revealed that PLA-PEG particles provided a more adequate control of CyA release than conventional PLA micro- and nanoparticles. Physico-chemical characterization of the systems during the release studies showed that the developed PLA and PLA-PEG micro- and nanoparticles were not degraded, which suggest a diffusion-mediated release mechanism. Furthermore, we have hypothesized that the hydrophilic outer shell of PEG provides a stationary layer for the diffusion of CyA.

Preparation of unaltered hemoglobin from human placentas for possible use in blood substitutes.

Hemoglobin extracted from human placentas could be used as the basis of blood substitutes provided it could be prepared on a large scale with appropriate oxygen-binding properties. Unfortunately, the industrial conditions under which it is extracted, produce hemoglobin with high oxygen affinity and which is no longer influenced by the classical effectors. These characteristics were shown to be caused by a degradation of the alpha-chain brought about by an arginine carboxypeptidase present in the placental tissues and leading to the disappearance of the C-terminal arginine residue. This carboxypeptidase which is released from the tissues during the process of crushing the frozen placentas, degrades the protein during the chromatographic purification procedure. The addition of an inhibitor of this carboxypeptidase (for example, arginine) as soon as the placentas are thawed and during the chromatographic process, makes it possible to obtain placental hemoglobin with oxygen-binding properties quite similar to those of HbA prepared from peripheral venous blood.

Macromolecular contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Influence of polymer content in ligand on the paramagnetic properties.

Macromolecular conjugates of Gd3+-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid with dextran were synthesized from dextran 40 (about 40 kg/mol). Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) was coupled to aminated dextran by means of a watersoluble carbodiimide and macromolecular conjugates containing DTPA ratios as high as 1.25 mmol/g of polymer were obtained. First, it was found that the polymer had a favourable influence on relaxivity, as at 20 MHz, the r1 longitudinal relaxivity of the Gd3+-complexed macromolecular conjugates was 2 to 4 times as great as that of free GdDTPA2-, depending on the DTPA content. Second, r1 greatly increased with the increase in the conjugate DTPA content, from 7.4 to 15.9 mM-1s-1 for an increase in the DTPA content from 0.36 to 0.96 mmol/g. Further increase in the ligand content had no more effect on relaxivity.

Protein C-loaded monomethoxypoly (ethylene oxide)-poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles.

This paper deals with the preparation and characterization of monomethoxypoly(ethylene oxide)-poly(lactic acid) (MPEO-PLA) nanoparticles containing protein C, a plasma inhibitor which regulates the mechanism of blood coagulation. Protein C was entrapped in MPEO-PLA nanoparticles using the double emulsion method. The influence of MPEO-PLA copolymers on the different parameters was evaluated: characteristics of protein C-loaded nanoparticles, in vitro release of the protein, evolution of the particle size with incubation time and MPEO release. The nanoparticle size does not depend on copolymer characteristics (MPEO and/or PLA block molecular weight). On the other hand, the efficiency of protein C entrapment is affected by the copolymer characteristics. The burst effect during the protein C release is increased with the hydrophilic character of the copolymer. Moreover, protein C adsorption on the particle surface during its release may be related to MPEO release. Only 25% of the released protein C is active, which clearly illustrates that it is altered during its encapsulation. The optimization of the experimental parameters which disturbed entrapped protein C activity, i.e. sonication time and organic solvent was investigated and has led to a preservation of protein C activity. Then, to optimize its entrapment efficiency, a blend PLA/MPEO-PLA (25/75) was used to prepare nanoparticles. This blend limited burst effect of protein C and its adsorption. However, protein C is only partially released which implicates further investigation for a potential therapeutic use.

Protein encapsulation in biodegradable amphiphilic microspheres.

MPOE-PLA microspheres containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by the double emulsion method with high encapsulation efficiency ( approximately 93%). Confocal scanning microscopic analysis using MPOE-PLA labelled with 1-pyrenemethanol showed the MPOE coating of the microsphere surface. This coating improves the performance of the release system compared with PLA microspheres; the hydrophilic chains reduce the BSA adsorption onto the microspheres and increase the amount of BSA released in the supernatant. Microsphere analysis using atomic force microscopy showed that the presence of the MPOE chains also leads to surface roughness. Studies of the diffusion of 1% rhodamine aqueous solution into the microspheres by means of confocal microscopy showed a fast diffusion of water through the matrices containing high molecular weight MPOE chains (?10 000 g mol-1) and could explain the fast release of BSA from these microspheres.

Amphiphilic derivatives of dextran: adsorption at air/water and oil/water interfaces.

Ionic amphiphilic dextran derivatives were synthesized by the attachment of sodium sulfopropyl and phenoxy groups on the native polysaccharide. A family of dextran derivatives was thus obtained with varying hydrophobic content and charge density in the polymer chains. The surface-active properties of polymers were studied at the air-water and dodecane-water interfaces using dynamic surface/interfacial tension measurements. The adsorption was shown to begin in a diffusion-limited regime at low polymer concentrations, that is to say, with the diffusion of macromolecules in the bulk solution. In contrast, at long times the interfacial adsorption is limited by interfacial phenomena: adsorption kinetics or transfer into the adsorbed layer. A semiempirical equation developed by Filippov was shown to correctly fit the experimental curves over the whole time range. The presence of ionic groups in the chains strongly lowers the adsorption kinetics. This effect can be interpreted by electrostatic interactions between the free molecules and the already adsorbed ones. The adsorption kinetics at air-water and oil-water interfaces are compared.