Hydrotropic oligomer-conjugated glycol chitosan as a carrier of paclitaxel: Synthesis, characterization, and in vivo biodistribution

• Published in: Journal of controlled release Vol. 140; no. 3; pp. 210 - 217
• Main Authors: Saravanakumar, G., Min, Kyung Hyun, Min, Dong Sik, Kim, Ah Young, Lee, Chang-Moon, Cho, Yong Woo, Lee, Sang Cheon, Kim, Kwangmeyung, Jeong, Seo Young, Park, Kinam, Park, Jae Hyung, Kwon, Ick Chan
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 16.12.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacokinetics; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer therapy; Carbohydrate Sequence; Cell Line, Tumor; Chitosan - chemical synthesis; Chitosan - chemistry; Drug Carriers; Drug Compounding; Drug Stability; Female; General pharmacology; Glycol chitosan; Glycols - chemical synthesis; Glycols - chemistry; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hydrotropic oligomer; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Nude; Molecular Sequence Data; Nanoparticles; Neoplasm Transplantation; Paclitaxel; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Paclitaxel - pharmacokinetics; Paclitaxel - pharmacology; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Self-assembled nanoparticles; Solubility; Thermodynamics; Tissue Distribution; Glycol chitosan; Hydrotropic oligomer; Self-assembled nanoparticles; Cancer therapy; Paclitaxel; Antineoplastic agent; Pharmaceutical technology; Nanoparticle; Polymer; Malignant tumor; Oligomer; Characterization; In vivo; Treatment; Taxane derivatives; Distribution; Microparticle; Chitosan; Pharmacokinetics; Antimitotic; Glycol; Cancer
• ISSN: 0168-3659; 1873-4995; 1873-4995
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.06.015

Development of successful formulations for poorly water-soluble drugs remains a longstanding critical and challenging issue in cancer therapy. As a potential drug carrier of paclitaxel, hydrotropic oligomer-glycol chitosan (HO-GC) was synthesized by chemical conjugation of the N,N-diethylnicotinamide-based oligomer, uniquely designed for enhancing the aqueous solubility of paclitaxel, to the backbone of glycol chitosan. Owing to its amphiphilicity, the conjugate formed self-assembled nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 313 ± 13 nm in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4 at 37 °C). HO-GC nanoparticles maintained their structure for up to 50 days in PBS. They could encapsulate a high quantity (20 wt.%) of paclitaxel (PTX) with a maximum drug-loading efficiency of 97%, due to the presence of hydrotropic inner cores. When HO-GC-PTX particles were exposed to the 0.1 M sodium salicylate solution in PBS (pH 7.4), PTX was released from nanoparticles in a sustained manner. From the cytotoxicity test, it was confirmed that HO-GC-PTX nanoparticles showed lower cytotoxicity than free PTX formulation in 50%/50% Cremophor EL/ethanol mixture. The optical imaging results indicated that near-infrared fluorescence dye (Cy5.5)-labeled HO-GC-PTX showed an excellent tumor specificity in SCC7 tumor-bearing mice, due to the enhanced permeation and retention effect. Overall, HO-GC-PTX nanoparticles might be a promising carrier for PTX delivery in cancer therapy. A hydrotropic oligomer-glycol chitosan (HO-GC) conjugate, with unique hydrotropic characteristics towards paclitaxel (PTX), was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as the drug carrier. Notably, HO-GC nanoparticles imbibed relatively high quantity of PTX compared to other polysaccharide-based carriers. In vivo studies showed enhanced tumor targeting ability of HO-GC nanoparticles.