• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 2009

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres have been a useful tool as a controlled drug delivery system for peptides and proteins. Recently, porous microspheres have gained great attention as inhalation drug delivery system due to their low aerodynamic densities. Here, we report highly porous PLGA microspheres, which were prepared by using a single o/w emulsification/solvent evaporation method. Two types of porogen, i.e., (i) extractable Pluronic F127 and (ii) gas foaming salt of ammonium bicarbonate, were used to induce pores on the surface of PLGA microspheres. The respective preparation conditions on dp/cp ratio and porogen concentration were determined by the previous preliminary experiments, and other preparation factors were further optimized on the basis of PLGA Mw and porogen type. The morphological features examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) show these porous microspheres have highly porous surface structure with a diameter range of 20${\sim}$30 ${\mu}$m. These highly porous PLGA microspheres, which have much lower density, would be a practical aerosol system for pulmonary drug delivery.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.1465-1470
• /
• 2011

In this study, a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres was fabricated using emulsion solvent evaporation technique. During the procedure fabrication, some parameters process have effected on the formation of micro-carriers. The structure and morphology of micro-carriers were evaluated by SEM observation. Beside, heparin incorporated into microspheres was determined using toluidine blue method. Specifically, the effects of some parameters process such as ultrasonic levels, PLGA concentrations and freeze-dry times on the size, structure, porous formation and heparin entrapment of micro-carriers were studied carefully. We found that, the morphology and structure of carriers were influenced by the all above parameters. The diameter of the carriers varied from 20 to 400 ${\mu}M$ depending on experimental conditions. At suitable freeze-dry time, the pores were automatically formation on surface of microspheres with a significantly in the numbers of pore. After heparin incorporated porous PLGA microspheres, it was suggested that the highly heparin incorporated into porous PLGA microspheres could enhance of angiogenesis for tissue regeneration easily.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.245-250
• /
• 2010

Porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres (PLGA MS) have been utilized as an inhalation delivery system and a matrix scaffold system for tissue engineering. Here, gelatin (type A) is introduced as an extractable pH-responsive porogen, which is capable of controlling the porosity and pore size of PLGA microspheres. Porous PLGA microspheres were prepared by a water-in-oil-in-water ($w_1/o/w_2$) double emulsification/solvent evaporation method. The surface morphology of these microspheres was examined by varying pH (2.0~11.0) of water phases, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, their porosity and pore size were monitored by altering acidification time (1~5 h) using a phosphoric acid solution. Results showed that the pore-forming capability of gelatin was optimized at pH 5.0, and that the surface pore-formation was not significantly observed at pHs of < 4.0 or > 8.0. This was attributable to the balance between gel-formation by electrostatic repulsion and dissolution of gelatin. The appropriate time-selection between PLGA hardening and gelatin-washing out was considered as a second significant factor to control the porosity. Delaying the acidification time to ~5 h after emulsification was clearly effective to make pores in the microspheres. This finding suggests that the porosity and pore size of porous microspheres using gelatin can be significantly controlled depending on water phase pH and gelatin-removal time. The results obtained in this study would provide valuable pharmaceutical information to prepare porous PLGA MS, which is required to control the porosity.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.38.2-38.2
• /
• 2009

Regeration of natural tissuesor to create biological substitutes for defective or lost tissues and organs through the use of cells. In addition to cells and their porous, drugs are required to promote tissue regeneration. Therefore, the present studies were prepared using simvastatim loaded porous poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) by double emulsion solvent evaporation water-in-oil-in-water technique (W/O/W) as drug delivery system strategies for injuring tissue. The resulting microspheres were evaluated for morphology, particle size, encapsulation efficiency, degradation of PLGA microspheres in vitro drug release and in vitro cell viability. Scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) showed that the porosities of the particles was changed by experimental conditions and cultured cells were attached well on porous microspheres surface. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calometry (DSC) analysis indicate thatsimvastatim was highly dipersed in the microsphere at amorphousstate.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.443-450
• /
• 2006

To demonstrate their possibilities as an enhanced vaccine delivery system, protein-loaded Poly lactide glycolide copolymer (PLGA) microspheres were prepared with different physical characteristics. Ethyl acetate (EA) solvent extraction process was employed to prepare microspheres and the effects of process parameters on drug release properties were evaluated. The biodeuadability of microspheres was also evaluated by the pH change and GPC (Gel permeation chromatography). Primary IgG antibody responses in BALB/c mice were compared with protein saline solutions as negative controls and adsorbed alum suspensions as positive controls after single subcutaneous injection for in vivo studies. The microspheres showed a erosion with a highly porous structure and did not keep their spherical shape at 45 days and this result could be confirmed by GPC. In vitro release of proteinous drug showed initial burst effect in all batches of microspheres, followed by gradual release over the next 4 weeks. PLGA microspheres were degraded until 45 days and the secondary structure of OVA was not affected by the preparation method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays demonstrated that the single subcutaneous administrations of OVA-loaded PLGA microspheres induced enhanced serum IgG antibody response in comparison to negative and positive controls. These results demonstrated that microspheres providing the controlled release of antigens might be useful in advanced vaccine formulations for the parenteral carrier system.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.728-735
• /
• 2000

Fentanyl-loaded biodegradable poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (75 : 25 by mole ratio of lactide to glycolide, PLGA) microspheres (MSs) were prepared to study the possibility for long-acting local anesthesia. We developed the fentanyl base (FB, slightly water-soluble)-loaded PLGA MSs by means of conventional O/W solvent evaporation method. The size of MSs was in the range of 10~150 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The morphology of MSs was characterized by SEM, and the in vitro release amounts of FB were analyzed by HPLC. The lowest porous cross-sectional morphology and the highest encapsulation efficiency were obtained by using gelatin as an emulsifier. The influences of several preparation parameters, such as emulsifier types, molecular weights and concentrations of PLGA, and initial drug loading amount, etc., have been observed in the release patterns of FB. The release of FB in vitro was more prolonged over 25 days, with close to zero-order pattern by controlling the preparation parameters. We also investigated the physicochemical properties of FB-loaded PLGA MSs by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimeter.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.69-73
• /
• 2005

To overcome the main disadvantages of non-viral gene delivery systems such as repeated administration due to the low transfection efficiency, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) was applied to encapsulate pDNA in its microsphere formulation. Free pDNA or various ratios (w/w) of chitosan/pDNA complexes was used for encapsulation, with the resulting encapsulation efficiency of 44%, 5%, and 8% for free pDNA, 0.7:1 and 1:1 ratios, respectively. Scanning electron micrographs of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres encapsulating pDNA or chitosan-condensed pDNA revealed a smooth spherical shape immediately after microsphere preparation and a collapsed porous shape in 41 days due to the degradation of PLGA. In vitro release profile showed that the 0.7:1 (w/w) ratio formulation exerted 47% release in 26 days, whereas free pDNA or 1:1 (w/w) ratio formulation did only 15% or 32%, respectively.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.228-235
• /
• 2002

Mastitis is the most costly disease results in lost milk production, decreased milk quality, milk discard, early culling of cows, drug costs and labor costs in dairy cow. Until now, a antibiotic administration at the end of lactation, dry cow therapy has been known the most effective and widely used mastitis control method. However, dry cow therapy do not control a new infection in the late dry and prepartum period because dry cow products have only persistent activity in the early dry period. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate clinical effect of sustained released biodegradable cephalexin microsphere using PLGA in bovine mastitis control during dry period. PLGA has been approved as controlled drug release system because of non-toxic, non-tissue reactive and bioerodible characteristics. This study revealed that cephalexin microsphere had a spherical shape with characteristic porous structure on the surface. Also, in vitro drug release studies are clearly observed that the release rate of cephalexin from PLGA microsphere decrease during the first 21 days after initial burst and then increase again between 3 and 4 weeks showing pulsatile releasing pattern. On the other hand, as tried in field the new infection rate, cure rate and mean SCC after parturition in cephalexin microsphere infused group were significantly differenced as compared to the control group. Accordingly, a sustained release of cephalexin from a biodegradable microsphere could make dry cow therapy more efficiently by preventing a new infection and decreasing the number of existing infection of mammary gland during dry period.