• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.562-569
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• 2004

Self-assembling nanospheres of hydrophobized pullulan have been developed. Pullulan acetate (PA), as hydrophobized pullulan, was synthesized by acetylation. Carboxymethylated poly(ethylene-glycol) (CMPEG) was introduced into pullulan acetate (PA) through a coupling reaction using N, N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCC). A synthesized PA-PEG-PA (abbreviated as PEP) conjugate was confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Since PEP conjugates have amphiphilic characteristics in aqueous solution, polymeric nanoparticles of PEP conjugates were prepared using a simple dialysis method in water. From the analysis of fluorescence excitation spectra primarily, the critical association concentration (CAC) of this conjugate was found to be 0.0063 g/L. Observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the spherical morphologies of the PEP nanoparticles. The particle size distribution of the PEP conjugates was determined using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and the intensity-average particle size was 193.3 ${\pm}$ 13.53 nm with a unimodal distribution. Clonazepam (CNZ), as a model drug, was easy to entrap into polymeric nanoparticles of the PEP conjugates. The drug release behavior was mainly diffusion controlled from the core portion.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.115-121
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to develop new protein/peptide depot system instead of poly(DL-lactic acid-coglycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres. Pullulan was chemically modified by the addition of acetic anhydride (pullulan acetate; PA) and then investigated as new depot system for protein/peptide delivery. PA microspheres (PAM) with lysozyme as a model protein were prepared by w/o/w double emulsion method. The microspheres had a mean size of 10-50 mm with a spherical shape. The size distributions reduced with increasing the degree of acetylation. The loading efficiency of lysozyme was also increased. Lysozyme aggregation behavior in the microsphere was monitored to estimate the change of protein stability during preparation step. The ratios of protein aggregation in PAMs are lower than that of PLGA microsphere, in particular, PA 5 showed lowest as about 16%. The result indicated that the increase of acetylation suppressed the aggregation of protein. The release profiles of lysozyme from PAMs were significantly different. High acetylation effectively improved lysozyme release kinetics by reducing initial burst release and extending continuous release over a period of time. To check the effect of preservation for structural stability of lysozyme, the activity of lysozyme released from PA 5 was also observed. The activity of lysozyme was maintained almost 100% for 25 day. Therefore, PAM may become to a useful carrier for delivery of protein/peptide drugs, if it will be supported by biocompatibility and biodegradability results.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제41권6호
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• pp.323-329
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• 2011

In order to develop new protein carrier replacing poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres, succinylated pullulan acetate (SPA) was investigated to fabricate a long term protein delivery carrier. SPA microspheres loaded with lysozyme (Lys) as a model protein drug were prepared by a water/oil/water (W/O/W) double emulsion method. An acidity test of SPA copolymers after hydrolysis was performed to estimate the change of protein stability during releasing proteins from the microspheres. There was no pH change of SPA copolymers, but pH of PLGA polymers after hydrolysis was significantly decreased to around pH 2, indicating that the long-term stability of proteins released from SPA microspheres can be guaranteed. Loading efficiency of proteins into SPA microspheres was three times higher than those into conventional PLGA microspheres, indication of inducing stronger charge interaction between proteins and succinyl groups in SPA microspheres. Although initial burst behaviors were monitored in Lys-loaded SPA microspheres due to relatively strong hydrophilic succinyl segments in SPA microspheres, initial burst issues would be circumvented if the ratio of charge density of succinyl moieties and hydrophobic acetate groups is harmonically controlled. Therefore, in this study, a new attempt of protein delivery system was made and functional SPA was successfully confirmed as a new protein carrier.

• 폴리머
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.483-487
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• 2011

효율적 비혈관용 약물방출 스텐트 제조를 위해 풀루란 아세테이트(pullulan acetate, PA)가 테프론(poly-tetrafluorethylene; PTFE)으로 피막된 스텐트(PTFE-stent)의 코팅재료로 연구되었다. 파크리탁셀 함유 PA가 코팅된 PTFE-stent의 표면, 약물 방출 거동, 세포독성이 측정되었으며, 동물실험을 통해 이의 가능성이 검토되었다. 전자현미경으로 표면을 관찰한 결과 표면이 PTFE 피막에 비해 훨씬 매끄러웠고, 약물은 80일 동안 서방적 방출 거동을 보였다. PA와 함께 코팅된 파크리탁셀의 안정성을 annexin V 결합 염색법을 통하여 측정한 결과 apoptosis의 비율이 천연 파크리탁셀과 유사한 것으로 보아 봉입된 파크리탁셀의 변성이 없음을 알 수 있었다. 소동물 실험에서는 파크리탁셀이 봉입된 PA-PTFE가 고형암의 성장을 억제하였다. 위의 결과로 보아 PA는 효율적 비혈관계 약물방출 스텐트 개발에 매우 유용한 물질이라고 기대된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권10호
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• pp.1491-1498
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• 2006

The feasibility of pullulan acetate nanoparticles (PAN) with ionic strength (IS) sensitivity as a radioisotope carrier to inhibit tumor growth is demonstrated. PAN was radiolabeled with rhenium 188 (Re-188) without any chelating agents. The labeling efficiency of Re-188 into PAN (Re-188PAN) was $49.3{\pm}4.0%$ as determined by TLC. The tumor volumes of mice treated with 0.45 mCi of Re-188-PAN were measured and compared with that of free Re-188 after 5 days of intratumoral injection. For the histological evaluation of apoptotic nuclei of tumor cells, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotinylated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were performed. The mean tumor volume of the Re-188-PAN-treated group was decreased by 36% after 5 days, whereas that the free Re-188-treated group was decreased by only 15% (P<0.05). The mean number of TUNEL-positive cells in Re-188-PAN-treated tumors at $144.3{\pm}79.9$ cells/section was significantly greater than the control ($26.7{\pm}7.9$ cells/section, P=0.03). The numbers of leukocyte and lymphocyte were decreased in both free Re-188- and Re-188-PAN-treated mice. These results indicated that the intratumoral injection of Re-188-PAN effectively inhibits the tumor growth by prolonging Re-188 retention time in tumor site induced by the IS sensitivity.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.393-401
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• 2003

배경: 플루란유도체(PD)로 만든 나노입자는 이온강도에 따라 뭉치는 수용성겔이다. 본 연구에서는 PD가 방사성핵종을 종양 조직 내에 효과적으로 머무르게 할 수 있는지 알아보고자 하였다. 방법: 네 종류의 PD 즉, pullulan acetate (PA), succinylated PA(SPA), PA-DTPA와 SPA-DTPA 결합체를 합성한 후 테크네슘-99m(Tc-99m)으로 표지하고 표지효율을 측정하였다. Balb/c 생쥐에 CT26 대장암세포를 피하주사하고 2주 후에 Tc-99m 표지 PD(Tc-PD)를 종양 내에 주사하였다. 주사직후와 30분, 1, 2, 4, 12시간 후에 감마카메라로 생쥐를 촬영하여 종양 내의 Tc-PD의 저류율을 측정하였다. 종양크기에 따라 각각의 암의 직경이 5 mm와 10 mm일 때 Tc-99mpertechnetate와 Tc-99m 표지 PA를 종양 내 주사하여, 주사 직후 1시간 동적영상을 얻고, 1시간, 2시간, 3시간 그리고 4시간 후에 감마카메라로 생쥐를 촬영하여 종양 내의 저류율을 측정하였다. 결과 PA, SPA, PA-DTPA 및 SPA-DTPA의 Tc-99m 표지율은 각각 $94.5{\pm}5.9%,\;97.8{\pm}3.5%\;94.2{\pm}3.8%,\;92.5{\pm}6.2%$ 로 서로간에 유의한 차이가 없었다 (p>0.05). Tc-99m-PA와 Tc-99m-PA-DTPA의 %RR은 대조군에 비해 의의있게 높았으나(p<0.05), SPA는 4시간까지 그리고 SP-DTPA는 2시간까지만 대조군보다 %RR이 높았을 뿐 그 이후에는 대조군과 유사한 %RR을 보였다. 종양의 크기에 따라 PA군에서 측정한 저류율은 대조군보다는 의의있게 높았으나, 직경이 5 mm와 10 mm일 때의 저류율 간에는 차이가 없었다. 결론: PD가 종양 조직 내에 저류될 수 있음을 알았으며, 종양 크기에 따른 저류율의 차이는 없었다. 향후 PD와 치료용 방사성핵종을 이용한 종양 치료에 활용할 가능성을 기대할 수 있을 것으로 사료되었다.