Abstract
During the medication-assisted treatment of drug abuse, side effects and addiction liabilities are commonly observed. Thus, control of the medication dose is very important. According to body temperature abnormalities in drug abusers, a thermo-sensitive nanogel was synthesized as a drug carrier to automatically deliver detoxification medicines. This nanogel was prepared through the synthesis of polystyrene (PS) core microspheres, followed by coverage with a nonlinear poly(ethylene glycol)-based copolymer shell. The PS core microspheres were found to be an ideal hydrophobic core for loading the detoxification medicines effectively. The nonlinear poly(ethylene glycol)-based copolymer shell layer consisted of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate (MEO2MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylates (Mn = 300 g mol−1, MEO5MA). The monomer feeding molar ratio n(MEO2MA)/n(MEO5MA) of 1:3 enabled PS@P(MEO2MA-co-MEO5MA) nanogels to exhibit a distinguished colloidal stability and an adjustable volume phase transition temperature which is within the drug addicts’ abnormally fluctuating temperature range. Importantly, it was found that the obtained PS@P(MEO2MA-co-MEO5MA) nanogels displayed good biocompatibility with rat aortic endothelial cells in the given concentration range. The nanogels also exhibited a satisfactory loading efficiency and thermo-sensitive/sustained release characteristics for three detoxification medicines: sinomenine, diltiazem and chlorpromazine.
Highlights
IntroductionDrug abuse is one of the most serious social problems around the world today [1]. Yunnan province, the hometown of one of the authors, is located in the southwest of China
Drug abuse is one of the most serious social problems around the world today [1].Yunnan province, the hometown of one of the authors, is located in the southwest of China.The unique climate and political environment have made this district one of the largest opium planting areas in China
Monodisperse PS microspheres were synthesized by emulsion polymerization [28], but the emulsifier sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was replaced by sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS)
Summary
Drug abuse is one of the most serious social problems around the world today [1]. Yunnan province, the hometown of one of the authors, is located in the southwest of China. We believe that the efficient loading of high-detoxification medicines and smart stimuli release can be achieved if a proper hydrophobic polymer core is combined with a thermo-sensitive nonlinear poly(ethylene glycol)-based copolymer shell. The shell layer consists of a hydrophilic copolymer of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate (MEO2 MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylates (MEO5 MA), which is expected to offer a tunable thermosensitive control in the loading/release of detoxification medicines. Three detoxification medicines (sinomenine, diltiazem and chlorpromazine) were selected as model drugs to investigate the loading/release behaviors of the synthesized core-shell nanogels, along with the environmental temperature changes. It would offer the automatic release of detoxification medicines along with body temperature abnormalities of drug abusers by means of the thermosensitive shell composed of P(MEO2 MA-co-MEO5 MA) This carrier will reduce the frequency of drug administration and minimize the side effects.
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