Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The characters of self-assembly core/shell nanoparticles of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethers as drug carriers

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The characters of self-assembly core/shell nanoparticles of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethers (HP-g-PEO) as drug carriers were investigated. The HP-g-PEO consisting of hydrophobic HP-g-PEO core and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) arms was prepared by the cation ring-opening polymerization. A series of HP-g-PEO samples with different degree of branching (DB) were synthesized under various reaction temperatures. Nanoparticles (NP) were obtained by self-assembly of HP-g-PEO in aqueous media. The structure of resulting HP-g-PEO was characterized by IR, 13CNMR and GPC. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy were applied to characterize the sizes and size distributions of NP. The results demonstrated that the mean diameters of NP were less than 100 nm, which exhibited uniform spherical formations and narrow size distributions. Using hydrophobic drug Probucol (PRO) as model drug, the particle sizes of drug loaded NP were larger than relative blank NP. The drug loading efficiency (LE) and incorporation efficiency (IE) of these NP were achieved to 35 and 89%, respectively. The in vitro release of PRO from the NP exhibited a sustained release and the cumulative drugs released for more than 600 h. The most important factor to affect drug release was the value of DB of HP-g-PEO. With the DB of HP-g-PEO increasing, the size and size distribution of NP decreased as well as the release rate. However, the small DB was beneficial to the LE of NP. Nanoparticle size and size distribution, LE, IE, and drug release rate were slightly affected by the initial solution concentration of polyethers. The co-incorporated hydrophilic drug had influence slightly on the release of drug from drug loaded NP. The results of in vitro drug release suggested that the core/shell NP performed good controlled release behaviors with potential practice as novelty drug delivery vehicles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Scheme 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bazile D, Prud'homme C, Bassoullet M-T, Marlard M, Spenlehauer G, Veillard M (1995) Stealth Me.PEG–PLA nanoparticles avoid uptake by the mononuclear phagocytes system. J Pharm Sci 84(4):493–498

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birrenbach G, Speiser PP (1976) Polymerized micelles and their use as adjuvants in immunology. J Pharm Sci 65:1763–1766

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Calvo P, Gouritin B, Brigger I, Lasmezas C, Deslys JP, Williams A, Andreux JP, Dormont D, Couvreur P (2001) PEGylated polycyanoacrylate nanoparticles as vector for drug delivery in prion diseases. J Neurosci Meth 111(2):151–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Bednarek M, Kubisa P, Penczek S (2002) Synthesis of Multihydroxyl branched polyethers by cationic copolymerization of 3,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)oxetane and 3-Ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane. J Polym Sci Pol Chem 40:1991–2002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Esfand R, Tomalia DA (2001) Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers: from biomimicry to drug delivery and biomedical applications. Drug Discov Today 6(8):427–436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Firestone MA, Wolf AC, Seifert S (2003) Small-angle x-ray scattering study of the interaction of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers with lipid bilayers. Biomacromolecules 4(6):1539–1549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fonseca C, Simoes S, Gaspar RE (2002) Paclitaxel-loaded PLGA nanoparticles: preparation, physicochemical characterization and in vitro anti-tumoral activity. J Control Release 83(2):273–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • French BM (1990) Twenty-five years of the impact-volcanic controversy: is there anything under the sun? or inside the Earth? Eos 71:411–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Galindo-Rodriguez SA, Allemann E, Fessi H, Doelker E (2005) Polymeric nanoparticles for oral delivery of drugs and vaccines: a critical evaluation of in vivo studies. Crit Rev Ther Drug 22(5):419–463

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gillies ER, Frechet JMJ (2005) Dendrimers and dendritic polymers in drug delivery. Drug Discov Today 10(1):35–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawker CJ, Lee R, Frechet JMJ (1991) One-step synthesis of hyperbranched dendritic polyesters. J Am Chem Soc 113(12):4583–4588

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hedenqvist MS, Yousefi H, Malmstrom E, Johansson M, Hult A, Gedde UW, Trollsas M, Hedrick JL (2000) Transport properties of hyperbranched and dendrimer-like star polymers. Polymer 41(5):1827–1840

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hong Y, Coombs SJ, Cooper-White JJ, Mackay ME, Hawker CJ, Malmstrom E, Rehnberg N (2000) Film blowing of linear low-density polyethylene blended with a novel hyperbranched polymer processing aid. Polymer 41(21):7705–7713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joralemon MJ, O’Reilly RK, Hawker CJ, Wooley KL (2005a) Shell Click-crosslinked (SCC) nanoparticles: a new methodology for synthesis and orthogonal functionalization. J Am Chem Soc 127(48):16892–16899

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joralemon MJ, Smith NL, Holowka D, Baird B, Wooley KL (2005b) Antigen-decorated shell cross-linked nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and antibody interactions. Bioconjug Chem 16(5):1246–1256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kataoka K, Harada A, Nagasaki Y (2001) Block copolymer micelles for drug delivery: design, characterization and biological significance. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 47(1):113–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim DH, Martin DC (2006) Sustained release of dexamethasone from hydrophilic matrices using PLGA nanoparticles for neural drug delivery. Biomaterials 27(15):3031–3037

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim YH (1998) Hyperbranchecs polymers 10 years after. J Polym Sci Pol Chem 36(11):1685–1698

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kreuter J (1978) Nanoparticles and nanocapsules–new dosage forms in the nanometer size range. Pharm Acta Helv 53:33–39

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson H, Malmstrom E, Hult A, Johansson M (2002) The effect of degree of branching on the rheoligical and thermal properties of hyperbranched aliphatic polyethers. Polymer 43:301–306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mai YY, Zhou YF, Yan DY, Lu HW (2003) Effect of reaction temperature on degree of branching in cationic polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane. Macromolecules 36(25):9667–9669

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meng FH, Hiemstra C, Engbers GHM, Feijen J (2003) Biodegradable polymersomes. Macromolecules 36(9):3004–3006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moghimi SM, Hunter AC, Murray JC (2001) Long-circulating and target-specific nanoparticles: theory to practice. Pharmacol Rev 53(2):283–318

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Na K, Lee TB, Park KH, Shin EK, Lee YB, Cho HK (2003) Self-assembled nanoparticles of hydrophobically-modified polysaccharide bearing vitamin H as a targeted anti-cancer drug delivery system. Eur J Pharm Sci 18(2):165–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Na K, Park KH, Kim SW, Bae YH (2000) Self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles from curdlan derivatives: characterization, anti-cancer drug release and interaction with a hepatoma cell line (HepG2). J Control Release 69(2):225–236

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oh KS, Lee KE, Han SS, Cho SUH, Kim D, Yuk SH (2005) Formation of core/shell nanoparticles with a lipid core and their application as a drug delivery system. Biomacromolecules 6(2):1062–1067

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orlicki JA, Moore JS, Sendijarevic I, McHugh AJ (2002) Role of end-group functionality on the surface segregation properties of HBPs in blends with polystyrene: application of HBPs as dewetting inhibitors. Langmuir 18(25):9985–9989

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patri AK, Majoros IJ, Baker JR (2002) Dendritic polymer macromolecular carriers for drug delivery. Curr Opin Chem Biol 6(4):466–471

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pattison D (1957) Cyclic Ethers Made by Pyrolysis of Carbonate Esters. Cyclicet Hersm Adeb y Pyrolysoifs Carbonaetset Ers 79:3455–3456

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu T, Tang LM, Fu ZW, Tuo XL, Liu DS, Yang WT (2004) Modification of end-groups of aliphatic hyperbranched polyester. Polym Adv Technol 15(1–2):65–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ritger PL, Peppas NA (1987) A simple equation for description of solute release I. Fickian and non-fickian release from non-swellable devices in the form of slabs, spheres, cylinders or discs. J Control Release 5(1):23–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson DN, Peppas NA (2002) Preparation and characterization of pH-responsive poly(methacrylic acid-g-ethylene glycol) nanospheres. Macromolecules 35(9):3668–3674

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shenoy DB, Amiji MA (2005) Poly(ethylene oxide)-modified poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanoparticles for targeted delivery of tamoxifen in breast cancer. Int J Pharm 293(1–2):261–270

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Slagt MQ, Stiriba SE, Kautz H, Gebbink RJMK, Frey H, van Koten G (2004) Optically active hyperbranched polyglycerol as scaffold for covalent and noncovalent immobilization of platinum(II) NCN-pincer complexes. Catalytic application and recovery. Organometallics 23(7):1525–1532

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sparnacci K, Laus M, Tondelli L, Magnani L, Bernardi C (2002) Core-shell microspheres by dispersion polymerization as drug delivery systems. Macromol Chem Phys 203(10–11):1364–1369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tardif J-C, Côté G, Lespérance J, Bourassa M, Lambert J, Doucet S, Bilodeau L, Nattel S, Guise Pd (1997) Probucol and multivitamins in the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. N Engl J Med 337:365–372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Benthem RATM (2000) Novel hyperbranched resins for coating applications. Prog Org Coat 40:203–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinogradov S, Batrakova E, Kabanov A (1999) Poly(ethylene glycol)-polyethyleneimine NanoGel (TM) particles: novel drug delivery systems for antisense oligonucleotides. Colloid Surf B 16(1–4):291–304

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voit B (2000) New developments in hyperbranched polymers. J Polym Sci Pol Chem 38:2505–2525

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, Wu H, Mills OP, Heiden PA (1999) A morphological investigation of thermosets toughened with novel thermoplastics I. Bismaleimide modified with hyperbranched polyester. J Appl Polym Sci 72(8):1065–1076

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu YY, Gao C, Kong H, Yan DY, Luo P, Li WW, Mai YY (2004) One-pot synthesis of amphiphilic core-shell suprabranched macromolecules. Macromolecules 37(17):6264–6267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan DY, Zhou YF, Hou J (2004) Supramolecular self-assembly of macroscopic tubes. Science 303(5654):65–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang YY, Wang Y, Powell R, Chan P (2006) Polymeric core-shell nanoparticles for therapeutics. Clin Exp Pharmacol P 33(5–6):557–562

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZP, Feng SS (2006) The drug encapsulation efficiency, in vitro drug release, cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of paclitaxel-loaded poly(lactide)-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate nanoparticles. Biomaterials 27(21):4025–4033

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu XY, Chen L, Yan DY, Chen Q, Yao YF, Xiao Y, Hou J, Li JY (2004) Supramolecular self-assembly of inclusion complexes of a multiarm hyperbranched polyether with cyclodextrins. Langmuir 20(2):484–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20676079, 20376045), and partly supported by the Nanometer Technology Program of Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai (0452 nm037).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Wan Ajun & Kou Yuxia

Authors
  1. Wan Ajun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kou Yuxia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wan Ajun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ajun, W., Yuxia, K. The characters of self-assembly core/shell nanoparticles of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethers as drug carriers. J Nanopart Res 10, 437–448 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-007-9272-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-007-9272-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation