title: In-vivo drug delivery of 5-fluorouracil using poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide) hydrogels.
abstract: Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide) hydrogels crosslinked with ethylen glycol dimethacrylate were used as devices for the in-vivo drug release of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Drug-loaded hydrogels were subcutaneously implanted in the back of Wistar rats. All hydrogel discs reached an equilibrium swelling degree, which was slightly larger than that determined in-vitro. After 30 days of implantation, the hydrogel discs were transparent, and without fracture or apparent degradation. In addition, a fibrous capsule was not detected around the hydrogels that had greater hydration degrees. Release of 5-FU from these hydrogels allows the drug to remain in the plasma from 1 to 5 days, in spite of its short plasma half-life (15 min). This was an improvement of up to 98-times compared with the intraperitoneal drug administration. Administration of 5-FU by implantation of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-acrylamide copolymeric hydrogels seems to be a good candidate for 5-FU therapy, since the drug released results in a therapeutically suitable plasma concentration of 5-FU for an extended period of time, despite the short half-life of the drug.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sastre
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Teijon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D004343:Drug Implants; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020100:Hydrogels; D008297:Male; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004343:Drug Implants; D020100:Hydrogels; C097029:poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid); D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate; D005472:Fluorouracil