Poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) micelles for brain-targeting drug delivery: in vitro and in vivo valuation.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PCL-PEEP) micelles for brain-targeting drug delivery.


METHODS
The coumarin-6-loaded PCL-PEEP micelles (CMs) were prepared and characterized. The cellular uptake of CMs was evaluated on in vitro model of brain-blood barrier (BBB), and the brain biodistribution of CMs in ICR mice was investigated.


RESULTS
PCL-PEEP could self-assemble into 20 nm micelles in water with the critical micelle concentration (CMC) 0.51 μg/ml and high coumarin-6 encapsulation efficiency (92.5 ± 0.7%), and the micelles were stable in 10% FBS with less than 25% leakage of incorporated coumarin-6 during 24 h incubation at 37°C. The cellular uptake of CMs by BBB model was significantly higher and more efficient than coumarin-6 solution (CS) at 50 ng/ml. Compared with CS, 2.6-fold of coumarin-6 was found in the brains of CM-treated mice, and C(max) of CMs was 4.74% of injected dose/g brain. The qualitative investigation on the brain distribution of CMs indicated that CMs were prone to accumulate in hippocampus and striatum.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that PCL-PEEP micelles could be a promising brain-targeting drug delivery system with low toxicity.
Zhang
Pengcheng
P
Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Hu
Luojuan
L
Wang
Yucai
Y
Wang
Jun
J
Feng
Linyin
L
Li
Yaping
Y
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D003374:Coumarins; D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters; C557288:poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate); C016240:polycaprolactone; C030123:coumarin