title: The use of water-soluble mucoadhesive gels for the intravesical delivery of epirubicin to the bladder for the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an epirubicin-loaded, water-soluble mucoadhesive gels that have the correct rheological properties to facilitate their delivery into the bladder via a catheter, while allowing for their spread across the bladder wall with limited expansion of the bladder and increasing the retention of epirubicin in the bladder and flushing with urine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epirubicin-loaded hydroxyl ethyl cellulose (HEC) and hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) gels were manufactured and tested for their rheological properties. Their ability to be pushed through a catheter was also assessed as was their in-vitro drug release, spreading in a bladder and retention of epirubicin after flushing with simulated urine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epirubicin drug release was viscosity-dependent. The 1 and 1.5% HEC gels and the 1, 1.5 and 2% HPMC gels had the correct viscosity to be administered through a model catheter and spread evenly across the bladder wall under the pressure of the detrusor muscle. The epirubicin-loaded gels had an increased retention time in the bladder when compared with a standard intravesical solution of epirubicin, even after successive flushes with simulated urine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased retention of epirubicin in the bladder by the HEC and HPMC gels warrant further investigation, using an in-vivo model, to assess their potential for use as treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors.forename: Dani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatta
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors.forename: Lewis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cottrell
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laverty
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McConville
mesh_terms: D000283:Administration, Intravesical; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005782:Gels; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D012212:Rheology; D012995:Solubility; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005782:Gels; D014867:Water; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D015251:Epirubicin; D002482:Cellulose; C002283:hydroxyethylcellulose
keywords: bladder cancer; epirubicin; gels; intravesical delivery; rheology