Synthesis and Anti-Abuse Performance Evaluation of PLGA-Tf Nano Drug Delivery System
Objective To investigate the preparation conditions of transferrin(Tf)-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)copolymer(PLGA)as a drug delivery system loaded with fentanyl analogues erastin,and to evaluate the stability,biocompatibility,and abuse-deterrent properties of the nanosystem in vitro.Methods The PLGA-Tf@Era was synthesized by the stepwise synthesis method.The effect of the mass ratio of PLGA-Tf to erastin on particle size and polydispersity index(PDI)was investigated.The morphology of PLGA-Tf@Era was detected by transmission electron microscopy.The particle size was detected by the Malvern laser particle size analyzer,and the structure was characterized by the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis silver staining test.The stability of PLGA-Tf@Era in different media[water,phosphate-buffered saline(PBS),fetal bovine serum(FBS),RPMI-1640 medium]within 7 d was detected in vitro,the extraction rate in ethanol and acidic aqueous solution(pH 5.1)and the incidence of hemolysis of 25,50,100 200,400 μg/mL PLGA-Tf@Era were detected.Results The optimal preparation conditions for PLGA-Tf@Era were as follows:the mass ratio of PLGA-Tf to erastin was 10∶1,the average particle size was 122 nm,the encapsulation efficiency was 82.20%,and the drug loading was 14.82%.The structural characterization test results showed that Tf and erastin were successfully loaded.Transmission electron microscopy examination results showed that PLGA-Tf@Era had a regular morphology,appearing spherical or quasi-spherical,with good dispersibility and no agglomeration phenomenon.The in vitro test results showed that the particle size and PDI of PLGA-Tf@Era in different media(water,PBS,FBS,RPMI-1640 medium)did not show significant changes within 7 d,and the morphology remained unchanged.When the drug concentration was below 100 μg/mL,the incidence of hemolysis was low,and the biological safety was good.The extraction rate of PLGA-Tf@Era was still lower than 21%after 12 h of extraction in the acidic aqueous solution(pH 5.1)and ethanol.Conclusion The synthesized PLGA-Tf@Era has suitable particle size,high drug loading capacity,and stable performance,which can be used to prevent the abuse of fentanyl-like drugs.