Drug-delivery study and estimation of polymer-solvent interaction parameter for bisacrylate ester-modified Pluronic hydrogels

In this study, Pluronic F127 hydrogels were characterised as an injectable system for the controlled release of drugs with variable molecular weights (FITC-Dextran at 70 and 40kDa). In addition, the polymer-solvent interaction parameter (X) was successfully estimated. Pluronic hydrogels (10-25 wt.%) were redox cured and their swelling behaviour investigated in PBS (pH 7.45) at 37 degrees C. After swelling to equilibrium, the hydrogels were compressed and the rubber-elasticity theory was applied to evaluate X. Tensile tests proved the hydrogels were elastic and their X values ranged between 0.50 and 0.53. The full drug load could be delivered over a period of similar to 15 h suggesting that redox cured Pluronic F127 hydrogels can function as injectable systems for controlled and sustained release of macromolecules. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.