NMR and Texture Analyses in Relation to Swelling Kinetics of 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate/N-Vinylpyrrolidinone Hydrogels

Timolol maleate release from hyaluronic acid-containing model silicone hydrogel contact lens materials

This study was designed to assess the impact of a releasable wetting agent, such as hyaluronic acid (HA), on the release profile of timolol maleate (TM) from model silicone hydrogel contact lens materials. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as an alternative wetting agent for comparison. The model lenses consisted of a hydrophilic monomer, either 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or N,N-dimethylacrylamide and a hydrophobic silicone monomer of methacryloxypropyltris (trimethylsiloxy) silane. The loading of the wetting and the therapeutic agent occurred during the synthesis of the silicone hydrogels through the method of direct entrapment. The developed materials were characterized by minimal changes in the water uptake, while lower molecular weight of HA improved their surface wettability. The transparency of the examined silicone hydrogels was found to be affected by the miscibility of the wetting agent in the prepolymer mixture as well as the composition of the developed silicone hydrogels. Sustained release of TM from 4 to 14 days was observed, with the drug transport occurring presumably through the hydrophilic domains of the silicone hydrogels. The release profile was strongly dependent on the hydrophilic monomer composition, the distribution of hydrophobic (silane) domains, and the affinity of the therapeutic agent for the silicone hydrogel matrix. Noncovalent entrapment of the wetting agent did not change the in vitro release duration and kinetics of TM, however the drug release profile was found to be controlled by the simultaneous release of TM and HA or PVP. In the case of HA, depending on the HA:drug ratio, the release rate was decreased and controlled by the release of HA, likely due to electrostatic interactions between protonated TM and anionic HA. Overall, partitioning of the drug within the hydrophilic domains of the silicone hydrogels as well as interactions with the wetting agent determined the drug release profile.

Preparation and evaluation of a contact lens vehicle for puerarin delivery

The purpose of this study is to develop a soft contact lens vehicle for puerarin delivery to alleviate glaucoma. Poly(2-hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone-co-methyl acrylate) (pHEMA-NVP-MA) contact lenses were prepared by UV irradiation of HEMA, NVP and MA, to which the cross-linker, a mixture of trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) and allyl methacrylate (AMA) (1:1, w/w) was added previously. The contact lenses were characterized by equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR) and tensile tester. The results showed that incorporation of poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) component in the hydrogels caused increase of ESR and decrease of tensile strength. Co-polymerization of MA monomer in the hydrogel led to a slight drop of ESR and improved tensile strength of hydrogel. Four kinds of hydrated contact lenses with different PVP content were presoaked in PBS solution of puerarin and the in vitro drug release was measured. The contact lenses matrix incorporated with PVP had a remarkable loading capacity of puerarin. In rabbit eyes, the presoaked contact lenses extended the mean resident time of puerarin to 77.45 min from 12.88 min of 1% puerarin eye drops. Moreover, contact lens presoaked in puerarin solution at the concentration of 0.802 mg/ml showed about the same bioavailability (AUC(0-t)) in tear fluid as that of the puerarin eye drops. This kind of presoaked contact lens has potential application as vehicle of puerarin to alleviate glaucoma.