The aim of the work was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the effect of the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to paclitaxel (PTX)-cyclodextrin poly(anhydride) nanoparticles. For this, PTX in poly(anhydride) nanoparticles complexed with cyclodextrins (either 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin or β-cyclodextrin) and combined with PEG 2000 were prepared by the solvent displacement method. Intestinal permeability in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in C57BL/6J mice were performed. Nanoparticle formulations containing PTX increased its apparent permeability through rat intestine in vitro in the Ussing chambers, enhancing its permeability 10-15 times compared with commercial Taxol®. In addition, in pharmacokinetic studies, drug plasma levels were observed for at least 24 h leading to a relative oral bioavailability between 60% and 80% for PTX complexed with cyclodextrin and loaded in pegylated poly(anhydride) nanoparticles after oral gavage. In all, PTX-cyclodextrin complexes encapsulated in pegylated nanoparticles managed to promote the intestinal uptake of the drug displaying sustained plasma levels after oral administration to laboratory animals with a more prolonged plasma profile compared with the formulation with no PEG at all. Therefore, pegylated poly(anhydride) nanoparticles represent a promising carrier for the oral delivery of PTX.
Keywords: bioavailability; controlled release; cyclodextrins; nanoparticles; paclitaxel; pegylation; permeability; transmucosal delivery.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.