• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.111-116
• /
• 2013

Finite element analysis(FEA) has been extensively applied in the analyses of biomechanical properties of stents. Geometrically, a closed-cell stent is an assembly of a number of repeated unit cells and exhibits periodicity in both longitudinal and circumferential directions. This study concentrates on various parameters of the FEA models for the analysis of drug-eluting biodegradable polymeric stents for application to the treatment of coronary artery disease. In order to determine the mechanical characteristics of biodegradable polymeric stents, FEA was used to model two different types of stents: tubular stents(TS) and helicoidal stents(HS). For this modeling, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG)-eluting poly[(L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone), PLCL] (E-PLCL) was chosen as drug-eluting stent materials. E-PLCL was prepared by blending PLCL with 5% EGCG as previously described. In addition, the effects of EGCG blending on the mechanical properties of PLCL were investigated for both types of stent models. EGCG did not affect tensile strength at break, but significantly increased elastic modulus of PLCL. It is suggested that FEA is a cost-effective method to improve the design of drug-eluting biodegradable polymeric stents.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1671-1676
• /
• 2015

A unique crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactide)(PLLA)/poly(D-lactide)(PDLA) stereocomplex(SC) was observed when a PLLA/PDLA blend was subjected to the specific melting conditions. Therefore, we tried to blend PLLA and PDLA at overall composition to form PLA stereocomplexes. Moreover, impact modifier and reinforcement materials such as talc and glass fiber added to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties such as impact strength and heat distortion temperature(HDT). As a result, we got one representative result, one composite recipe with HDT $115^{\circ}C$. For more economic technology, we tried to blend PLLA and Polypropylene at overall composition and we got another representative result which could be applied to current PP/talc composites and ABS materials. The core technology of this might be the well dispersion of glass fibers into the matrix resin such as PP, PLLA and impact strength modifier.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.183-188
• /
• 2003

The controlled delivery of anticancer agents using biodegradable polymeric implant has been developed to solve the problem of penetration of blood brain barrier and severe systemic toxicity. This study was performed to prepare 5-FU-loaded poly (L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) wafer fabricated microparticles prepared by two different method and to evaluate their release profile for the application of the treatment of brain tumor. 5-FU-loaded PLGA microparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEM observation of the 5-FU-loaded PLGA microparticles prepared by rotary solvent evaporation method showed that 5-FU was almost surrounded by PLGA and significant reduction of crystallinity of 5-FU was confirmed by XRD. In case of release profile of 5-FU from 5-FU-loaded PLGA wafer fabricated microparticles prepared by mechanical mixing, the release profile of 5-FU followed near first order release kinetics. In contrast to the above result, release profile of 5-FU from 5-FU-loaded PLGA wafer fabricated microparticles prepared by rotary solvent evaporation method followed near zero order release kinetics. These results indicate that preparation method of the 5-FU-loaded PLGA microparticles to fabricate into wafers was contributed to drug release profile.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.727-732
• /
• 2013

In this report, we present an inverse opal scaffold that can enhance the chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) without drug, gene, or cytokine supplement. Inverse opal scaffolds based on poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) were formed with uniform $200{\mu}m$ pores. Due to uniform pore sizes and well-controlled interconnectivity of inverse opal scaffold, hADSCs were allowed to distribute homogeneously throughout the scaffolds. As a result, high cell density culture with scaffold was possible. Since the hADSCs cultured in inverse opal scaffolds were subjected to limited supplies of oxygen and nutrients, these cells were naturally preconditioned to a hypoxic environment that stimulated the up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$). As a result, apoptotic activity of hADSCs until 3 weeks after initial cell seeding was significantly reduced and chondrogenic differentiation related molecular signal cascades were up regulated (transforming growth factor-beta, phosphorylated AKT, and phosphorylated p38 expression). In contrast, hADSCs cultured with small and non-uniform porous scaffolds showed significantly increased apoptotic activity with decreased chondrogenic differentiation. Taken together, inverse opal scaffold could potentially be used as an effective tool for improving chondrogenesis using stem cells.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.385-392
• /
• 2003

Biodegradable poly (L-lactide) (L-PLA) solution in methylene chloride was precipitated into microparticles by using supercritical carbon dioxide modified with polar cosolvents. The effects of the amount of polar cosolvents, solution concentration, temperature, and solution flow rate on the formation of microparticles were investigated. The mean particle size was found to increase with the increase of solution concentration and flow rate. It was also observed that the particle size not only increases but the size distribution also becomes less uniform as the temperature increases. The percent recovery of microparticles was found to be 30∼40% at all experimental conditions. The supercritical carbon dioxide modified with methanol and ethanol was employed to enhance the recovery, resulting in significant improvement up to about 80 and 70%, for methanol and ethanol, respectively. Furthermore, the mean diameter of L-PLA microparticles was found to be less than 1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ for both cosolvents.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.167-176
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to histologically and histomorphometrically evaluate the effect of PLGA on bone regeneration compared with bone graft material. Methods: The experimental study was conducted in 10 rabbits with 2 different healing periods of 2 and 4 weeks. Following surgical exposure of the calvarium, 4 circular bone defects with a diameter of 4.6mm were formed. Rabbits were divided into control group, test groups I, and II. 10 defects assigned to the test group Ⅰ were grafted with Nu-oss and other 10 defects assigned to the test group II were grafted with PLGA. The rest of the defects were in the negative control group. At 2nd and 4th week after surgery, 10 rabbits were sacrificed through intracardiac perfusion and then specimens were obtained. Histological analysis was performed following staining with trichorme and transversal sectioning of the calvarial bone. Results: A group which used PLGA showed tissue reactions characterized by severe inflammation, rather than distinctive new bone formation. Conclusions: The present experimental investigations have failed to prove any beneficial effects of PLGA. PLGA used in this study exhibited foreign body reactions and a less favorable pattern of new bone formation in comparison to control group. Conclusion: PLGA did not function as scaffold. Further investigations of many types of micro PLGA that could improve its potential in GBR procedures are needed.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.276-284
• /
• 2000

A wettability chemogradient on poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) films was prepared by treating the films in air with corona from a knife-type electrode whose power increases gradually along the sample length. The PLGA surfaces oxidized gradually with the increasing corona power, and the wettability chemogradient was created on the surfaces as evidenced by the measurement of water contact angles and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. The wettability chemogradient PLGA surfaces were used to investigate the interaction of four different types of cells such as hepatoma (Hep G2), osteoblast (MG 63), bovine aortic endothelial (CPAE), and fibroblast (NIH/3T3) cells in terms of the surface hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of PLGA. The cells adhered and grown on the chemogradient surface along the sample length were counted and observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the cells were adhered, spread, and grown more onto the positions with moderate hydrophilicity of the wettability chemogradient PLGA surface than the more hydrophobic or hydrophillic positions, regardless of the cell types used. The maximum adhesion and growth of the cells appeared at around water contact angles of 53～55°. This result seems closely related with the serum protein adsorption on the surface; the serum proteins were also adsorbed more onto the positions with moderate hydrophilicity of the wettability chemogradient surface. It seems that the wettability plays important roles for cell adhesion, spreading and growth on the PLGA surface. The surface modification technique used in this study may be applicable tothe area of tissue engineering for the improvement of tissue compatibility of films- or scaffold-type substrates.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.151-160
• /
• 2001

Polymeric membranes consisting of poly(d,1-lactide) as a polymer matrix and crystallizable progesterone as a drug were prepared by coagulating polymeric solutions. The homogeneous casting solutions in dimethyformamide were solidified by using three different coagulating processes : solvent evaporation under vacuum, solvent extraction via immersion into the nonsolvent bath, or vapor exposure at high humidity condition. With solvent removal via evaporation under vacuum, the cast solution film was vitrified to form a homogeneous film containing progesterone of spherical shape distributed evenly in the film. Being prepared by solvent extraction via immersion into a water bath, the resulting membrane showed an asymmetric structure, with progesterone of big crystallites distributed unevenly in the structure. On the other hand, the coagulation under high humidity transformed the cast film into a sponge-like structure, where progesterone took a shape like flake.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.717-724
• /
• 2008

In this study, we prepared all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-encapsulated, surfactant-free, PLGA nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were formed by nanoprecipitation process, after which the solvent was removed by solvent evaporation or dialysis method. When a nanoparticle was prepared by the nanoprecipitation - solvent evaporation method, the nanoparticles were bigger than the nanoparticles of the nanoprecipitation - dialysis method, despite the higher although loading efficiency. Nanoparticles from the nanoprecipitation - dialysis method were smaller than 200 nm in diameter, while the loading efficiency was not significantly changed. Especially, nanoparticles prepared from DMAc, 1,4-dioxane, and DMF had a diameter of less than 100 nm. In the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, all of the nanoparticles showed spherical shapes. The loading efficiency of ATRA was higher than 90% (w/w) at all formulations with exception of THF. The drug content was increased with increasing drug-feeding amount while the loading efficiency was decreased. In the drug release study, an initial burst was observed for $2{\sim}6$ days according to the variations of the formulation, after which the drug was continuously released over one month. Nanoparticles from the nanoprecipitation - dialysis method showed faster drug release than those from the nanoprecipitation - solvent evaporation method. The decreased drug release kinetics was observed at lower drug contents. In the tumor cell cytotoxicity test, ATRA-encapsulated, surfactant-free, PLGA nanoparticles exhibited similar cytotoxicity with that of ATRA itself.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.177-183
• /
• 2004

Recently, studies on intranasal mucosa delivery of influenza vaccine have been actively developed because of lack of pain and ease of administration. We studied on preparation of nanoparticle delivery system using biodegradable polymer as a poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and their binding characteristics with vaccine. Three kinds of PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion (SESD) method using sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium laurate as an anionic surfactant and Lutrol F68 (polyethylene glycol-block-polypropylene glycol copolymer) as a nonionic surfactant. The 5-aminofluorescein labeled vaccine was coated on the surface of nanoparticles by ionic complex. The complexes between vaccine and nanoparticles were confirmed by change of the size. After vaccine coating on the surface of anionic nanoparticles, particle size was increased from 174 to 1,040 nm. However the size of nonionic nanoparticles was not more increased than size of anionic nanoparticles. The amount of coated vaccine on the surface of PLGA nanoparticles was $14.32\;{\mu}g/mg$ with sodium dodecyl sulfate, $12.41\;{\mu}g/mg$ with sodium laurate, and $9.47{\mu}g/mg$ with Lutrol F68, respectively. In conclusion, prepared nanoparticles in this study is possible to use as a virus-like nanoparticles and it could be accept in the field of influenza vaccine delivery system.