Effects of pH-sensitive chain length on release of doxorubicin from mPEG-b-PH-b-PLLA nanoparticles

BACKGROUND Two methoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-histidine)-poly(L-lactide) (mPEG-PH-PLLA) triblock copolymers with different poly(L-histidine) chain lengths were synthesized. The morphology and biocompatibility of these self-assembled nanoparticles was investigated. METHODS Doxorubicin, an antitumor drug, was trapped in the nanoparticles to explore their drug-release behavior. The drug-loaded nanoparticles were incubated with HepG2 cells to evaluate their antitumor efficacy in vitro. The effects of poly(L-histidine) chain length on the properties, drug-release behavior, and antitumor efficiency of the nanoparticles were investigated. RESULTS The nanoparticles were pH-sensitive. The mean diameters of the two types of mPEG-PH- PLLA nanoparticle were less than 200 nm when the pH values were 5.0 and 7.4. The nanoparticles were nontoxic to NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and HepG2 cells. The release of doxorubicin at pH 5.0 was much faster than that at pH 7.4. The release rate of mPEG(45)-PH(15)-PLLA(82) nanoparticles was much faster than that of mPEG(45)-PH(30)-PLLA(82) nanoparticles at pH 5.0. CONCLUSION The inhibition effect of mPEG(45)-PH(15)-PLLA(82) nanoparticles on the growth of HepG2 cells was greater than that of mPEG(45)-PH(30)-PLLA(82) nanoparticles when the concentration of encapsulated doxorubicin was less than 15 μg/mL.