Solubilization and stabilization of camptothecin in micellar solutions of pluronic-g-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers.

The capability of a family of copolymers comprising Pluronic (PEO-PPO-PEO) surfactants covalently conjugated with poly(acrylic acid) (Pluronic-PAA) to enhance the aqueous solubility and stability of the lactone form of camptothecin (CPT) was studied. The unprotected lactone form of CPT, which possesses cytotoxic activity, is rapidly converted to the ring-opened carboxylate form under physiological conditions. Firstly, surfactant properties such as critical micellization concentration (CMC) of Pluronic-PAA copolymers were characterized. Then, the equilibrium solubility partitioning and hydrolysis of the lactone form of CPT in the presence of Pluronic-PAA in water and in human serum were analyzed. CPT solubility in polymer micellar solutions was ca. 3- to 4-fold higher than that in water at pH 5. The amount of CPT solubilized per PPO was considerably greater in the Pluronic-PAA solutions than in the parent Pluronic solution, which suggests that the drug is not only solubilized by the hydrophobic cores and also by the hydrophilic POE-PAA shells of the micelles. The equilibrium partition coefficient of the CPT lactone between Pluronic-PAA solutions and water exceeded (2-3) x 10(3). The complete solubilization of CPT and the absence of chemical interactions between CPT and Pluronic-PAA were confirmed by modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC), infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction of films. The loading of CPT into the Pluronic-PAA micelles was able to prevent the hydrolysis of the lactone group of the drug for 2 h at pH 8 in water. When compared to the unprotected CPT, the kinetics of the CPT hydrolysis in human serum was about 10-fold slower in the Pluronic-PAA formulations.