School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau 999078, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 1;25(17):9524. doi: 10.3390/ijms25179524.
Core-shell nanostructures are powerful platforms for the development of novel nanoscale drug delivery systems with sustained drug release profiles. Coaxial electrospinning is facile and convenient for creating medicated core-shell nanostructures with elaborate designs with which the sustained-release behaviors of drug molecules can be intentionally adjusted. With resveratrol (RES) as a model for a poorly water-soluble drug and cellulose acetate (CA) and PVP as polymeric carriers, a brand-new electrospun core-shell nanostructure was fabricated in this study. The guest RES and the host CA molecules were designed to have a reverse gradient distribution within the core-shell nanostructures. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope evaluations verified that these nanofibers had linear morphologies, without beads or spindles, and an obvious core-shell double-chamber structure. The X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic results indicated that the involved components were highly compatible and presented in an amorphous molecular distribution state. In vitro dissolution tests verified that the new core-shell structures were able to prevent the initial burst release, extend the continuous-release time period, and reduce the negative tailing-off release effect, thus ensuring a better sustained-release profile than the traditional blended drug-loaded nanofibers. The mechanism underlying the influence of the new core-shell structure with an RES/CA reverse gradient distribution on the behaviors of RES release is proposed. Based on this proof-of-concept demonstration, a series of advanced functional nanomaterials can be similarly developed based on the gradient distributions of functional molecules within electrospun multi-chamber nanostructures.
核壳纳米结构是开发新型纳米药物输送系统的有力平台，具有持续的药物释放特性。同轴静电纺丝是一种简便的方法，可以创建具有精细设计的药物核壳纳米结构，从而可以有意调节药物分子的缓释行为。以白藜芦醇（RES）作为难溶性药物的模型，以醋酸纤维素（CA）和 PVP 作为聚合物载体，本研究制备了一种全新的电纺核壳纳米结构。设计了壳层内 RES 与 CA 分子的反向梯度分布。扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜评估证实，这些纳米纤维具有线性形态，没有珠粒或纺锤形，并且具有明显的核壳双腔结构。X 射线衍射图谱和傅里叶变换红外光谱结果表明，所涉及的成分高度相容，并呈现无定形的分子分布状态。体外溶解试验证实，新型核壳结构能够防止初始突释，延长持续释放时间，并减少负面拖尾释放效应，从而确保比传统的负载药物纳米纤维更好的持续释放特性。提出了具有 RES/CA 反向梯度分布的新型核壳结构对 RES 释放行为影响的机理。基于这一概念验证，类似地可以基于电纺多腔纳米结构内功能分子的梯度分布来开发一系列先进的功能纳米材料。
