International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jan 2019)
Biodegradable andrographolide-eluting nanofibrous membranes for the treatment of cervical cancer
Abstract
Yi-Pin Chen,1,2 Yen-Wei Liu,3 Demei Lee,3 Jiantai Timothy Qiu,4,5 Tzung-Yan Lee,6,7 Shih-Jung Liu3,8 1Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 6Graduate Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 7Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 8Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan Background: In this study, we developed biodegradable andrographolide (AG)-eluting nanofibrous mats and evaluated their efficacy in treating cervical cancer. Materials and methods: Membranes of two different poly[(D,L)-lactide-co-glycolide] (PLGA)-to-AG ratios (6:1 and 3:1) were prepared via electrospinning technology. The liberation behavior of AG was evaluated. A cervical cancer model with C57BL/6J mice was created and employed for an in vivo efficacy assessment of the drug-eluting nanofibers. Twelve mice with cervical cancer were stochastically divided into three different groups (four animals per group): group A received no treatment as the control, group B was treated with pure PLGA mats, and group C was treated with AG-loaded nanofibrous membranes. The changes in tumor sizes were recorded. Results: All membranes eluted high concentrations of AG at the target area for three weeks, while the systemic drug concentration in the blood remained low. Histological analysis showed no obvious tissue inflammation. Compared with the mice in groups A and B, the tumor size of the mice in group C decreased with time until day 25, when the daily drug concentration reduced to 3 µg/mL. Conclusion: Biodegradable nanofibers with a sustainable release of AG exhibit adequate efficacy and durability for the treatment of mice with cervical cancer. Keywords: andrographolide, cervical cancer, biodegradable nanofiber, sustainable release
