Analysis of Dilution Induced Disintegration of Micellar Drug Carriers in the Presence of Inter and Intra Micellar Species

Abstract

Micelles of self-assembling polymeric surfactant molecules are promising nanoscopic carriers for lipophilic and toxic drugs, genes, and imaging molecules. Though it is a must for successful transport, ensuring micelle integrity is a challenge during intravenous injection where micelles must endure abrupt dilutional effects and encounters with native molecules. Therefore, direct observational evidence of how micelles behave during dilution is valuable in manipulating the designs of these carriers for a succesful drug delivery. Morphology and stability of the barren and a drug-loaded (lipophilic probucol) micelles of a polymeric surfactant (Pluronic® P123) were monitored during systematic re-dilution in distilled water and simulated body fluid in the presence of a model protein (bovine serum albumin). It was observed through surface tension, dynamic light scattering, laser velocimetry, transmission scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy analyses that the micelles disintegrated to various degrees in all cases upon dilution. The results indicate that dilution effects must be taken into account in designing micellar drug carriers. The assistance of some other means of protection such as encapsulation should be considered for ensuring micelle integrity within the bloodstream. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.