Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine/Pluronic L121 mixed micelles improve the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel.

The aim of the study is to synthesize a thiolated Pluronic copolymer, Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine copolymer, to construct a mixed micelle system with the Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine copolymer and Pluronic L121 (PL121) and to evaluate the potential of these mixed micelles as an oral drug delivery system for paclitaxel. Compared with Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine micelles, drug-loading capacity of Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine/PL121 mixed micelles was increased from 0.4 to 2.87%. In vitro release test indicated that Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine/PL121 mixed micelles exhibited a pH sensitivity. The permeability of drug-loaded micelles in the intestinal tract was studied with an in situ perfusion method in rats. The presence of verapamil and Pluronic both improved the intestinal permeability of paclitaxel, which further certified the inhibition effect of thiolated Pluronic on P-gp. In pharmacokinetic study, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0→∞) of paclitaxel-loaded mixed micelles was four times greater than that of the paclitaxel solution (p < 0.05). In general, Pluronic-poly (acrylic acid)-cysteine/PL121 micelles were proven to be a potential oral drug delivery system for paclitaxel.