Adsorption of lipoproteins with the aid of carboxymethylchitosan mircrospheres crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether

Carboxymethylchitosan microspheres crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether were prepared and then tested as an adsorbent for selective removal of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in human plasma. The microspheres were formed by a method of electrostatic instillation and crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether. FTIR spectral analyses and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that carboxymethylchitosan was crosslinked through amino groups to poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether. The plasma lipoprotein sorption tests showed that the adsorption properties of the crosslinked microspheres for LDL were dependent on the concentrations of carboxymethylchitosan and poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether. When the concentrations of carboxymethylchitosan and poly(ethylene glycol) bisglycidyl ether were 3.5% and 6%, respectively, 40% LDL and lower than 10% high density lipoprotein in plasma could be removed and the adsorption could be reach an equilibrium in 30 min.