In-vitro release of anti-proliferative paclitaxel from novel balloon-expandable polycaprolactone stents

This report investigated the in-vitro release characteristics of paclitaxel from novel balloon-expandable polycaprolactone stents. Polycaprolactone stents were first manufactured by a lab-made micro-injection molding machine. Paclitaxel and polylactide–polyglycolide (PLGA) copolymer were dissolved in acetonitrile and were coated onto the surface of the stents by a spray coating device, which was designed and built especially for this study. An elution method was utilized to characterize the in-vitro release characteristics of paclitaxel. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that biodegradable stents could provide sustained release of paclitaxel for more than 70 days. Various process parameters that controlled the release rate of paclitaxel were studied. The experimental results suggested that the total period of drug release could be prolonged by adopting 75:25 PLGA copolymers, employing multi-layer coatings, and increasing the drug loading. In addition, the effectiveness of eluted paclitaxel on cell behavior was examined. The results showed that the eluted drug could effectively inhibit the proliferation of smooth muscle cells.

Research Highlights
► We investigate the in-vitro release characteristics of paclitaxel from polycaprolactone stents.
► Biodegradable stents provide sustained release of paclitaxel for more than 70 days.
► The eluted drug effectively inhibits the proliferation of smooth muscle cells.