Multifunctional polyvinylpyrrolidinone-polyacrylic acid copolymer hydrogels for biomedical applications

Copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidinone and acrylic acid, crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and polyethylene glycol 600 dimethacrylate were prepared by UV-polymerisation. These polymers were analysed for their extractable content by Soxhlet extraction of the samples at 100 °C for 72 h. Aspirin and paracetamol were incorporated into the polymer structure at 25 wt.% during the curing process and their presence confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the release rate of the drug from the polymer matrix was dependent on intermolecular bonding between the polymer and active agent with aspirin being released slower than paracetamol in all cases. Results showed that paracetamol was completely released after 24 h whereas complete release of aspirin took up to 70 h. Finally preliminary in vitro biocompatibility testing was performed for crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidinone, by determining human hepatoma HepG2 cell viability in the MTT assay and DNA damage in the comet assay following direct contact with various concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidinone-containing media. Cytotoxicity data suggests a dose-dependent effect for both crosslinkers, with concentrations in the range 0.025–2.5 mg ml−1 showing a marginal decrease in viability to, at most, 70% that of untreated cells. Again DNA migration in the comet assay following short-term exposure to EGDMA crosslinked hydrogels correlates with MTT data.