Encapsulated protamine-hyaluronic acid particles for targeting carboplatin directed by radiation

Abstract

Encapsulated protamine-hyaluronic acid particles containing carboplatin were prepared and their ability to release carboplatin was tested in vivo. Protamine–hyaluronic acid particles containing carboplatin were prepared by mixing protamine (1.6 mg) and hyaluronic acid (1.28 mg) into a 5 mg/mL carboplatin solution for 30 min at room temperature. A 1 mL solution of protamine–hyaluronic acid particles was poured into an ampule of COATSOME[Formula: see text] EL-010 (Nichiyu, Tokyo, Japan), shaken three times by hand, and allowed to incubate at room temperature for 15 min. Following that, 10 or 20 Gy of 100 kiloelectronvolt (KeV) soft X-ray was applied. The release of carboplatin was imaged using a microparticle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) camera. The amount of carboplatin released was expressed as the amount of platinum released and measured via quantitative micro-PIXE analysis. The diameter of the generated encapsulated particles measured [Formula: see text] nm (mean ± standard error). The release of carboplatin from the encapsulated protamine–hyaluronic acid particles was observed under a micro-PIXE camera. The amount of carboplatin released was [Formula: see text] under 10 Gy of radiation, and [Formula: see text] under 20 Gy of radiation, which was a sufficient dose for cancer treatment. However, 10 or 20 Gy of radiation is much greater than the dose used for clinical cancer treatment (2 Gy). Further research to reduce the radiation dose to 2 Gy in order to release sufficient carboplatin for cancer treatment is required.