The formation and characterization of hydrocortisone-loaded poly((+/-)-lactide) microspheres

The solvent evaporation process has been used to form hydrocortisone-loaded microspheres from poly((+/-)-lactide) (PLA) and a lactide-glycolide copolymer (65/35). Methylene chloride was the casting solvent. Partially hydrolysed (88%) poly(vinyl alcohol) and methylcellulose were used as aqueous phase emulsifiers. Methylcellulose was preferred, because it gave stable emulsions as the amount of hydrocortisone being encapsulated increased whereas poly(vinyl alcohol) did not. With methylcellulose as the emulsifier, a broad size range of spherical microspheres containing up to 50% (w/w) hydrocortisone could be prepared. Thermal and X-ray analyses established that poly((+/-)-lactide) microspheres containing hydrocortisone retained thermal events characteristic of both materials. This is evidence that such microspheres contain, to some extent, crystalline hydrocortisone domains dispersed in a PLA matrix. But most of the encapsulated drug was molecularly dispersed in the PLA glass. The stability of hydrocortisone in microspheres was evaluated in different storage conditions: no degradation of drug was found. The release of hydrocortisone from 250-350 microns diameter microspheres into agitated 37 degrees C water (nitrogen atmosphere) was determined by HPLC analysis. The microspheres evaluated had initial hydrocortisone payloads of 12 to 47% (w/w). The rate of drug release increased as the initial drug payload carried by the microspheres increased. The release data are not adequately described by zero order, first order, or square-root-of-time release kinetics. Drug release from microspheres that contain 12% (w/w) hydrocortisone approached a plateau value well below the amount of drug actually carried by the microspheres. This is particularly true for hydrocortisone encapsulated in lactide-glycolide polymer.