CONTROLLED-RELEASE OF 9-BETA-D-ARABINOFURANOSYLADENINE FROM THERMORESPONSIVE DEVICES BASED ON ACRYLOYL-L-PROLINE METHYL-ESTER

Loosely cross-linked polymer gels consisting of acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester (A-ProOMe), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (nG) were synthesized by radiation-induced polymerization, using gamma-rays from a Co-60 source. The percent swelling behavior of the gels obtained was examined in water in the range of 0-50-degrees-C, showing that gels exhibit a characteristic thermo-response such as low-temperature swelling and high-temperature deswelling, depending strongly upon monomer composition. 9-beta-D-Arabinofuranosyladenine was incorporated into this polymer gel to evaluate the pulsatile drug release when cycled at 10 and 37-degrees-C, in which the drug release kinetics could be explained by a matrix pumping mechanism.