In vitro and in vivo evaluation of targeting efficiency of Adriamycin hydrochloride magnetic microspheres

The objective of this study was to prepare magnetic microspheres as a targeting drug delivery system and to specifically evaluate its targeting efficiency. The magnetic microspheres were prepared by emulsion cross-linking techniques. Targeting efficiency was specifically investigated by experiments of biodistribution on rats and histological study. Adriamycin hydrochloride (ADR)-loaded magnetic microspheres were successfully prepared with the mean diameter of 3.853 μm (± 1.484 μm), and had its speciality of superparamagnetism. The results of the targeting efficiency study showed that application of the external magnetic field significantly increased the ADR concentration from 40.28 μg/ml to 100.70 μg/ml at 10 min, 36.99 μg/ml to 91.16 μg/ml at 60 min, and 13.71 μg/ml to 28.30 μg/ml at 180 min in liver as the targeting tissue. The relative uptake efficiencies in liver by injection treatment of ADR magnetic microspheres with external magnetic field were 3.87, 5.59, and 3.34 at 10 min, 60 min, and 180 min after administration, respectively. In conclusion, distinguished targeting efficiency was displayed, which indicated that the magnetic microspheres could be applied as a novel targeting drug delivery system.