5-FLUOROURACIL RELEASE FROM COPOLYMERIC HYDROGELS OF ITACONIC ACID MONOESTER .1. ACRYLAMIDE-CO-MONOMETHYL ITACONATE

The aim of this work was to test the application of new copolymeric po ly(acrylamide-co-monomethyl itaconate) (A/MMI) hydrogels to 5-fluorour acil (5-FU) release. Three different compositions of copolymers have b een studied, 90A:10MMI, 75A:25MMI and 60A:40MMI. The equilibrium swell ing degree in saline solution was between 76 and 80% depending on the copolymer composition. 5-FU, as the sodium salt, was trapped in the ge ls by including it in the feed mixture of polymerization. The swelling kinetics of the hydrogels in saline solution were studied at four tem peratures, and the diffusion coefficient and the activation energy of the process were obtained. The 5-FU release as a function of temperatu re and disc load was studied; the diffusion coefficient and the activa tion energy of the release process were also obtained. The diffusion s tudies follow Fick's second law. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited