Preparation and Characterization of Poly(vinyl Acetate-co-2-hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) and In Vitro Application as Contact Lens for Acyclovir Delivery

Abstract

A series of poly(vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)/acyclovir drug carrier systems (HEMAVAC) containing different acyclovir contents was prepared through bulk free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with vinyl acetate (VAc) in presence of acyclovir (ACVR) as the drug using a LED lamp in presence of camphorquinone as the photoinitiator. The structure of the drug carrier system was confirmed by FTIR and 1HNMR analysis, and the uniform dispersion of the drug particles in the carrier was proved by DSC and XRD analysis. The study of the physico-chemical properties of the prepared materials, such as the transparency, swelling capacity, wettability and optical refraction, was carried out by UV–visible analysis, a swelling test and measurement of the contact angle and the refractive index, respectively. The elastic modulus and the yield strength of the wet prepared materials were examined by dynamic mechanical analysis. The cytotoxicity of the prepared materials and cell adhesion on these systems were studied by LDH assay and the MTT test, respectively. The results obtained were comparable to those of standard lenses with a transparency of 76.90–89.51%, a swelling capacity of 42.23–81.80% by weight, a wettability of 75.95–89.04 o, a refractive index of 1.4301–1.4526 and a modulus of elasticity of 0.67–1.50 MPa, depending on the ACVR content. It was also shown that these materials exhibit no significant cytotoxicity; on the other hand, they show significant cell adhesion. The in vitro dynamic release of ACVR in water revealed that the HEMAVAC drug carrier can consistently deliver uniformly adequate amounts of ACVR (5.04–36 wt%) over a long period (7 days) in two steps. It was also found that the solubility of ACVR obtained from the release process was improved by 1.4 times that obtained by direct solubility of the drug in powder form at the same temperature.

Vinyl Polymers as Key Materials in Contact Lens Design: A Review of Progress and Future Directions

“…In Section 2, we will explore the key properties of vinyl polymers and their impact on contact lens performance. [16][17][18] Table 1 compares vinyl polymer-based contact lenses with other commonly used lens materials. Vinyl polymers, along with silicone hydrogel lenses, offer high oxygen permeability, which is essential for maintaining corneal health.…”

Mevacor/Poly(vinyl acetate/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) as Solid Solution: Preparation, Solubility Enhancement and Drug Delivery

“…The obtained solution was placed in a cylindrical mold made of Teflon and exposed to the LED lamp light during the polymerization reaction. The polymerization reaction was carried out under a moderated flux of nitrogen gas (3 mL•min −1 ) passing through the reactor fabricated as described by Alqahtani et al [35,36]. The polymer was easily detached from the molder and dried in the open air for 12 h followed by the same duration in a vacuum oven at 40 • C. Both the resulting polymeric materials are a cylindrical sheet that is thin, transparent and flexible.…”