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Release testing of parental controlled release microspheres is an essential step in controlling quality and predicting the duration of efficacy. In the first of a two-part study, we examined the effect of various incubation media on release from leuprolide-loaded PLGA microspheres to understand the influence of external pH, plasticization, and buffer type on mechanism of accelerated release. PLGA 50/50 microspheres encapsulating ~5% w/w leuprolide were prepared by the double emulsion-solvent evaporation method with or without gelatin or by the self-healing encapsulation method. The microspheres were incubated at 37°C up to 56days in various media: pH5.5, 6.5, and 7.4 phosphate buffered-saline (PBS) containing 0.02% Tween 80; pH7.4 PBS containing 1.0% triethyl citrate (PBStc); and pH7.4 HEPES buffered-saline containing 0.02% Tween 80 (all media contained 0.02% sodium azide). The recovered release media and microspheres were examined for released drug, polymer molecular weight (Mw), water uptake, mass loss, and BODIPY (green-fluorescent dye) diffusion coefficient in PLGA. After the initial burst release, release of leuprolide from acid-capped PLGA microspheres appeared to be controlled initially by erosion and then by a second mechanism after day 21, which likely consists of a combination of peptide desorption and/or water-mediated breakage of pore connections. PBStc and acidic buffers accelerated degradation of PLGA and pore-network development and increased BODIPY diffusion coefficient, resulting in faster release. Release of leuprolide from the end-capped PLGA showed similar trends as found with acid capped PLGA but with a longer lag time before release. These data provide a baseline mechanistic signature of in vitro release of leuprolide for future comparison with corresponding in vivo performance, and in turn could lead to future development of rational in vitro-in vivo correlations.

Here we describe development of a silicone rubber/stainless steel mesh cage implant system, much like that used to assess biocompatibility of biomaterials [1], for easy removal of injectable polymer microspheres in vivo . The sterile cage has a type 316 stainless steel mesh size (38 μm) large enough for cell penetration and free fluid flow in vivo but small enough for microsphere retention, and a silicone rubber shell for injection of the microspheres. Two model drugs, the poorly soluble steroid, triamcinolone acetonide, and the highly water-soluble luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) peptide superagonist, leuprolide, were encapsulated in PLGA microspheres large enough (63–90 μm) to be restrained by the cage implant in vivo . The in vitro release from both formulations was followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with and without the cage in a standard release media, PBS pH 7.4 + 0.02% Tween 80 + 0.05% sodium azide, at 37 °C. Pharmacokinetics (PK) in rats was assessed after SC injection or SC in-cage implantation of microspheres with plasma analysis by LC-MS/MS or EIA. Tr-A and leuprolide in vitro release was largely unaffected after the initial burst irrespective of the cage or test tube incubation vessel and release was much slower than observed in vivo for both drugs. Moreover, Tr-A and leuprolide pharmacokinetics with and without the cage were highly similar during the 2–3 week release duration before a significant inflammatory response was caused by the cage implant. Hence, the PK-validated cage implant provides a simple means to recover and evaluate the microsphere drug carriers in vivo during a time window of at least a few weeks in order to characterize the polymer microsphere release and erosion behavior in vivo . This approach may facilitate development of mechanism-based in vitro/in vivo correlations and enable development of more accurate and useful in vitro release tests.