Influence of Soluble Fillers in Improving Porosity of Handmade Antibiotic-Impregnated Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Beads: An in-vitro Study

There have been many investigations on non-biodegradable materials acting as an antibiotic carrier for local drug delivery systems based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) beads. However, the material is non-degradable and non-porous so that less than 5% of the encapsulated drug is released. In order to obtain better release of the antibiotics, greater porosity of the beads would be required. Adding fillers could increase the bead’s porosity, thus improving the antibiotic release from the beads. The purpose of the study is to optimize release kinetics of gentamicin from handmade beads by adding fillers such as glycine and sodium chloride in different concentrations. Terms of percolation theory will qualitatively be applied in interpreting the final results. Model beads were made by blending the antibiotics (gentamicin) with powdered PMMA, prepared with the inclusion of glycine and different concentration of sodium chloride in 100% monomer. To determine the gentamicin release, beads were placed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and aliquots were taken at designated times to measure the gentamicin concentration. Addition of glycine yielded 16 % release of the total amount of gentamicin incorporated in 24 hours. Subsequent addition of sodium chloride resulted in an increased gentamicin release, with little or no difference in gentamicin release once 16 g or more sodium chloride was added (gentamicin release 100% of the amount incorporated). In conclusion, addition of glycine and sodium chloride resulted in an increased release of gentamicin; however, the combination without sodium chloride seemed to have an inhibitory effect on the gentamicin release.