Glycerol-Enhanced Drug Delivery in Conductive Fibers

Example 4

A conductive composite fiber bundle was prepared whose central portion was coated with PDMS in the same manner as Example 4-4. However, the aforementioned conductive composite fiber bundle was impregnated with glycerol before being coated with the PDMS. Upon measuring drug delivery speed in the same manner as Example 4-4 using this conductive composite fiber bundle, the concentration of the Lucifer yellow in the dish increased at a rate of 6.7 μM/day (in FIG. 36, the ▪ plot and the solid line). From this result, it is shown that drug delivery speed is increased by adding glycerol to the conductive composite fibers.

As one reason for the improvement in drug delivery speed due to impregnation of conductive composite fibers with glycerol, it would seem that when the conductive composite fibers are coated with PDMS, the glycerol prevents the PDMS from penetrating (infiltrating) to the interior of the conductive composite fiber bundle, and the condition of the flow path constituted by the conductive composite fiber bundle is maintained in a condition suited to drug transport.