Anaesthetic effects of propofol polymeric micelle: a novel water soluble propofol formulation

Abstract Background As a result of its very low water solubility, propofol is generally presented as a lipid-based formulation with well-characterized limitations. Methods Propofol (99.7%) was added directly to an aqueous solution of poly( N -vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-block-poly(d,l-lactide)copolymers (PVP-PLA) block copolymers and stirred in order to obtain a clear solution. This formulation was filtered sterile and then lyophilized to its solid form Propofol-PM (propofol polymeric micelle) which reconstitutes to a propofol 1%w/v (10 mg ml −1 ) clear aqueous solution of 30–60 nm propofol-containing micelles. Population pharmacokinetic data from whole blood and plasma were obtained by administering reconstituted Propofol-PM formulations and a 1% oil in water formulation, Diprivan ® to male Sprague–Dawley rats ( n = 40) at a dose of 10 mg kg −1 . Preliminary recovery data were obtained from a further small study. Results The pharmacokinetics were best described using a two-compartment mamillary population model, which incorporated sample matrix (blood or plasma) and propofol formulation (Diprivan ® or Propofol-PM) as covariates. Sample matrix was applied to all structural model parameters as a dichotomous covariate. An influence of propofol formulation was observed for all parameters (excluding distributional clearance) but only when plasma was used for propofol quantification. In this preliminary pharmacodynamic study, there was no statistically significant difference in the timing of the recovery endpoints between the Propofol-PM formulation and Diprivan ® groups. Conclusions Propofol-PM formulations produce anaesthesia in rats. Whole blood pharmacokinetics of Propofol-PM did not differ from those observed with Diprivan ® .