Effect of Vial shaking on Loading Time of Epirubicin into Drug-Eluting Bead

Background: Although DC Bead has been useful in treatment of multiple and large hepatocellular carcinoma, loading time of doxorubicin into the DC Bead takes a long time of 30-120 minutes. Epirubicin is also used as an antitumor agent together with DC Bead, but its loading efficiency was not sufficiently elucidated. Methods: To shorten loading time of epirubicin into DC Bead (100-300μm, 300-500μm, 500-700μm), we examined the following three methods after mixing the drug: (a) let stand in room temperature, (b) agitated for 30 seconds with Vortex mixer, and (c) sonicated for 30 seconds with ultrasonic cleaner. After loading of epirubicin by each method, supernatant concentration for epirubicin was assayed at 5, 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. Results: Epirubicin loading rates for small bead (100-300μm) at 5 minutes were 82.9 % in group a, 93.8% in group b, and 79.9 % in group c. Similarly, medium bead (300-500μm), 40.1% in group a, 65.7% in group b and 45.5% in group c, respectively. In large-sized bead (500-700μm), loaded rates of epirubicin were 38.8% in group a, 59.0% in group b and 48.0% in group c. Agitation of mixture of epirubicin and DC Bead with Vortex mixer significantly shortened the loading time, but sonication did not affect the time required. Microscopic examination did not lead to any morphological change of microspheres in all the methods. Conclusions: Short time of agitation with Vortex mixer reduced the necessary time for loading of epirubicin in every standard of DC Bead.