Inhalable Nitric Oxide Delivery Systems for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment

Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe medical condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous signaling molecule with potent vasodilator effects; however, inhaled NO is limited in clinical practice because of the need for tracheal intubation and the toxicity of high NO concentrations. In this study, inhalable NO‐releasing microspheres (NO inhalers) are fabricated to deliver nanomolar NO through a nebulizer. Two NO inhalers with distinct porous structures are prepared depending on the molecular weights of NO donors. It is confirmed that pore formation can be controlled by regulating the migration of water molecules from the external aqueous phase to the internal aqueous phase. Notably, open porous NO inhalers (OPNIs) can deliver NO deep into the lungs through a nebulizer. Furthermore, OPNIs exhibit vasodilatory and anti‐inflammatory effects via sustained NO release. In conclusion, the findings suggest that OPNIs with highly porous structures have the potential to serve as tools for PAH treatment.

Fabrication and Optimization of Poly(ε-caprolactone) Microspheres Loaded with S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine for Nitric Oxide Delivery

“…In this case, a potentially much more simplified, easily reproducible technique would be to use the slow-releasing NO-MSs for angiogenesis. Other studies have experimented with finding a way to use the vasodilatory effects of NO to address the severe medical condition of pulmonary arterial hypertension through nebulizing NO-releasing MSs deep into the lungs [ 48 ]. Our small, uniformly shaped MSs with slow-release capacity and a simplified fabrication technique could potentially be the next ideal candidate to test for therapeutic levels of drug delivery into the highly sensitive areas of the lung.…”