Injectable Platelet Rich Fibrin (I-PRF) As Novel Vehicle for Local Drug Delivery (LDD) In Periodontal Therapy - In-Vitro Pharmacokinetic Study Pilot Study.

Abstract

Purpose: Local drug delivery systems are preferred over systemic antibiotic therapy in indicated cases to avoid   unnecessary large doses of drug, development of antibiotic resistance etc. The search for the more suitable novel vehicle for the local drug delivery that can render controlled release of drug at periodontally infected sites are widely researched. i-PRF being autologous and injectable could be a suitable vehicle for local delivery of drugs. This study aims to evaluate the possibility of using i-PRF as a controlled release drug vehicle in periodontal therapy.

Methods: i-PRF obtained from centrifugation of 10 ml of blood collected from volunteers are mixed with known concentration of ciprofloxacin drug and allowed to become a gel. The drug loaded gel is dispensed in artificial saliva and allowed to degrade. At specific time intervals (1 hr, 3 hr, 5 hr, 7 hr, 3d, 5d, 7d, 9d, 14d) aliquote of the 200 microliter were collected from each sample and subjected for spectrophotometric analysis.

Results: The spectrophotometric results show that the drug was detected in all the samples obtained from the 1 hr to the 14th day. Final concentration in the eluted samples seem to be gradually reducing from the 1 hr to the 7 th hour and a steep downward pattern in the concentration was absorbed from the 3 rd day until 14th day.

Conclusions: The controlled drug release profile of the i-PRF shows its a potential and suitable vehicle for LDD system in periodontal therapy. Additionally, properties like the syringeability, initially liquid but later becoming gel, and autologous fibrin nature may facilitate its direct delivery into the periodontal pocket, getting moulded to the pocket shape with attachment to the soft and hard tissue thereby ensuring the retention of the drug loaded i-PRF in the confined pocket environment.