An insulin-releasing system responsive to glucose: thermodynamic evaluation of permeability properties.

Two weak poly(acid)s, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(N-acryloyl-glycine) (P1), were graft-copolymerized onto porous cellulose membrane and their protonation behavior in aqueous media was studied by potentiometric techniques. Comparison with the corresponding free polymers in solution showed the same basicity constants during the protonation of ionized carboxyl groups, and the large potentiometric hysteresis loops observed for the grafts were indicative of specific interactions with the cellulose substrate. This was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopic analysis at low pH. The polymeric membrane system, containing immobilized glucose oxidase, was synthesized for the purpose of insulin delivery in response to glucose concentration. The porosity of the membrane was controlled by the charge-state conformations of the grafted chains. The formation of gluconic acid in the presence of glucose caused a drop in pH which led to neutralization of the negatively charged carboxyl groups. The decrease in electrostatic repulsion caused the extended macromolecular chain to assume a coil-like form and opened the membrane pores to insulin.