Researching the dose ratio in a controlled release multiple-drug delivery system: using combination therapy with porous microparticles for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

Combination therapy can improve therapeutic efficacy or reduce side effects due to the synergistic effects between drugs, and the dose ratio, which is a key factor for combination therapy in the clinic, however, had not been considered in previous studies. Therefore, triple-drug-loaded porous microparticles (containing amoxicillin sodium, metronidazole, and omeprazole) were prepared by emulsion electrospray according to an experiential regimen for the combination therapy of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, and the feeding mass ratios of the drugs were optimized to ensure that the mass ratios of released drugs are in accordance with the dose ratios of three drugs in the recommended regimen. In addition, the particle sizes were less than 10 mm, and the in vivo gamma scintigraphy study demonstrated that the I-131-labeled porous microparticles were retained in the stomach for more than 8 h. Furthermore, the triple-drug-loaded porous microparticles exhibited a stronger effect on H. pylori eradication compared to the free drugs. The results indicate that adjustment of the feeding amounts of drugs is an effective approach for the control of the amounts of drugs released from the diffusion-dependent multiple-drug delivery system. Moreover, the prepared triple-drug-loaded porous microparticles are more suitable for the treatment of clinical H. pylori infection.