Extended production of nitric oxide from a microencapsulated nitrite salt and an aqueous acidified gel

摘要

Methods and compositions are provided for generating and applying long-lasting therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas from the reaction of a least one microencapsulated nitrite salt and an activating volume of an aqueous acidified gel that has sufficient acidity to convert the nitrite salt to a nitric oxide (NO) and further provides a reducing property that retains the NO in bioactive form.

主权项

1. An extended release generator of therapeutic nitric oxide that includes at least two separate reactant components that are not mixed and do not generate or include nitric oxide (NO) until the extended release generator of therapeutic nitric oxide is applied to a patient, the extended release generator comprising:
a first reactant component including a nitrite salt in a chemically-stable form provided by microencapsulation in a polymer matrix that forms a dry environment but that is diffusible to acidic aqueous solutions; and a second reactant component including a viscous aqueous acidified gel composition comprising an acidifying agent, a reductant, and a gelling agent, characterized by having a viscosity of that provided by aqueous solutions of from 0.73 to 2.18 grams per 100 mL of an aqueous solution of hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC) having a mean molecular weight of 750,000, wherein the acidifying agent and reductant may be the same agent, and wherein the second reactant component has sufficient acidity and reductive capability to covert the nitrite salt to nitric oxide and slow the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide.