Tape stripping of human stratum corneum yields cell layers that originate from various depths because of furrows in the skin

Received: 21 November 1996     

Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease across the spectrum of severity

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia affecting nearly 18 million people around the world and 4.5 million in the US. It is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is estimated to dramatically increase in prevalence as the elderly population continues to grow. As the cognitive and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms of AD progresses in severity over time, affected individuals become increasingly dependent on others for assistance in performing all activities of daily living. The burden of caring for someone affected by the disorder is great and has substantial impact on a family’s emotional, social and financial well-being. In the US, the currently approved medications for the treatment of mild to moderate stages of AD are the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs). Cholinesterase inhibitors have shown modest efficacy in terms of symptomatic improvement and stabilization for periods generally ranging from 6 to 12 months. There are additional data that have emerged, which suggest longer-term benefits. For the moderate to severe stages of AD, memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist is in widespread use and has shown modest benefit as monotherapy and in combination with ChEIs. The cost effectiveness of the currently available therapeutic agents for AD has undergone great scrutiny and remains controversial, especially outside the US. Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as agitation and psychosis are common in AD. Unfortunately, in the US there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents for the treatment of these symptoms, although atypical antipsychotics have shown some efficacy and have been widely used. However, the use of these agents has recently warranted special caution due to reports of associated adverse effects such as weight gain, hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, cerebrovascular events, and an increased risk for death. Alternative agents used to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms include serotonergic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and anticonvulsant medications.     

Oral Controlled Release Technology for Peptides: Status and Future Prospects

In spite of significant efforts in academic and commercial laboratories, major breakthroughs in oral peptide and protein formulation have not been achieved. The major barriers to developing oral formulations for peptides and proteins include poor intrinsic permeability, lumenal and cellular enzymatic degradation, rapid clearance, and chemical and conformational stability. Pharmaceutical approaches to address these barriers, which have been successful with traditional, small, organic drug molecules, have not readily translated into effective peptide and protein formulations. The success achieved by Sandoz with cyclosporin formulations remains one clear example of what can be achieved, although it is likely that effective oral formulations for peptides and proteins will remain highly compound specific. Although the challenges are significant, the potential therapeutic benefit remains high, particularly with the increasing identification of potential peptide and protein drug candidates emerging from the biotechnology arena. Successful formulations will most likely require a systematic and careful merger of formulation and design delivery systems which maximize the potential for absorption across the epithelial cell layer.     

Mechanism of Ethanol-Enhanced Estradiol Permeation Across Human Skin in Vivo

The influence of ethanol on the permeation of 17-estradiol (estradiol) across viable human skin in vivo was investigated with the human skin sandwich flap model. Maintaining continuous delivery of a constant concentration of the solute in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4 (PBS), or mixtures of ethanol in PBS to the skin surface revealed that steady-state flux of estradiol was achieved within 30–60 min and maintained throughout 4 hr. The 10-fold decrease in in vivo flux and permeability coefficient (K _p) of tracer estradiol solutions in ethanol or ethanol solutions compared with PBS vehicle reflected the 10-fold difference in the apparent partition coefficients (K _m) of estradiol from the respective vehicles into isolated human stratum corneum. Neither the stratum corneum thickness nor the diffusion coefficient of estradiol was significantly different among the vehicles tested. In vivo flux of estradiol in ethanol or ethanol solutions across viable human skin was increased with saturated solutions of estradiol. Further, in vivo flux of estradiol from vehicles such as PBS, ethanol, and ethanol mixtures, which minimally alter the rate-limiting barrier, can be successfully predicted with knowledge of only two physicochemical parameters, the estradiol concentration in the vehicle and the K _m of estradiol from the vehicle into isolated human stratum corneum.     

Bile Salt–Fatty Acid Mixed Micelles as Nasal Absorption Promoters of Peptides. I. Effects of Ionic Strength,Adjuvant Composition,and Lipid Structure on the Nasal Absorption of [D-Arg2]Kyotorphin

Bile salts and synthetic surfactants have been used to promote nasal absorption of peptide drugs. Although a marked increase in nasal absorption has been achieved, this may not be adequate and the possibility of adjuvant-induced membrane toxicity exists. The present study employs a rat in situ nasal perfusion technique and mixed micelles between sodium glycocholate (NaGC) and various lipids as potential nasal absorption enhancers of a stable model dipeptide, [D-Arg²]kyotorphin. NaGC alone enhanced the nasal absorption of the dipeptide in a concentration-dependent manner. When linoleic acid was added to form mixed micelles with NaGC, the absorption was further enhanced (P < 0.01). The effect of mixed micelles was synergistic and much greater than with single adjuvants. Increasing ionic strength was found to increase the adjuvant activity of both NaGC and NaGC–lipid mixed micelles. Structure of the lipid component of the mixed micelles also affected the adjuvant potency. Oleic acid, a cis-unsaturated fatty acid, was more effective than elaidic acid, the trans-isomer, whereas cis-linoleic acid and trans-linolelaidic acid were equally effective ( = 0.05). Mixed micelles of mono-glycerides such as monoolein and monolinolein were also more effective than NaGC alone ( = 0.05). Micellar solubilization of these polar lipids by NaGC appears to be important for nasal absorption enhancement to occur. Reversal of the membrane permeability was also observed within approximately 20–40 min after removal of the adjuvants from the rat nasal cavity. These observations are similar to the effects of mixed micelles on the rectal mucosa and may involve the same mechanism.     

Current Status and Future Prospects of Transdermal Drug Delivery

Pharmaceutical Research -     

m-Dinitrobenzene intoxication due to skin absorption

Summary A case of m-dinitrobenzene intoxication is described. Clinical picture of the patient who was exposed to an industrial material containing m-dinitrobenzene, methaemoglobinemia and excretion of urinary metabolites observed in a volunteer who experimentally worked with the same material, absence of m-dinitrobenzene in the ambient air during the exposure, and penetration of m-dinitrobenzene through the protective gloves which were used by the patient indicate that m-dinitrobenzene was the toxic agent and that the main route of the invasion was skin absorption.     

乙醇对丁卡因凝胶透皮和局麻作用的影响

目的 :考察透皮吸收促进剂乙醇对丁卡因凝胶透皮和局麻作用的影响。方法 :以卡波姆 940为基质配制含 2 0 %和 70 %乙醇的丁卡因 (4 % ,w w)凝胶。采用Franz扩散小池和紫外分光光度法进行小鼠离体皮肤渗透试验 ;用VonFrey镇痛试验考察丁卡因凝胶的局麻作用。结果 :离体皮肤渗透试验表明 2 0 %和 70 %乙醇对丁卡因凝胶均有较强的促渗作用 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,其渗透速率K分别提高了 1 .5 3倍和 2 .1 2倍 ,其中 70 %乙醇的促渗作用明显强于2 0 %乙醇 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,但是 70 %乙醇在一定程度上延长了丁卡因凝胶的滞后时间 ;VonFrey镇痛试验显示含 70 %乙醇的丁卡因凝胶局麻镇痛作用于用药后 1h达高峰 ,痛觉抑制百分率为 1 1 3 % ,镇痛作用持续 5h。结论 :含 70 %乙醇的丁卡因凝胶剂具有较强的透皮作用和局麻效果     

丁卡因凝胶剂的研制与药效测定

 目的：研究各种透皮促进剂对丁卡因经皮渗透的影响，找出一种起效时间较短的丁卡因凝胶剂。方法：配制不同处方的丁卡因凝胶剂，采用Franz扩散小池，HPLC检测药物浓度进行离体皮肤渗透实验，然后采用针刺法进行在体药效测定。结果：月桂氮酮使丁卡因透皮速率提高，但滞后时间延长，在体麻醉效果不佳；单用乙醇不延长滞后时间，在体麻醉起效时间缩短。结论：含乙醇的丁卡因凝胶剂局麻效果最好，可以开发利用。     

透皮促透剂对复方酮康唑乳膏体外透皮吸收的影响

目的：观察不同促透剂对复方酮康唑乳膏中酮康唑在体外透皮作用的影响。方法：采用改良的简单小室装置，以离体鼠皮为透皮屏障，用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)测定含量，计算累积透皮吸收百分率。结果：5种促透使用方法对乳膏中酮康唑均有促透作用。结论：5种促透使用方法最好的为3%双戊烯(DP)＋1.5%氮酮(azone)，然后依次是3%DP、3%薄荷醇(M)、1.5%DP＋1.5%M、2%azone。