On the correlation between the structure of lyotropic carriers and the delivery profiles of two common NSAIDs.

Two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC) and celecoxib (CLXB) were solubilized within cubic and lamellar mesophases as carriers for transdermal drug delivery. SD-NMR, SAXS, ATR-FTIR, and EPR measurements were performed to examine the systems' characteristics and the interactions between the drugs and their hosting mesophases. The amphiphilic drug Na-DFC was found to incorporate at the interfaces of the cubic and lamellar mesophases and thus to act as a cosurfactant and a "structure stabilizer". It increased the order degree and the interactions between the GMO molecules and led the systems toward denser packing. CLXB exhibits an opposite effect on the mesophases. Its solubilization within both systems is accompanied with significant channel swelling and decrease in the order degree. The hydrophobic, rigid and bulky CLXB behaves as a "structure breaker", incorporated between the GMO tails, disturbing the mesophase packing and enhancing the repulsion at the tails region, limiting their close binding. Release experiments from Franz cells revealed that Na-DFC release is dependent on the quantity of water within the hosting mesophase as the water-rich formulation exhibits 1.5-fold enhancement in the release of the drug, compared to the lamellar phase. In contrast, CLXB release was not influenced by the water quantity, hinting that the release mechanisms of the drugs are different while Na-DFC diffuses from the water channels to the external phase, CLXB diffusion occurs through the continuous lipophilic region. The difference in the solubilization sites and interactions of each drug with the mesophases affect their release profiles and determine the preferred formulations for each drug's delivery vehicle.

HIV-TAT enhances the transdermal delivery of NSAID drugs from liquid crystalline mesophases.

Sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC) and celecoxib (CLXB) are common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs which suffer from poor bioavailability and severe side effects when consumed orally, and their transdermal delivery might present important advantages. In this study, the drugs were solubilized in cubic and lamellar mesophases as transdermal delivery vehicles, and a cell-penetrating peptide, HIV-TAT (TAT), was examined as a skin penetration enhancer. SD-NMR, ATR-FTIR, and EPR measurements revealed that, in the cubic mesophase (which is rich in water content), TAT populates the aqueous cores and binds water, while in the dense lamellar system (with the lower water content) TAT is bound also to the glycerol monooleate (GMO) and increases the microviscosity and the order degree. TAT secondary structure in the cubic system was found to be a random coil while once it was embedded in the closely packed lamellar system it transforms to a more ordered compact state of ß-turns arranged around the GMO headgroups. TAT remarkably increased the diffusion of Na-DFC and CLXB from the cubic systems by 6- and 9-fold enhancement, respectively. TAT effect on drug diffusion from the lamellar systems was limited to an increase of 1.3- and 1.7-fold, respectively. The dense packing and strong binding in the lamellar phase led to slow diffusion rates and slower drug release in controlled pattern. These effects of the chemical composition and vehicle geometry on drug diffusion are demonstrated with the impacts of TAT which can be specifically utilized for controlling skin delivery of drugs as required.

Penetratin-induced transdermal delivery from H(II) mesophases of sodium diclofenac.

Penetratin, a cell penetrating peptide is embedded within a reversed hexagonal (H(II)) mesophase for improved transdermal delivery of sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC). The H(II) mesophase serves as the solubilization reservoir and gel matrix whereas penetratin is the transdermal penetration enhancer for the drug. The systems were characterized and the interactions between the components were determined by SAXS, ATR-FTIR and SD-NMR. High affinity of Na-DFC to glycerol monooleate (GMO) was revealed, associated with increasing the order within the water channels. This affinity is enhanced upon heating and seems to be associated with GMO dehydration. Penetratin (PEN) is entrapped at the hydrophilic region of the H(II) mesophase, between the GMO headgroups, reducing the order of the system and decreasing the size of the hexagonal domains. The transdermal delivery rate of Na-DFC through porcine skin, from the H(II) mesophases, was enhanced by PEN and so also the cumulative transport crossing the skin. PEN induced accelerated drug diffusion through the stratum corneum, towards the different skin layers. The transdermal delivery enhancement is explained from the results of the ATR-FTIR analysis. It seems that PEN accelerates the structural transition of skin lipids from hexagonal to liquid. The disordering results in enhanced diffusion of Na-DFC through the stratum corneum, followed by enhanced overall penetration of the drug.

Sodium diclofenac and cell-penetrating peptides embedded in H(II) mesophases: physical characterization and delivery.

Glycerol monooleate (GMO)-based mesophases offer extensive prospects for incorporation of various bioactive molecules. This work deals with the solubilization of selected cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) together with sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC) within the H(II) mesophase for transdermal applications. The effect of CPPs such as RALA (an amphipatic CPP), penetratin (PEN), and oligoarginine (NONA) on Na-DFC skin permeation kinetics to provide controlled release and tune the drug transdermal diffusion was studied. The location of the drug and the CPPs within the mesophase was probed by DSC and FTIR. Na-DFC was found to be located at the interfacial region between the surfactant chains, leading to denser H(II) mesophase. The hydrophilic NONA was intercalated into the aqueous cylinders and caused their swelling. It induced a significant decrease in the hydrogen binding between the GMO carbonyls and their surrounding. The amphiphilic PEN was entrapped within two different regions, depending on its concentration. PEN and NONA improved Na-DFC permeation by 100%, whereas RALA enhanced permeation by 50%. When estimating Na-DFC migration rate out of the mesophase toward surrounding aqueous media, it appeared to be slower with the CPPs. The peptides were not involved at this diffusion-controlled step. It seems that their effect on skin permeation is based on their specific interaction with the skin.

H(II) mesophase and peptide cell-penetrating enhancers for improved transdermal delivery of sodium diclofenac.

This study develops a novel transdermal delivery vehicle for the enhanced delivery of sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC). The system utilizes the advantages of reversed hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystals (H(II)LC), combined with a peptide cell penetration enhancer (CPE), creating together an adaptable system that provides versatile options in the field of transdermal delivery. This enhancer peptide is based on a family of amphipatic peptides that exhibit improved membrane permeability. Franz permeation cell experiments revealed that the peptide enhancer (RALA) improved Na-DFC skin penetration of the liquid crystal 2.2-fold. We studied the structural effects of RALA solubilization on the H(II) mesophase. RALA acts as a chaotropic agent, interfering in the structure of the water, and causes a measurable swelling of the aqueous cylinders by 5A. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurements reveal enhanced hydration of the glycerol monooleate (GMO) headgroups and a 6.5% increase in the fraction of non-freezable water resulting from RALA incorporation. RALA caused a gradual increase in the GMO effective headgroup area due to the hydration, leading eventually to a transform of the hexagonal structure towards a lamellar one. Circular dichroism and ATR-FTIR measurements showed a conservation of the peptide structure when incorporated into the H(II) mesophase. The combined H(II)LC-CPE systems can serve as high potential vehicles for a variety of drugs, as they can easily be modified by varying the composition and temperature, according to the required dose and delivery features.