To enhance the efficiency of nefopam transdermal iontophoresis by using a novel method based on ion-exchange fiber.

BACKGROUND: In the system of the iontophoresis, the external electric field made the ions in the system moving directly, then, the current was generated. Because the current was contributed by all ions in the system, and the small ions with large amount often had higher conductibility than the drug ions, the fraction of the total current contributed by the drug ions was often low. It was the main reason for the generally low efficiency of the transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to find a novel method to increase the fraction of the total current contributed by the drug ions so as to enhance the drug's iontophoretic delivery. METHOD: Iontophoretic transport of nefopam hydrochloride solution and iontophoretic transport of nefopam assisted by ion-exchange materials, including ion-exchange resin, ion-exchange membrane and ion-exchange fiber, across the rat skin were investigated. RESULTS: Both in vitro and in vivo iontophoretic transport experiments showed that the efficiency of the nefopam-fiber iontophoretic system for nefopam permeating across rat skin was the highest among four iontophoretic systems (nefopam solution, nefopam-resin, nefopam-membrane and nefopam-fiber). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggested that there was an enhancement of nefopam across rat skin by ion-exchange fibers in ion-exchange fibers assisted iontophoresis. The present study has demonstrated the potential of a new approach of using ion-exchange fibers to improve the efficiency of the transdermal iontophoresis for cationizable drugs.

Ketoconazole ion-exchange fiber complex: a novel method to reduce the individual difference of bioavailability in oral administration caused by gastric anacidity.

Water insoluble faintly alkaline drugs often have potential absorption problem in gastrointestinal tract in oral administration for patients with gastric anacidity. The purpose of the present study is to develop a novel method to improve the absorption of the water insoluble faintly alkaline drug in peroral administration. This method is based on ion exchange of ion-exchange fibers. Water-insoluble faintly alkaline drug ketoconazole was used as a model drug. Ketoconazole and the active groups of the ion-exchange fibers combined into ion pairs based on the acid-base reaction. This drug carrier did not release drugs in deionized water, but in water solution containing other ions it would release the drugs into the solution by ion exchange. Confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the ketoconazole combined onto the ion-exchange fibers was in a highly molecular level dispersed state. The improved dissolution of ketoconazole ion-exchange fiber complexes is likely to originate from this ketoconazole's highly dispersed state. Furthermore, due to this ketoconazole's highly dispersed state, ketoconazole ion-exchange fiber complexes significantly decreased the individual difference of absorption in oral administration of ketoconazole caused by the fluctuation of the acid degree in the gastric fluid.

A novel method to enhance the efficiency of drug transdermal iontophoresis delivery by using complexes of drug and ion-exchange fibers.

The main reason for generally low efficiency of the transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery is that the fraction of the total current contributed by the drug ions is very small. The objective of this study was to find a method to increase the fraction of the total current contributed by the drug ions so as to enhance the drug's iontophoretic delivery. Iontophoretic transport of diclofenac solution and diclofenac assisted by ion exchange materials, including ion-exchange resin, ion-exchange membrane and ion-exchange fiber, across the rat skin were investigated. Both in vitro and in vivo iontophoretic transport experiments showed the amount of diclofenac permeated across rat skin from the diclofenac-fibers was highest among those from the diclofenac simple solutions and ion exchange materials complexes. The results of this study suggested that there is an enhancement of drug across rat skin by ion-exchange fibers in ion-exchange fibers assisted iontophoresis. The present study has demonstrated the potential of a new approach using ion-exchange fibers to enhance transdermal iontophoretic transport of an ionizable drug.