Transscleral Iontophoresis for Noninvasive Ocular Drug Delivery of Macromolecules.

Purpose: The objectives were to investigate the effect of transscleral iontophoresis of macromolecules in vitro and in vivo, to study the importance of electroosmosis on macromolecules of low charge to mass ratio, and to evaluate transscleral iontophoresis efficacy in a choroidal neovascularization (CNV) animal model. Methods: Through in vitro transport experiments, the permeability coefficients of macromolecules [eg, immunoglobulin G (IgG), dextran 70 kDa] were determined under different conditions. The effect of ionic strength formulations and iontophoretic conditions was studied on the distribution of IgG and bevacizumab into the eye in vivo. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was utilized to evaluate in vivo real time distribution of gadolinium-labeled albumin (Galbumin) following iontophoresis. The efficacy between no treatment, intravitreal injection (IVT), and iontophoresis of bevacizumab on a CNV model of subretinal injection of adeno-associated virus encoding human VEGF-165 was investigated. Results: The permeability data suggested a significant effect of ionic strength on the iontophoretic transport of macromolecules. Transscleral iontophoresis of IgG at 4 mA with a low ionic strength formulation was about 600 times greater than passive diffusion and 14-fold over a conventional formulation in vitro. Approximately 0.6 mg of bevacizumab can be delivered into the rabbit eye in vivo with a 20-min treatment of iontophoresis. MRI showed that Galbumin was in the posterior tissues after iontophoresis. In the CNV model, the iontophoresis and IVT methods of bevacizumab delayed retinal neovascularization by 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Conclusions: Transscleral iontophoresis is capable of delivering macromolecule drugs through the conjunctiva and sclera, eventually exposing the retina/choroid to the drugs.

Novel Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Treatment (DSP-Visulex) for Noninfectious Anterior Uveitis: A Randomized Phase I/II Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Frequent steroid drops represent a challenge in patient compliance. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of 5 minute topical dexamethasone sodium phosphate-Visulex (DSP-Visulex) treatment regimen (two applications on the first week then weekly after) compared to daily prednisolone acetate 1% (PA) for noninfectious anterior uveitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients were randomized to 8% DSP-Visulex with placebo eye drops (8% group, n = 14), 15% DSP-Visulex with placebo eye drops (15% group, n = 15), or Vehicle-Visulex with PA eye drops (PA group, n = 15). Patients received daily eye drops and Visulex treatments on days 1, 3, 8, and 15 with an optional treatment on day 22. Efficacy measures were change in anterior chamber cell (ACC) count from baseline and proportion of patients with zero ACC count at days 8, 15, and 29. Safety measures were adverse events (AEs), visual acuity, ocular symptoms, and intraocular pressure (IOP). RESULTS: ACC resolution over time was similar among the three groups. The percentage of patients with clear ACC was 18%, 22%, and 15% on day 8; 27%, 56%, and 54% on day 15; and 90%, 88%, and 77% on day 29 for the 8%, 15%, and PA groups, respectively. The numbers of reported AEs were 10, 36, and 12 for the 8%, 15%, and PA groups, respectively. Ten patients among all groups experienced treatment-related AEs, which included headache, eye pain, corneal abrasion, conjunctival/corneal staining, conjunctivitis, visual acuity reduction, and keratitis all of which were resolved during the timeframe of patients' participation in the study. IOP elevation was noted in the PA group throughout the study, whereas IOP elevation in the DSP-Visulex groups was observed at day 3 but not thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of the DSP-Visulex applications was comparable to the daily PA drops in the treatment of noninfectious anterior uveitis. Both 8% and 15% DSP-Visulex treatments were safe and well tolerated.

Ocular Drug Distribution and Safety of a Noninvasive Ocular Drug Delivery System of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate in Rabbit.

PURPOSE: To determine the ocular toxicity, systemic exposure, and amounts of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) in ocular tissues after administration of DSP with the Visulex system (DSP-Visulex). METHODS: DSP-Visulex was applied onto healthy rabbit eyes. DSP concentrations (4%, 8%, 15%, and 25%) and treatment durations (5, 10, and 20 min) were evaluated for the amounts of DSP in the ocular tissues and in plasma after single administrations of DSP-Visulex. The drug in eye tissues and plasma was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV/VIS and by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The safety and tolerability were ascertained based on clinical observations and histopathological examinations from repeat weekly DSP-Visulex treatments (4%, 8%, 15%, and 25% for 20 min) for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Significant amounts of DSP (ie, higher than 1 µg/g) were found in the anterior chamber, retina-choroid, cornea, vitreous, conjunctiva, and sclera after single applications of DSP-Visulex. The DSP concentrations in the ocular tissues and in plasma increased with increased DSP concentrations in the Visulex applicator and with increased application times. Systemic DSP was rapidly detected. The plasma half-life was 2-3 h. Cmax was 148 and 1,844 ng/mL, and the area under the plasma drug concentration versus time curve (AUC) was 418 and 3,779 ng · h/mL for the low dose (4% DSP-Visulex for 5 min) and the high dose (15% DSP-Visulex for 20 min), respectively. Ocular findings over 12 weeks were mostly conjunctival injection and eye discharge. These were transient and mild. Histopathological examinations indicated the eyes to be normal. CONCLUSIONS: DSP can be administered safely and effectively into the rabbit eye with the Visulex system. Treatment duration and DSP concentration are important factors in achieving therapeutic levels. Repeat applications of DSP-Visulex are safe and well tolerated for weekly administrations over 4-12 weeks. DSP-Visulex has clinical potential for the noninvasive treatment of ocular diseases.

Noninvasive Ocular Drug Delivery System of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate in the Treatment of Experimental Uveitis Rabbit.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexamethasone sodium phosphate administered through Visulex system (DSP-Visulex) in treating experimental uveitis. METHODS: Uveitis was induced in rabbits by subcutaneous injections of complete Freund's adjuvant and an intravitreal injection of H37RA antigen. After induction, the animals of the control group received no treatment and the others received various treatment regimens of DSP-Visulex. Each regimen was different in DSP strength (4%, 8%, and 15%), application time, or treatment frequency. Efficacy and safety of DSP-Visulex were evaluated by ophthalmic observations and histopathological examinations for ocular inflammations and pathology. RESULTS: The control group exhibited panuveitis with significant inflammation in the vitreous, choroid, and retina, but less in the conjunctiva, cornea, and anterior chamber. The uveitis occurred within 24 h after induction and persisted throughout the study in the control group. All treatments showed some reduction in inflammation in the vitreous, choroid, and retina. The higher dose regimens generally showed more rapid and higher degree of resolution than the lower dose regimens. The posterior eye tissues of the 15% and 8% DSP-Visulex appeared normal with minimal or no inflammation, whereas the untreated eye and the 4% DSP-Visulex eyes showed minimal response. CONCLUSIONS: All DSP-Visulex regimens suppressed the signs of inflammation and were well tolerated over the course of a 29-day study. The 8% and 15% DSP-Visulex treatment regimens were safe and efficacious for anterior, intermediate, and posterior uveitis. On the other hand, the 4% DSP-Visulex regimen may only be considered for anterior and intermediate uveitis.

Capric Acid Absorption in the Presence of Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrin in the Rat Ileum using the In Situ Single-Pass Perfusion Technique.

The purpose of the present study was to gain quantitative mechanistic insight into the role cyclodextrin carriers may play in the intestinal absorption of highly lipophilic molecules. The physical model approach was employed to investigate capric acid absorption in the rat ileum using the in situ single-pass method with 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPB) present in the perfusate. Two physical models were examined: the flat surface model in which the intestinal wall was treated as a hollow, smooth, circular cylinder, and the villus model in which the intestinal surface allowed for the presence of villi. Capric acid absorption was found to be essentially 100% aqueous boundary layer controlled at low HPB concentrations and increasingly membrane controlled at the higher HPB concentrations. Theoretical calculations based on the experimental data and model parameters were found to be consistent with: at low HPB concentrations, capric acid was mainly absorbed at the villus tips and there was very little capric acid penetration into the intervillus space; in contrast, at 50 mM HPB, there was considerable capric acid penetration into the intervillus space, this corresponding to around a 4.5-fold increase in the accessible area for absorption when compared with 0 mM HPB.

Effect of geometrical structure on the in vivo quality change of a three-dimensionally perforated porous bone cell scaffold made of apatite/collagen composite.

Biodegradable artificial bone blocks with interconnective pores were prepared using a self-setting apatite/collagen composite cement as a cell scaffold for bone regenerative medicine. The biological behavior of the blocks was tested in rats, and the change in their properties after implantation was measured. One cubic block [10 mm X 10 mm X 10 mm; porous composite (PC)] was obtained from apatite cement (apatite/collagen cement; 80% of apatite:20% of collagen) with 60 interconnecting holes, 500 um in diameter. The other blocks (NC and NN) without holes were obtained from the apatite/collagen and plain apatite cements, respectively. All blocks were implanted in the rats for 56 days. Changes in the amount and density (block mineral mass and block mineral density) of the blocks were evaluated based on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry images, and the order of biodegradation was PC < NC < NN. After implantation, the blocks were removed, and subjected to an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetry (TG). The XRD peaks of all blocks increased significantly. TG revealed that the amount of carbonated apatite also increased with time. However, the organic component of PC depended on the implantation period, consistent with the FT-IR results. Because PC had interconnective macro- and micropores in the apatite/collagen matrices, the results indicated that soft tissue penetrated the block carbonated apatite was generated, bone remodeling was accelerated in the implant.

Determination of binding affinity for chenodeoxycholate in equilibrium with sulfobutylether-ß-cyclodextrin.

A kinetic dialysis technique together with a radiolabeled chenodeoxycholate (CDC) was used to determine the existence of a relationship between the monomer concentration of CDC and the total CDC concentration in different CDC solutions containing 1 or 5 mM sulfobutylether (SBE)-ß-cyclodextrin. On the basis of the nature of the relationship and a binding model with binding constants of K1 and K2, the binding affinity for the solutions was quantified at the best curve fitting using a least-squares technique. The very high binding affinity of K1 and the very low (i.e., negligible) binding affinity of K2 indicate the formation of 1:1 inclusion complexes. In addition, the values of K1 and K2 were reasonably interpreted. Similar analysis showed that the formation of 1:2 inclusion complexes and the self-association of the SBE-ß-cyclodextrin molecules in the solutions are unlikely. The present study provides a basis for investigating the self-association, quantifying the binding affinity, and interpreting the quantified values.

Chemometric evaluation of physicochemical properties of carbonated-apatitic preparations by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and quick method of evaluating the physicochemical properties of carbonated apatite preparations (CAP) as an index of the bioaffinity of implantable materials based on Fourier-transformed-infrared (IR) spectra by chemometrics. The wet-synthesized CAPs contained various levels of carbonate content (CO(3)), and were analyzed microstrain parameter (MS), crystallite size parameter (CP), specific surface area (Sw), CO(3), and solubility parameter (pK(HAP)) using by X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen gas adsorption, IR, and UV absorption. The IR spectral results of CAPs suggested that the peak intensities of CAP reflected the physicochemical properties of the samples. The IR data sets were calculated to obtain calibration models evaluating the physicochemical properties of CAPs by a partial least squares regression analysis (PLS). As validation of the calibration model, physicochemical properties of CAP could be evaluated based on validation IR data sets of independent samples, and those values had sufficient accuracy. The regression vector of each calibration model suggested that the physicochemical properties of CAP, such as CO(3), Sw, MS, CP, and pK(HAP), were affected by phosphate, hydroxyl, and carbonate groups.

Transport of a lipophilic ionizable permeant (capric acid) across a lipophilic membrane (silicone polymer membrane) from aqueous buffered solutions in the presence of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin.

The present study describes a physical model approach applicable to understanding the transport of highly lipophilic, ionizable drugs across a lipophilic membrane between two aqueous compartments in the presence of a cyclodextrin in the aqueous phase. Model predictions were compared with experimental results of capric acid (HA) transport across a silicone polymer membrane in the presence and in the absence of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPB) in the aqueous phase over wide ranges of conditions. Key parameters entering into the physical model calculations were the HA-HPB and the A(-)-HPB binding constants, the unionized and ionized free and the complexed HA species diffusion coefficients, the HA pKa, the HA intrinsic silicone polymer membrane permeability coefficient, and the aqueous boundary layer thickness. All of these key parameters were determined from independent or essentially independent experiments. The agreement between the model predictions and the experiments were generally quite good over the entire ranges of the studied independent variables. The results of this study provide an approach that is useful in the mechanistic understanding of how cyclodextrins may enhance the passive absorption of highly lipophilic, low solubility drug molecules in the intestinal tract.

Transport behavior of hairless mouse skin during constant current DC iontophoresis, part 2: iontophoresis of nonionic molecules with cotransport of polystyrene sulfonate oligomers.

The purpose of this study was to characterize changes that occur in the iontophoretic transport of nonionic probe permeants in hairless mouse skin epidermal membrane from the anode to cathode when polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) oligomers are cotransported from the cathode to anode. The experiments were conducted with trace levels of the nonionic probe permeants: urea, mannitol, and raffinose. In order to systematically assess changes that occur as a result of having PSS in the cathodal chamber, the steady-state transport parameters of the membrane and the experimental permeability coefficients of the probe permeants were determined and compared with results obtained from earlier baseline experiments where both the cathodal and anodal chamber media were phosphate buffered saline. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the PSS solutions were determined including the solution viscosity and conductance as well as the mobilities of individual PSS oligomers. The effective pore radii of the transport pathways were calculated using a theoretical expression based on simultaneous diffusion and electroosmosis. Compared with the baseline results, the calculated radii were found to have increased up to around twofold and the iontophoretic fluxes of the probe permeants increased by as much sixfold.

Transport behavior of hairless mouse skin during constant current DC iontophoresis I: baseline studies.

The fluxes of charged and nonionic molecules across hairless mouse skin (HMS) were induced by direct current iontophoresis and used to characterize the transport pathways of the epidermal membrane. Experimental data were used to determine permeability coefficients from which the effective pore radii (Rp) of the transport pathways were calculated. Permeants used in these experiments were nonionic permeants (urea, mannitol, and raffinose), monovalent cationic permeants (sodium, tetraethylammonium, and tetraphenylphosphonium ions), and monovalent anionic permeants (chloride, salicylate, and taurocholate ions). The Rp estimates obtained by the anionic permeant pairs were 49, 22, and 20 Å for the chloride/salicylate (Cl:SA), chloride/taurocholate (Cl:TC), and salicylate/taurocholate (SA:TC) pairs, respectively; with the cationic permeant pairs, the Rp values obtained were 19, 30, and 24 Å for the sodium/tetraethylammonium (Na:TEA), sodium/tetraphenylphosphonium (Na:TPP), and the tetraethylammonium/tetraphenylphosphonium (TEA:TPP) pairs, respectively. Rp estimates for HMS obtained from nonionic permeant experiments ranged from 6.7 to 13.4 Å. When plotted versus their respective diffusion coefficients, all of the permeability coefficients for the cationic permeants were greater than those of the anionic permeants. Additionally, the magnitudes of permeability coefficients determined in the current study with HMS were of the same order of magnitude as those previously determined in our laboratory using human epidermal membrane under similar iontophoresis conditions.

Effect of geometrical structure on the biodegradation of a three-dimensionally perforated porous apatite/collagen composite bone cell scaffold.

A Biodegradable artificial bone with inter-connective pores was prepared using a self-setting apatite/collagen composite cement as a cell scaffold for bone regenerative medicine, and investigated as to biocompatibility by X-ray computed tomography (CT) after its implantation into rats. Blocks (APN, APC and ACC) of apatite cement, apatite cement with continuous holes, and apatite/collagen composite cement with continuous holes were prepared. The APC and ACC blocks had 16 (8x2) interconnecting holes 500 microm in diameter. After the APN, APC, and ACC blocks were implanted in the back of the rats, X-ray CT images were measured every week. Before and after implantation, powder X-ray diffraction profiles of APN, APC and ACC showed diffraction patterns of hydroxyapatite with low crystallinity. Changes in the volume, inorganic content and density of the blocks in the rats were evaluated based on X-ray CT images. The volume and inorganic content of ACC decreased continuously at a constant rate. In contrast, the volume and inorganic content of APN and APC didn't show major changes. After implantation, the absorption of X-rays by ACC decreased with time. This suggested that the block was bioabsorbed significantly with time. In contrast, the absorption of APC and APN did not decrease, indicating that the blocks were not bioabsorbed.

Effect of geometrical structure on drug release rate of a three-dimensionally perforated porous apatite/collagen composite cement.

To improve the biocompatibility, inter-connective pore structure, and drug delivery ability of self-setting apatite/collagen composite cement (ACC), a three-dimensionally perforated porous apatite/collagen composite cement (TPPACC) containing 3% indomethacin (IMC) was obtained in an arranged multi-cross with 20, 40, and 60 stainless steel needlelike male dies, and stored and hardened at 37 degrees C and 100% relative humidity for 24 h. The mean radius of micro-pores of the TPPACC was evaluated to be 0.125 microm by mercury porosimetry. X-ray powder diffraction and FT-IR spectroscopy suggested that TPPACC consisted of carbonated apatite and had a structure similar to that of natural rat bone. The IMC release rates from a TPPACC block containing the drug were measured in simulated body fluid. The rate of release increased with the number of macro-pores that from planar surface matrix systems followed the Higuchi equation. The relationship between the Higuchi constant and surface area of TPPACC showed a straight line with K = 0.2123 and R(2) = 0.9892. These results indicated that the rate of drug release from TPPACC could be controlled by the number of macro-pores for bone cells.

Effects of oxygen-containing terpenes as skin permeation enhancers on the lipoidal pathways of human epidermal membrane.

The present study investigated the effects of oxygen-containing terpenes as skin permeation enhancers on the lipoidal pathways of human epidermal membrane (HEM). The enhancement (E(HEM)) effects of menthol, thymol, carvacrol, menthone, and cineole on the transport of a probe permeant, corticosterone, across HEM were determined. It was found that the enhancer potencies of menthol, thymol, carvacrol, and menthone were essentially the same and higher than that of cineole based on their aqueous concentration in the diffusion cell chamber at E(HEM) = 4. Thymol and carvacrol also had the same E(HEM) = 10 concentration further supporting that they had the same enhancer potency based on the aqueous concentration. The uptake amounts of terpene into the HEM stratum corneum (SC) intercellular lipid under the same conditions indicate that the intrinsic potencies of the studied terpenes are the same based on their concentration in the SC and similar to those of n-alkanol and n-alkylphenyl alcohol. Moreover, they are all better enhancers compared to branched-chain alkanol. The approximately same uptake enhancement of beta-estradiol induced by the studied terpenes and alcohols at E(HEM) conditions into the SC intercellular lipids suggests that the mechanism of enhancement action for the terpenes and those of alcohols are essentially the same.

Effects of alternating current frequency and permeation enhancers upon human epidermal membrane.

Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of AC iontophoresis to control skin resistance in different transdermal iontophoresis applications. The objectives of the present study were to (a) identify the alternating current (AC) frequency for the optimization of AC pore induction of human epidermal membrane (HEM) and (b) determine the effects of chemical permeation enhancers upon the extent of pore induction under AC conditions. Experiments with a synthetic membrane system were first conducted as the control. In these synthetic membrane experiments, the electrical resistance of the membrane remained essentially constant, suggesting constant electromobility of the background electrolyte ions under the AC conditions studied. In the HEM experiments, the electrical resistance data showed that higher applied voltages were required to induce the same extent of pore induction in HEM at AC frequency of 1kHz compared with those at 30Hz. Even higher voltages were needed at AC frequencies of 10kHz and higher. AC frequency also influenced the recovery of HEM electrical resistance after AC iontophoresis application. An optimal AC frequency region for effective pore induction and least sensation was proposed. Permeation enhancers were shown to enhance pore induction in HEM during AC iontophoresis. The enhancers reversibly reduced the AC voltage required to sustain a constant state of pore induction in HEM during AC iontophoresis, consistent with the mechanism of lipid lamellae electroporation in the stratum corneum.

Transscleral iontophoretic and intravitreal delivery of a macromolecule: study of ocular distribution in vivo and postmortem with MRI.

The distribution and clearance of macromolecules in ocular delivery are not well understood. It has been hypothesized that iontophoresis can enhance transscleral delivery of macromolecules. The objective of this study was to investigate the ocular distribution of a macromolecule after transscleral iontophoretic delivery and intravitreal injection in vivo using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare these results. Experiments of constant current transscleral iontophoresis of 4mA or intravitreal injection were performed on New Zealand white rabbits in vivo. Iontophoresis experiments were also performed on rabbits postmortem. Galbumin (Gd-labeled albumin) was the model permeant surrogate to clinical therapeutic agents. MRI was used to monitor the distribution of the molecule in the eye after ocular iontophoresis and intravitreal injection. In addition, the conjunctiva, sclera, choroid, and retina were extracted in the transscleral iontophoresis study to determine the amounts of Galbumin in these tissues using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The results show that iontophoresis enhanced the ocular delivery of Galbumin. The macromolecule was mainly delivered into the conjunctiva and sclera in microgram quantities and then diffused towards the posterior section in the upper hemisphere of the eye in vivo. Both in vivo and postmortem studies show that the iontophoretic delivery of Galbumin into the vitreous was below the detection limit. In the intravitreal injection study, the diffusion coefficient of Galbumin in the vitreous humor was estimated to be close to that of free aqueous diffusion.

Ion-exchange membrane assisted transdermal iontophoretic delivery of salicylate and acyclovir.

The presence of endogenous competing counterions is a main reason for the generally low efficiency of transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the incorporation of an ion-exchange membrane (Ionac) in an iontophoresis system to hinder transdermal transport of these counterions can enhance iontophoretic delivery. The properties of Ionac were characterized in passive and iontophoretic transport experiments. Iontophoretic transport across human epidermal membrane (HEM) and across HEM in series with Ionac was then studied. To assess the effect of HEM electrical resistance upon Ionac-assisted iontophoresis, HEM resistance was reduced in the iontophoresis experiments with alternating current (AC). Salicylate (SA) was the negatively charged permeant first tested in this study. Mannitol was the model permeant to examine the effects of electroosmosis. At the completion of the SA study, experiments were performed with acyclovir (ACV), an antiviral drug with limited water solubility. When Ionac was used to enhance SA transdermal fluxes, higher SA fluxes were observed with HEM of lower resistances in Ionac-assisted iontophoresis. Up to a four-fold flux enhancement was achieved when the electrical resistance of HEM was reduced using an AC iontophoresis method. For ACV, two-fold flux enhancement was observed in Ionac-assisted iontophoresis compared with the conventional iontophoresis baseline. In all experiments, the contribution of electroosmosis to drug transport was less than 10%. The present study has demonstrated the potential of a new approach using a positively charged ion-exchange membrane to enhance transdermal iontophoretic transport of negatively charged drugs.

Passive and oxymetazoline-enhanced delivery with a lens device: pharmacokinetics and efficacy studies with rabbits.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to assess the trans-scleral delivery of dexamethasone phosphate (DexP) with a prototype lens device and a formulation comprising a vasoconstrictor and to determine the efficacy of this delivery system in treating experimentally induced uveitis in a rabbit model. METHODS: Passive trans-scleral delivery was performed on New Zealand white rabbits in vivo, using the lens device and a formulation of 0.034 M oxymetazoline (OMZ, the vasoconstrictor) and 0.5 M of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DexNaP). Trans-scleral delivery of DexP without OMZ was the control. The amounts of DexP delivered into the eye and its distributions in the eye were determined by dissection of the eye and high-performance liquid chromatography assay in the pharmacokinetics study. The efficacy of the DexP delivery system in treating lipopolysaccharide-induced uveitis was also evaluated in the rabbit model in vivo. The effect of OMZ upon DexP delivery and its treatment efficacy was studied by comparing the DexP results with and without OMZ. RESULTS: In the pharmacokinetics study, the amounts of DexP delivered into the eye using the lens system with OMZ were significantly higher than those without OMZ. The results in the efficacy study showed a better treatment outcome with OMZ to relieve the symptoms of endotoxin-induced uveitis in rabbits. CONCLUSIONS: The potential of vasoconstrictors to enhance eye disease treatments in passive trans-scleral drug delivery was demonstrated. The higher DexP level in the eye and the improvement of the outcome in the efficacy study in the presence of the vasoconstrictor are consistent with the hypothesis that the vasoconstrictor enhances drug delivery by decreasing clearance.

A liposome permeability model for stratum corneum lipid bilayers based on commercial lipids.

The objective was to evaluate stratum corneum lipid liposomes (SCLLs) prepared from commercial lipids as a convenient model system for studying the mechanisms of chemical permeation enhancers. Liposomes prepared from extracted stratum corneum lipids (ESCLLs) were used as a control. Three different types of SCLLs were prepared by sonication or extrusion from mixtures of commercial ceramides, cholesterol, free fatty acids, and cholesterol 3-sulfate (SCLL-I-III; 55/25/15/5 weight ratio). Absolute mannitol permeabilities were 5- to 20-fold lower in SCLLs than in ESCLLs. 1-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone enhancers produced the same enhancement factor for mannitol efflux in sonicated SCLLs (SCLL-I) as reported previously for the ESCLLs. Enhancer-induced changes at graded depths were further monitored in SCLL-I vesicles using fluorescence spectroscopy with n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acid fluorescent probes. Lipid packing order, as determined from rotational correlation times derived from steady-state anisotropy and lifetime data, was found to be higher in SCLL-I than in ESCLLs. 1-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones were found to increase the fluidity of the bilayers to approximately the same extent at intermediate depths (C6-C9) as previously reported for the ESCLLs. The present results demonstrate that the sonicated SCLL model may be useful for studying the mechanisms of action of transdermal permeation enhancers.

Influence of crystallite microstrain on surface complexes governing the metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of carbonated apatites.

This study was on the influence of the mineral phase crystallite microstrain (CM) on the nature of the surface complex (SC) governing the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) behavior of carbonated apatites (CAPs) in aqueous acidic media (0.10 M acetate buffers, with and without fluoride, 0.50 M ionic strength maintained with NaCl). The MES behavior of a set of four CAPs (synthesized at 85 degrees C by a precipitation method) of increasing CM and therefore of increasing MES (CAP4 > CAP3 > CAP2 > CAP1) was quantified. The following were the findings. For CAP1 and CAP2, the SCs deduced were Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 and Ca10(PO4)6F2 for the nonfluoride and the fluoride cases, respectively. For CAP3 and CAP4, the SCs deduced were Ca9.5(PO4)6OH or Ca9.5(HPO4)(PO4)5(OH)2 and NaCa9.5(PO4)6F2 for the nonfluoride and the fluoride cases, respectively. These results together with that from an earlier limited study show that the Ca/P ratio of the SC decreases from 1.67 to 1.58 to 1.50 with increasing CM of the CAPs; this relationship inversely correlates with the chemistry of maturation of aqueously precipitated defective apatites. Also the SCs do not appear to exist as a continuous series and only a few SCs may account for the MES behavior over a wide range of CAP preparations.