ABSTRACT
Pioglitazone (PGZ) is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist. Its role in the inflammatory response modulation paves the way for additional therapeutic applications. The purpose of this study was to develop a pioglitazone nanoemulsion (PGZ-NE) in order to investigate its anti-inflammatory efficacy on the skin. To that end, an NE vehicle developed for skin delivery was optimized and characterized. The resulting PGZ-NE showed good anti-inflammatory efficacy by decreasing the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α. The properties of the developed nanocarrier allowed achievement of a high permeation flux of PGZ through the skin as well as a high retained amount in the skin, likely due to the depot effect of ingredients, which assured a prolonged local action, with good skin tolerability among participating individuals. Consequently, these results suggest that PGZ-NE may be used as an alternative treatment for inflammatory skin diseases such as rosacea, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis.
Subject(s)
Emulsions/chemistry , Inflammation/drug therapy , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Pioglitazone/therapeutic use , Skin Diseases/drug therapy , Adult , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Cytokines/metabolism , Drug Liberation , Female , Humans , Inflammation/pathology , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Nanoparticles/ultrastructure , Permeability , Pioglitazone/adverse effects , Pioglitazone/pharmacology , Rheology , Skin/drug effects , Skin/pathology , Skin Diseases/pathology , ViscosityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Donepezil (DPZ) is widely prescribed as a specific and reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: Considering the therapeutic potential of DPZ and the advantages offered by the intranasal route as an alternative for drug administration, the aim of this study was the development and characterization of a DPZ microemulsion (ME) for nose-to-brain delivery. METHOD: The ME was developed by construction of pseudoternary phase diagrams and characterized by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Flow properties and viscosity, as well as optical stability and stability under storage at different temperatures were evaluated. Finally, in vitro release and ex vivo permeation studies through porcine nasal mucosa were accomplished. RESULTS: A transparent and homogeneous DPZ-ME (12.5 mg/ml) was obtained. The pH and viscosity were 6.38 and 44.69 mPa·s, respectively, indicating nasal irritation prevention and low viscosity. The mean droplet size was 58.9±3.2 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.19±0.04. The morphological analysis revealed the spherical shape of droplets, as well as their smooth and regular surface. Optical stability evidenced no destabilization processes. DPZ release profile indicated that the ME followed a hyperbolic kinetic model while the ex vivo permeation profile showed that the highest permeation occurred during initial 4 h and the maximum permeated amount was approximately 2000 µg, which corresponds to 80% of the starting amount of drug. CONCLUSION: We conclude that our nasal ME could be considered as a new potential tool for further investigation in the AD.
