Abstract
The present study is aimed at evaluating the transdermal route as an alternative to the oral route for improving the systemic bioavailability and sustaining the constant therapeutic plasma level of Zidovudine (AZT). Elastic liposomal formulations of AZT were prepared and characterized. The effect of different formulation variables on transdermal delivery of AZT from elastic liposomes was studied. To investigate the mechanism of skin permeation of elastic liposomes, Transmission Electron Microscopic (TEM) study was carried out. The optimized elastic liposomal formulation showed transdermal flux of 98.8 ± 5.8 μg/cm2/hr across rat skin as compared to 5.72 ± 0.3 μg/cm2/hr for free drug. Vesicle-skin interaction study showed that elastic vesicles influenced the ultra structure of stratum corneum. Distinct regions with lamellar stacks derived from vesicles were observed in intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum. These stacks disrupted the organization of skin bilayers leading to increased skin permeability, whereas no changes were observed in the underlying viable epidermis and dermis. Improved pharmacokinetic profile was observed when AZT was entrapped in elastic liposomes. The AUC0-24h for elastic liposomal formulation was found to be (12.63±1.2 μg h/mL), nearly twelve fold higher than the control (0.83±0.2 μg h/mL). Furthermore, the administration of elastic liposome encapsulated AZT resulted in substantially higher accumulation of AZT in target RES organs that play a key role in the pathogenesis of AIDS by providing long-term reservoir for the virus. The results of the present study demonstrated that elastic liposomes increased the transdermal flux, prolonged the release, improved the site specificity of AZT and represented an attractive strategy for sustained and targeted delivery of AZT.
Keywords: Zidovudine, transdermal, elastic liposomes, penetration enhancer, transmission electron microscopy, mechanism
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances of natural products, bio-actives and novel drug delivery system against emerging viral infections
Due to the increasing prevalence of viral infections and the ability of these human pathogens to develop resistance to current treatment strategies, there is a great need to find and develop new compounds to combat them. These molecules must have low toxicity, specific activity and high bioavailability. The most suitable ...read more
Electrospun Fibers as Drug Delivery Systems
In recent years, electrospun fibers have attracted considerable attention as potential platforms for drug delivery due to their distinctive properties and adaptability. These fibers feature a notable surface area-to-volume ratio and can be intentionally designed with high porosity, facilitating an increased capacity for drug loading and rendering them suitable for ...read more
Emerging Nanotherapeutics for Mitigation of Neurodegenerative Disorders
Conditions affecting the central nervous system (CNS) present a significant hurdle due to limited access of both treatments and diagnostic tools for the brain. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) acts as a barrier, restricting the passage of molecules from the bloodstream into the brain. The most formidable challenge facing scientists is ...read more
Nanotechnology Based Chemotherapy for the treatment of Head & Neck Cancer
The escalating recurrence rates observed in Head and Neck cancer, particularly within the chemo-therapeutically treated cohort (50-60%), can be attributed to the non-selective nature of current anticancer drug delivery modalities. In this context, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems emerge as a promising avenue for achieving precise localization of therapeutic agents to ...read more
Related Journals
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Current Bioactive Compounds
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews
Current Diabetes Reviews
Current Drug Safety
Current Drug Targets
Current Drug Therapy
Related Books
Drug Addiction Mechanisms in the Brain
Software and Programming Tools in Pharmaceutical Research
Objective Pharmaceutics: A Comprehensive Compilation of Questions and Answers for Pharmaceutics Exam Prep
Biotechnology and Drug Development for Targeting Human Diseases
Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs Affecting Cardiovascular and Endocrine Systems
Enzymatic Targets for Drug Discovery Against Alzheimer's Disease
Medicinal Plants, Phytomedicines and Traditional Herbal Remedies for Drug Discovery and Development against COVID-19
Advanced Pharmacy
Plant-derived Hepatoprotective Drugs
Brain Tumor Targeting Drug Delivery Systems: Advanced Nanoscience for Theranostics Applications
6