Drug delivery via skin is a non-invasive, patient compliant, and effective method for circulatory or skin-targeted therapeutic treatment. Based on its mechanism of action, a topical system employing cromolyn sodium (CS) poses as a cheaper, safer alternative to current treatments for atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin disease. Clinical studies have successfully treated atopic dermatitis with CS emulsions; however, semisolid CS gels have not been investigated and no commercial formula is available to date. Additionally, clinical doses of CS do not passively permeate skin, although different chemical enhancers can be incorporated into formulation to enhance cutaneous drug absorption. This study aimed to investigate salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) as a chemical enhancer for optimized drug delivery to the dermis for potential remedial effects of CS gels. Gels were prepared weight-to-weight by combining 4% CS, 1% hydroxypropyl cellulose as gelling agent, and respective amounts of propylene glycol as base. For SNAC gels, contents included 2.5%, 4.5%, and 9% SNAC, and amount of propylene glycol was adjusted accordingly. CS gel (4%) containing no SNAC was used as a control. After overnight shaking, gels were sonicated for 30 min to use in in vitro permeation studies. Porcine ear skin was mounted on Franz diffusion cells maintained at 37°C, and permeation studies were performed over 24 h for each formulated gel to determine their effect on CS permeation across skin. Donor compartment contained 100 μL gel while the receptor held phosphate buffered saline (PBS). At predetermined timepoints, 300 μL of receptor solution was sampled, replaced with fresh PBS, and analyzed using HPLC with CS detection at 236 nm. Following 24 h, remaining gel was removed, and skin surface was cleaned. Skin layers were manually separated, minced, and left to shake for 4 h to extract permeated drug using methanol. These samples were vacuum dried overnight and reconstituted with PBS to be analyzed using HPLC. Efficiency of skin extraction methods was evaluated by assessing amount of drug recovered from skin compared to amount of drug absorbed where results were plotted, and subsequent equations were used to correct skin data. Student’s T test with Welch’s correction was applied to confirm statistical significance between gels. Passive delivery of the 4% CS control gel to the dermis was 0 μg/cm2. The SNAC containing gels demonstrated significantly improved drug delivery to the dermis when compared to control for 2.5% (36.26 ± 13.05, p=0.05), 4.5% (11.64 ± 1.45, p=0.001), and 9% (35.87 ± 2.23, p=0.004) SNAC groups. No significant differences were observed between any SNAC gel group and the control gel regarding drug delivered to the epidermis or receptor over 24 h. This study observed the greatest delivery of CS to the dermis with the 2.5% SNAC gel, posing as a promising option for a commercially available topical CS gel for the skin-targeted treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2007. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-160).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-160). Also available on the Internet.

Cromolyn sodium (CS) has clinically shown to be an effective topical remedy for atopic dermatitis, however its physiochemical properties prevent efficient passive drug delivery beyond the outermost skin layer. This project aimed to optimize CS gel formulations and applications to improve drug delivery to the dermis of skin by examining various topical enhancement strategies. Oleic acid, salcaprozate sodium, and microneedles were investigated as enhancers for their effect on skin permeation of CS. In vitro permeation studies across dermatomed porcine ear skin tested CS gels to determine 24-hour drug permeation profiles and skin layer distribution of drug. Further, extraction method efficiency, the enhancement mechanism of salcaprozate sodium, and gel stability were investigated. It was concluded that microneedle pretreatment delivered the greatest amount of CS to the dermis using a 4% CS gel without chemical enhancement. These results provide a promising option for a commercially available topical treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Orientadores: Maria Julia Marques, Elaine Minatel / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T06:25:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Machado_RafaelVentura_M.pdf: 800859 bytes, checksum: 1bb3eb2604bb7183c771d752b2478081 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foi verificado se o cromoglicato de sódio protege os músculos distróficos de camundongos mdx da necrose. Camundongos mdx (n=8) com 14 dias de vida pós-natal, antes do início dos ciclos de degeneração e regeneração, foram tratados com cromoglicato de sódio (50mg/Kg/dia; intraperitoneal) por 16 dias. Camundongos mdx (n=8) com a mesma idade foram utilizados como grupo controle, recebendo salina pela mesma via e período. A necrose muscular foi quantificada através do marcador azul de Evans (AE), que penetra na fibra muscular somente quando há lesão do sarcolema. Secções do terço médio dos músculos esternomatóideo e tibial anterior foram obtidas para análise em HE e AE. Foram avaliados o número de fibras musculares positivas ao AE, de fibras musculares com núcleo periférico e de fibras com núcleo central. Foram quantificadas as áreas com infiltrado inflamatório exuberante com células no estágio inicial de regeneração muscular (Área Infl/Reg) e áreas com infiltrado inflamatório escasso com células em estágio avançado de regeneração. O cromoglicato de sódio promoveu diminuição significativa da mionecrose (p<0,05; teste t de Student) em ambos músculos e aumento da porcentagem de fibras com núcleo periférico. No músculo tibial anterior, a diminuição da mionecrose foi de 26% e o aumento de fibras com núcleo periférico, 30%. A área de Infl/Reg aumentou em ambos os músculos (p<0,05; teste t de Student). Os resultados mostram que o cromoglicato de sódio, ministrado antes do início dos ciclos de degeneração/regeneração, protege os músculos distróficos da mionecrose e interfere nos estágios iniciais da regeneração / Abstract: In the present study, we verified whether disodium cromoglycate (cromolyn), an anti-allergic drug, could protect dystrophic mdx muscIe fibers ITom degeneration. Treated mdx mice (n=8; 14 days of age) received daily intraperitoneal iDJections of cromolyn at a dose of 50mglkg body weight in saline, during 15 days. Cromolyn treatment started before the cycIes of muscIe degeneration-regeneration had started. Control non-treated mice (n=8 mdx) were injected with na equivalent amount of saline. For visualization of muscle fiber damage, treated (n=5) and non­ treated mdx (n=5) mice were injected with Evans blue dye (EBD), a marker of sarcolemmal lesion. Cryostat cross-sections of t.he stemomastoid (STN) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were stained with HE. The whole cross-sectional area of the muscIes was divided into a regenerated area, a.Tl area of inflammatory celI infiltration/regeneration a.Tld an area of regeneration. The number of regenerated muscle fibers (central nucIeated fibers), fibers with peripheral c.ell nuclei and degenerated fibers (positive to EBD) was counted in the regenerated area. The areas of inflammatory cell infiltrationlregeneration and of regeneration were expressed as a percentage of the total transverse graft area. Cromolyn lead to a significant decrease in myonecrosis and in t.he percentage of central nucleated fibers (p<O.O5; Student's t test). The number of fibers with peripheral nuclei increased in about 30% in t.he TA muscle. The area of inflammation-regeneration increased (p<O.O5; Student's t test) in the cromolyn treated group. These results show that cromolyn treatment before the cycles of muscle fiber degeneration­ regeneration started protects dystrophic muscIe fiber ITom myonecrosis and promotes the earlier stages ofmuscle fiber regeneration / Mestrado / Anatomia / Mestre em Biologia Celular e Estrutural