Pharmacodynamic effects of transdermal bupranolol and timolol in vivo: comparison of microemulsions and matrix patches as vehicle.

Transdermal administration of drugs possesses several advantages in therapy, but is limited by generally poor penetration through the skin. The aim of this study was to assess whether in vivo transdermal absorption could be enhanced by using microemulsions (ME) as vehicles. Water uptake from the occluded skin changes the water-free microemulsion base (MEB) into a ME. The increasing content of water decreases the solubility of apolar drugs. This leads to in situ formation of a super-saturated ME that possesses a particularly high absorption rate due to the enhanced diffusion pressure of the drug. A saturated solution of the model drugs bupranolol (B) and timolol (T) in a water-free microemulsion base was applied to an clipped area of the dorsal skin of rabbits with an occlusive patch. Evaluations were made in comparison to matrix patches (M) containing 1.2 mg/cm2 B or 2.0 mg/cm2 T. The beta-blocker dose applied was 2.0 mg/kg body weight throughout the study. The measured parameter of the pharmacodynamic effect was the maximal heart rate (HR) after an i.v. bolus injection of a standard dose of isoproterenol. Observations were made in different intervals over a 10-h time period after application of the patches. The response to isoproterenol was calculated as beta-blocker effect. Faster increasing effects and higher maxima for both drugs was found after application in MEB compared to M. After administration of B and T in MEB the effects were found to be identical, with a maximum (85-90%) after 2 h. Application in M showed B to be less effective (34%, 10h no plateau) than T (74%, 10h). Therefore microemulsions represent an improved vehicle for transdermal administration of test drugs.