Distribution of griseofulvin in the rat: comparison of the oral and topical route of administration.

Effective penetration of griseofulvin across the dermal barrier has been achieved using an anhydrous solvent system of benzyl alcohol (10%), acetone (40%), and isopropanol (50%). There were quantitative differences in the relative accumulation of griseofulvin in skin compared with internal organs, when the topical and oral routes of administration were compared. The topical route enhanced localized concentrations of griseofulvin at the site of application, and these persisted for several days. After daily topical application a steady state was reached at day 3, when the diffusion across the skin barrier and epidermal loss seemed to equal the total amount applied to the skin surface. The application of griseofulvin topically, required a much smaller amount of drug to achieve similar integumentary levels compared with the amount required orally.