Evaluation of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel as a sustained-release vehicle for rectal administration of indomethacin.

In order to evaluate an indomethacin polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel for rectal administration, the in vitro release characteristics of indomethacin from the hydrogel and indomethacin plasma concentrations after rectal administration were examined. The PVA hydrogel containing indomethacin was prepared by a low-temperature crystallization method. The release of indomethacin from the PVA hydrogel agreed with the Fickian diffusion model for 10 hr. Rectal administration of indomethacin hydrogels to rats yielded high indomethacin plasma concentrations, without producing a sharp peak, and a sustained-release effect. In dogs, the indomethacin hydrogel produced a similar sustained-release effect; however, the indomethacin plasma concentration was relatively low compared with that of an indomethacin suppository.