In vivo microdialysis for the transdermal absorption of valproate in rats.

The suitability of sampling via microdialysis for a lipophilic drug, valproate (VPA), was evaluated by the elimination rate constant of VPA solution in an in vitro experimental first-order elimination system. The elimination rate constant of VPA in dialysate was found to be 0.43 +/- 0.05h-1, which was in good agreement with the real elimination rate constant (0.46 +/- 0.02h-1). A change in VPA concentration in the solution surrounding a microdialysis probe was well maintained by the microdialysis method, suggesting no adsorption between the membrane of the microdialysis probe and VPA. On the basis of the in vitro experiment, the effect of a penetration enhancer, 1-[2-(decylthio)ethyl]azacyclopentan-2-one (HPE-101), on the transdermal absorption of VPA was examined in rats by the use of microdialysis in vivo. An intradermal microdialysis was performed at a flow rate of 1.0 microliter/min for 7h after the dermal application of 50 mM VPA solution with or without 3% (w/v) HPE-101. HPE-101 increased the transdermal absorption rate of VPA by 80 times compared with the control. The microdialysis system was found to be quite useful for assessing the in vivo transdermal absorption of a lipophilic VPA.