Abstract
Transdermal drug delivery offers a non-invasive route of drug administration, although its applications are limited by low skin permeability. Various enhancers including iontophoresis, chemicals, ultrasound, and electroporation have been shown to enhance transdermal drug transport. Although all these methods have been individually shown to enhance transdermal drug transport, their combinations have often been found to enhance transdermal transport more effectively than each of them alone. This paper summarizes literature studies on these combinations with respect to their efficacy and mechanisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
R. L. Bronaugh, and H. I. E. Maibach. Percutaneous Absorption: Mechanisms-Methodology-Drug Delivery, Marcel Dekker, New York and Basel, 1989.
S. Mitragotri, D. Edwards, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. A mechanistic study of ultrasonically enhanced transdermal drug delivery. J. Pharm. Sci. 84:697-706 (1995).
S. Mitragotri, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Ultrasoundmediated transdermal protein delivery. Science 269:850-853 (1995).
S. Mitragotri, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Transdermal drug delivery using low-frequency sonophoresis. Pharm. Res. 13:411-420 (1996).
K. Tachibana. Transdermal delivery of insulin to alloxan-diabetc rabbits by ultrasound exposure. Pharm. Res. 9:952-954 (1992).
J. Kost, D. Levy, and R. Langer. Ultrasound as a transdermal enhancer. In R. Bronaugh and H. I. Maibach (eds.), Percutaneous Absorption: Mechanisms-Methodology-Drug Delivery, New York and Basel, 1989 pp. 595-601.
D. Bommannan, H. Okuyama, P. Stauffer, and R. H. Guy. Sonophoresis. I. The use of high-frequency ultrasound to enhance transdermal drug delivery. Pharm. Res. 9:559-564 (1992).
D. Bommannan, G. K. Menon, H. Okuyama, P. M. Elias, and R. H. Guy. Sonophoresis. II. Examination of the mechanism(s) of ultrasound-enhanced transdermal drug delivery. Pharm. Res. 9: 1043-1047 (1992).
M. E. Johnson, S. Mitragotri, A. Patel, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Synergistic effect of ultrasound and chemical enhancers on transdermal drug delivery. J. Pharm. Sci. 85:670-679 (1996).
A. C. Williams and B. W. Barry. Skin Absorption Enhancers. Crit. Rev. Ther. Drug Carrier Syst. 9305-353 (1992).
P. G. Green, M. Flalagan, B. Shroot, and R. H. Guy. Iontophoretic drug delivery. In K. A. Walters and J. Hadgraft (eds.), Pharmaceutical Skin Penetration Enhancement, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1993.
M. R. Prausnitz, V. Bose, R. Langer, and J. C. Weaver. Electroporation of mammalian skin: A mechanism to enhance transdermal drug delivery. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA 90:10504-10508 (1993).
V. Srinivasan, M. H. Su, W. I. Higuchi, and C. R. Behl. Iontophoresis of polypeptides: Effect of ethanol pretreatment of human skin. J. Pharm. Sci. 79:588-591 (1990).
K. S. Bhatia and J. Singh. Mechanism of transport enhancement of LHRH through porcine epidermis by terpenes and iontophoresis: Permeability and lipid extraction studies. Pharm. Res. 15: 1857-1862 (1998).
K. S. Bhatia and J. Singh. Effect of linoleic acid/ethanol or limonene/ethanol and iontophoresis on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of LHRH and ultrastructure of human epidermis. Int. J. Pharm. 180:235-250 (1999).
T. Murakami, C. Ihara, G. Kiyonaka, R. Yumoto, S. Shigeki, Y. Ikuta, and N. Yata. Iontophoretic transdermal delivery of salicylic acid dissolved in ethanol-water mixture in rats. Skin Pharmacol. Appl. Skin Physiol. 12:221-226 (1999).
J. Singh and S. Singh. Transdermal iontophoresis: Effect of penetration enhancer and iontophoresis on drug transport and surface characteristics of human epidermis. Curr. Probl. Dermatol. 22:179-183 (1995).
K. S. Bhatia, S. Gao, T. P. Freeman, and J. Singh. Effect of penetration enhancers and iontophoresis on the ultrastructure and cholecystokinin-8 permeability through porcine skin. J. Pharm. Sci. 96:1011-1015 (1998).
K. S. Bhatia and J. Singh. Synergistic effect of iontophoresis and a series of fatty acids on lhrh permeability through porcine skin. J. Pharm. Sci. 87:462-469 (1998).
S. Y. Oh, S. Y. Jeong, T. G. Park, and J. H. Lee. Enhanced transdermal delivery of azt (zidovudine) using iontophoresis and penetration enhancer. J. Control Release. 51:161-168 (1998).
E. H. Choi, S. H. Lee, S. K. Ahn, and S. M. Hwang. The pretreatment effect of chemical skin penetration enhancers in transdermal drug delivery using iontophoresis. Skin Pharmacol. Appl. Skin Physiol. 12:326-335 (1999).
M. Kirjavaninen, A. Urtti, J. Monkkonen, and J. Hirvonen. Influence of lipids on the mannitol flux during transdermal iontophoresis in vitro. Eur. J. Pharm. Sci. 10:97-102 (2000).
J. Y. Fang, K. C. Sung, H. H. Lin, and C. L. Fang. Transdermal iontophoretic delivery of diclofenac sodium from various formulations: in vitro and in vivo studies. Int. J. Pharm. 178:83-92 (1999).
V. Srinivasan, W. I. Higuchi, S. M. Sima, A. H. Ghanem, and C. R. Behl. Transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery: mechanistic analysis and application to polypeptide delivery. J. Pharm. Sci. 78:370-375 (1989).
L. Ilic, T. R. Gowrishankar, T. E. Vaughan, T. O. Herndon, and J. Weaver. Spatially constrained skin electroporation with sodium thiosulfate and urea creates transdermal microconduits. J. Control. Release 61:185-202 (1999).
T. E. Zewert, U. F. Pliquett, R. Vanbever, R. Langer, and J. C. Weaver. Creation of transdermal pathways for macromolecule transport by skin electroporation and a low toxicity, pathway-enlarging molecule. Bioelectrochem. Bioenerg. 49:11-20 (1999).
R. Vanbever, M. R. Prausnitz, and V. Preat. Macromolecules as novel transdermal transport enhancers for skin electroporation. Pharm. Res. 14:638-644 (1997).
S. Wang, M. Kara, and T. R. Krishnan. Transdermal delivery of cyclosporin-A using electroporation. J. Control. Release 50:61-70 (1998).
S. Mitragotri, D. Ray, J. Farrell, H. Tang, B. Yu, J. Kost, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Synergistic effect of ultrasound and sodium lauryl sulfate on transdermal drug delivery. J. Pharm. Sci. 89:892-900 (2000).
S. Mitragotri, D. Ray, J. Farrell, H. Tang, B. Yu, J. Kost, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Enhancement of transdermal transport using ultrasound and surfactants. Proc. Intl. Symp. Control. Rel. Bioact. Mater. 26:176-177 (1999).
L. Le, J. Kost, and S. Mitragotri. Synergistic effect of ultrasound and iontophoresis on transdermal drug delivery: Applications to heparin delivery. Pharm. Res. In Press.
D. Bommanon, J. Tamada, L. Leung, and R. Potts. Effects of electroporation on transdermal iontophoretic delivery of leutinizing hormone releasing hormone. Pharm. Res. 11:1809-1814 (1994).
S. Chang, G. Hofmann, L. Zhang, L. Deftos, and A. Banga. The effect of electroporation on iontophoretic transdermal delivery of calcium regulating hormones. J Control. Release 66:127-133 (2000).
J. Kost, U. Pliquett, S. Mitragotri, A. Yamamoto, J. Weaver, and R. Langer. Enhanced transdermal delivery: synergistic effect of ultrasound and electroporation. Pharm. Res. 13:633-638 (1996).
R. H. Guy, Y. Kalia, M. Delgado-Charro, V. Merino, A. Lopez, and D. Marro. Iontophoresis: Electrorepulsion and electroosmosis. J. Control. Release 64:129-132 (2000).
W. I. Higuchi, S. Li, A. Ghanem, H. Zhu, and Y. Song. Mechanistic aspects of iontophoresis in human epidermal membrane. J. Control. Release 62:13-23 (1999).
K. Knutson, S. L. Krill, W. Lambert, J, and W. I. Higuchi. Physico-chemical aspects of transdermal permeation. J. Control. Release 6:59-74 (1987).
H. E. Junginger, H. E. Bodde, and F. H. de Haan de, N. Visualization of drug transport across human skin and the influence of penetration enhancers. In D. S. Hsieh (ed.), Drug Permeation Enhancement, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, Basel, Hong Kong, 1994 pp. 59-90.
T. Marjukka Suhonen, J. Bouwstra, and A. Urtti. Chemical enhancement of percutaneous absorption in relation to stratum corneum structural alterations. J. Control. Release 59:149-161 (1999).
K. A. Walters. Surfactants and percutaneous absorption. In R. C. Scott, R. H. Guy, and J. Hadgraft (eds.), Predictions of Percutaneous Penetration, IBC Technical Services, London, 1990 pp. 148-162.
K. A. Walters. Penetration enhancers and their use in transdermal therapeutic systems. In J. Hadgraft and R. H. Guy (eds.), Transdermal Drug Delivery: Developmental Issues and Research Initiatives, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1989 pp. 197-233.
L. Wearley and Y. W. Chien. Enhancement of the in vitro skin permeability of azidothymidine (azt) via iontophoresis and chemical enhancers. Pharm. Res. 7:34-40 (1990).
S. Ganga, J. Ramarao, and J. Singh. Effect of azone on the iontophoretic transdermal delivery of metoprolol tartarate through human epidermis in vitro. J. Control. Release 42:57-64 (1996).
C. L. Gay, P. G. Green, R.H. Guy, and M. L. Francoeur. Iontophoretic delivery of piroxicam across the skin in-vitro. J. Control. Release 22:57-68 (1992).
K. S. Bhatia, S. Gao, and J. Singh. Effect of penetration enhancers and iontophoresis on the FT-IR spectroscopy and LHRH permeability. J. Control. Release 47:81-89 (1997).
Y. N. Kalia and R. H. Guy. Interaction between penetration enhancers and iontophoresis: Effect on human skin impedance in vivo. J. Control. Release 44:33-42 (1997).
S. Mitragotri, D. Blankschtein, and R. Langer. Sonophoresis: Ultrasound mediated transdermal drug delivery. In J. Swarbrick and J. Boylan (eds.), Encylopedia of Pharmaceutical Technology, Marcel Dekker, 1995 pp. 103-122.
B. Ongpipattnakul, R. R. Burnette, R. O. Potts, and M. L. Francoeur. Evidence that oleic acid exists in a separate phase within stratum corneum lipids. Pharm. Res. 8:350-354 (1991).
T. Chen. Thesis in Chemical Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (1998).
M. Prausnitz. Reversible skin permeabilization for transdermal delivery of macromolecules. Crit Rev Ther Drug Carrier Syst. 14:455-483 (1997).
J. Weaver, R. Vanbever, T. E. Vaughn, and M. Prausnitz. Heparin alters transdermal transport associated with electroporation. Biochim. Biophys. Res. Com. 24:637-640 (1997).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mitragotri, S. Synergistic Effect of Enhancers for Transdermal Drug Delivery. Pharm Res 17, 1354–1359 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007522114438
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007522114438