US EPA

4116208 

Journal Article 

IONTOPHORESIS OF DEXAMETHASONE - LABORATORY STUDIES 

Petelenz, TJ; Buttke, JA; Bonds, C; Lloyd, LB; Beck, JE; Stephen, RL; Jacobsen, SC; Rodriguez, P 

1992 

Yes 

Journal of Controlled Release
ISSN: 0168-3659
EISSN: 1873-4995 

IPA/93/1018173 

20 

1 

55-66 

English 

10.1016/0168-3659(92)90139-I 

WOS:A1992HW61700007 

We have demonstrated that dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DmNaP) is delivered most efficiently from the negative electrode by iontophoresis, but, under certain conditions, the delivery from the positive electrode by electroosmosis can be accomplished. The laboratory data indicate that more dexamethasone is delivered per mAmin by iontophoresis than by electroosmosis, thus the same amount of drug can be administered in a shorter time from the negative electrode. Electrodes containing a hydrogel material, which restricts bulk water transport, delivered DmNaP most efficiently from the electrode of negative polarity. When DmNaP is to be delivered in a mixture with another drug such as lidocaine, selection of the clinical treatment protocol depends on the desired therapeutic effect and on the iontophoretic electrode which is to be used. When minimization of total treatment time is not critical, switching polarity of the electrode during the treatment can be used to administer drugs of opposite polarity from a mixture. Since co-iontophoresis of different compounds is often necessary for fully effective therapy, further research to understand the mechanism of simultaneous transport of various drugs is required. 

IONTOPHORESIS; ELECTROTRANSPORT; TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY; STEROID; ELECTRODE DESIGN