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The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate topical formulations of Spantide II, a neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) antagonist, for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders. Spantide II lotion and gel was formulated with and without n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a penetration enhancer. The release of Spantide II from gels was evaluated using microporous polyethylene and polypropylene membranes in a Franz Diffusion cell setup. In vitro percutaneous absorption of Spantide II from lotion and gel formulations was evaluated using the above setup by replacing the membranes with hairless rat skin. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Spantide II formulations was evaluated in an allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) mouse model. Among different gels studied, PF127 gel showed highest (70-fold) release of Spantide II compared with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) gels. Lotion and gel formulations with or without NMP showed no detectable levels of Spantide II in the receiver compartment of the Franz diffusion cell until 24 hours. However, Spantide II showed significant retention in epidermis and dermis from lotion and gel formulations at 24 hours. The dermal levels increased~3.5-and 2-fold when the lotion and gel formulations contained NMP as compared with the formulation with no NMP (P G .05). The in vivo studies indicated that Spantide II formulations with NMP were effective in significantly reducing ACD response, similar to dexamethasone (0.5 mM). In conclusion, Spantide II was stable as a topical formulation and delivered to target skin tissue (epidermis and dermis) for the treatment of ACD. In addition this study supports the role of cutaneous neurosensory system in modulating inflammatory responses in the skin.

No abstract

Statistical analysis demonstrated that dissolution test assemblies were the largest factor contributing to dissolution variability. Inherent tablet variability was low, and USP Lot P Prednisone Tablets did not contribute importantly to dissolution variability. Contributions from analyst and analytical procedure also were estimated to be low.

Substance P is readily expressed in skin inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis and contact dermatitis. Spantide II is a peptide (MW 1668.76) that specifically binds to neurokinin-1 receptor (NKR-1) and blocks inflammation associated with substance P. The anti-inflammatory property of Spantide II makes it a suitable candidate to be studied as a topical formulation for the treatment of dermal inflammatory disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of pH, temperature, salt concentration and concentration on the aqueous stability of Spantide II. The stability of Spantide II was also assessed by circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). The influence of various dermatological vehicles (ethanol, Transcutol, propylene glycol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), ethyl oleate, isopropyl myristate and laurogylcol FCC (LFCC)) on the stability of Spantide II was investigated. A precise high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed for analysis of Spantide II. At higher temperature (40 degrees C) the stability of Spantide II decreased with increase in pH (P < 0.05). Change in salt concentration did not appreciably affect the stability of Spantide II (P > 0.05). The concentration of Spantide II in the solution had no significant influence on its stability (P > 0.05). CD spectroscopy studies showed that Spantide II has a relatively stable alpha-helix structure in the liquid state. The stability of Spantide II was affected by the type of vehicle used in the study (P < 0.01) at different temperatures (P < 0.05). Spantide II at high temperature undergoes lysine-proline diketopiperazine degradation as evident in MS data. Spantide II was relatively more stable in ethyl oleate-ethanol, ethanol-water, ethanol and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The results of this study indicate that ethyl oleate-ethanol (1:1) and ethanol-water (1:1) could be used as potential vehicles in the development of topical formulations of Spantide II.

The current study demonstrates that spantide II can effectively be delivered to epidermis and dermis to exert a significant anti-inflammatory activity on the reduction of inflammation in a mouse model of ACD.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify operational parameters of the vertical diffusion cell (VDC) apparatus that have an influence on results of drug release testing from semisolid dosage forms, which are one of three types of topically applied products (see USP General Chapter Topical and Transdermal Drug Products-Product Quality Tests <3>). The VDC apparatus operates using a static diffusion cell, a synthetic membrane, and an appropriate receptor medium. A cream formulation containing 1% hydrocortisone was used for the current study. The operational parameters investigated were stirring rate, mixing helix, stirring while sampling, medium degassing, membrane wetting with Ethomeen (a surfactant), and membrane wetting time. Stat-Ease design of experiment software was used to create partial factorial experimental designs to evaluate these parameters. The effects of the operational parameters were evaluated using mean drug release rate (slope, µg/cm 2 /min ½ ) and the standard deviation (SD) of six individual release rates for each experimental setup.Results of the study indicate that one parameter, the presence of Ethomeen for wetting the membrane, had a large and significant effect on both drug release rates and SD. Two parameters, stirring while sampling and mixing helix, had a significant impact on the drug release rate when Ethomeen was not used. Two parameters, medium degassing and stirring while sampling, had significant effects on the variability of the results (SD).Additionally, instrument-specific parameters (e.g., mixing helix) also contributed significantly to the variability of drug release rates.