Characterization of a liposome-based artificial skin membrane for in vitro permeation studies using Franz diffusion cell device

Abstract

A prerequisite for successful transdermal or dermal drug therapy is the drug ability to penetration through the skin, especially stratum corneum (SC). The most acceptable technique for measuring skin permeation in vitro is the application of both the Franz diffusion cell device and the skin model. In the skin model, a liposome-based artificial skin membrane (LASM) consisting of tight layers of liposomes immobilized on a filter was prepared and characterized. Using porcine ear skin, rat skin and Strat-M™ artificial membrane as control, the LASM was then evaluated in permeation studies with five active compounds: ferulic acid, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, tetrahydrocolumbamine, and tetrahydropalmatine. The scanning electron microscope images demonstrated complete filling of the membrane pores with lipids and the formation of a continuous liposomal coating. The contents of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and cholesterol in LASM were measured to be 12.08 ± 0.18 and 4.41 ± 0.04 mg/cm, respectively. Moreover, revealed by the measurement of electrical resistance, the LASM remains intact for at least 12 h with the incubation of 20% ethanol. The results of permeation studies demonstrated a good correlation (r= 0.9743, r = 0.9871) of P values between the drugs' permeation through LASM and porcine ear skin. In addition, by ATR-FTIR analysis, a slighter shift of CH stretching frequency between LASM and porcine ear skin was observed compared with the shift between Strat-M™ membrane and porcine ear skin. In summary, for the first time, the LASM has been proved to be a valuable alternative to porcine ear skin in permeation studies using Franz diffusion cell device.

Preparation and evaluation of transdermal permeation of Huperzine A ethosomes gel in vitro

“…The skin was thoroughly rinsed with physiological saline, yielding mouse abdominal skin. Subsequently, the skin was wrapped in cling film and aluminum foil, then stored at −20 °C for later use [ 19 ].…”

A stepwise protocol for drug permeation assessment that combines heat-separated porcine ear epidermis and vertical diffusion cells

“…Existing publications on in vitro drug permeation studies that rely on alternative membranes, suggest rather complicated and time-consuming protocols that are often lacking data relating to optimal conditions for preparation of such membranes [4,[22][23][24][25]. We opted for heat-separated porcine ear epidermis as a suitable membrane for this type of experiments, considering that drugs enter systemic circulation in superficial dermal layers.…”

Alternatives to Biological Skin in Permeation Studies: Current Trends and Possibilities

“…It is challenging to separate the layers of the Strat-M™ membrane to study the drug entrapped in each layer. correlation of the drug permeation between the novel LASM and porcine skin [100]. Based on the above-mentioned studies, skin-PAMPA is able to mimic the barrier properties of the human stratum corneum to some extent and could be considered as a quick and cost-effective research tool for predicting passive human skin permeability coefficients.…”