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Recurrence of bacterial vaginosis is attributed to the inability of various formulations to disrupt bacterial biofilms. A negatively charged polysaccharide matrix coats the bacterial communities in the biofilm and restricts the penetration of antibiotics. Therefore, bacteria in the deeper segments of the biofilm persist and perpetuate the infection. In this study, we have tested the efficacy of two bioadhesive polymers, cationic chitosan and anionic polycarbophil, to disrupt Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms grown in the Center for Disease Control bioreactor as well as on the 96-well plates. The biofilms were treated with various concentrations of polycarbophil and chitosan at pH 4 or 6. Biofilm integrity following various treatments was evaluated by crystal violet stain and laser confocal microscopy employing Syto9 (live-cell stain) and propidium iodide (dead-cell stain). These studies demonstrated that chitosan gel disrupts the P. aeruginosa biofilm more effectively than does polycarbophil; and this effect is independent of the pH and charge densities on either polymers.

This study investigates physicochemical processes responsible for the biphasic transdermal flux profiles of melatonin in the presence of saturated fatty alcohols (SFAL) and unsaturated fatty alcohols (USFAL). The first phase melatonin flux (J(1st)) in the presence of USFAL enhancers increased with increase in the number of double bonds and reached a limiting value with two double bonds in the molecule. In case of SFAL enhancers, J(1st) increased with enhancer chain length and log formulation/skin partition coefficients (log Ps), which were calculated using the solubility parameters of various formulation components. But, melatonin flux in the second phase decreased with increase in the enhancer chain length and log P values. On the other hand, the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) from the SFAL treated skin increased drastically in the second phase and correlated with log P value of the enhancer. High TEWL value, indicative of a severely disrupted SC, may help the polar formulation components to accumulate in the SC. As a consequence, the SC polarity could change significantly and reduce the partitioning of lipophilic enhancer and/or melatonin in the second phase. This study demonstrated that an optimal level of barrier disruption enhances the transdermal permeation of drugs, whereas, a drastic barrier disruption impedes transdermal transport.

Delivery to the CNS via the nasal cavity has been pursued as a means to circumvent the blood–brain barrier (BBB), yet the mechanism of drug transport across this novel route is not well understood. Hydroxyzine and triprolidine have been reported to readily reach the CNS following nasal administration, whereas no measurable amounts of chlorcyclizine or chlorpheniramine, structurally similar antihistamines, were observed in the CSF. The permeation of chlorpheniramine and chlorcyclizine in vitro across the bovine olfactory mucosa was studied to investigate the biological and physicochemical characteristics that contribute to the limited CNS disposition of these compounds following nasal administration. The submucosal to mucosal fluxes ( J s–m ) of chlorcyclizine and chlorpheniramine across the olfactory mucosa were significantly greater than the mucosal to submucosal fluxes ( J m–s ). Moreover, the submucosal–mucosal permeability of both compounds was temperature dependent and saturable. In the presence of metabolic inhibitors (ouabain and 2,4‐dinitrophenol) and P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp)/multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) inhibitors (quinidine and verapamil), the J m–s increased and J s–m decreased significantly. These results indicate that chlorpheniramine and chlorcyclizine are effluxed from the olfactory mucosa by efflux transporters such as P‐gp and MRP1. Transport studies across inert polymeric membranes demonstrated that the permeability of chlorpheniramine and chlorcyclizine decreased at donor concentrations higher than 3 mM suggesting that physicochemical properties such as self‐aggregation also play a role in the reduced olfactory mucosal permeability of these compounds at higher concentrations. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 94:613–624, 2005

This study investigates physicochemical processes responsible for the biphasic transdermal flux profiles of melatonin in the presence of saturated fatty alcohols (SFAL) and unsaturated fatty alcohols (USFAL). The first phase melatonin flux (J(1st)) in the presence of USFAL enhancers increased with increase in the number of double bonds and reached a limiting value with two double bonds in the molecule. In case of SFAL enhancers, J(1st) increased with enhancer chain length and log formulation/skin partition coefficients (log Ps), which were calculated using the solubility parameters of various formulation components. But, melatonin flux in the second phase decreased with increase in the enhancer chain length and log P values. On the other hand, the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) from the SFAL treated skin increased drastically in the second phase and correlated with log P value of the enhancer. High TEWL value, indicative of a severely disrupted SC, may help the polar formulation components to accumulate in the SC. As a consequence, the SC polarity could change significantly and reduce the partitioning of lipophilic enhancer and/or melatonin in the second phase. This study demonstrated that an optimal level of barrier disruption enhances the transdermal permeation of drugs, whereas, a drastic barrier disruption impedes transdermal transport.