Deformable liposomes and ethosomes: mechanism of enhanced skin delivery

Despite intensive research, the mechanisms by which vesicular systems deliver drugs into intact skin are not yet fully understood. In the current study, possible mechanisms by which deformable liposomes and ethosomes improve skin delivery of ketotifen under non-occlusive conditions were investigated. In vitro permeation and skin deposition behavior of deformable liposomes and ethosomes, having ketotifen both inside and outside the vesicles (no separation of free ketotifen), having ketotifen only inside the vesicles (free ketotifen separated) and having ketotifen only outside the vesicles (ketotifen solution added to empty vesicles), was studied using rabbit pinna skin. Results suggested that both the penetration enhancing effect and the intact vesicle permeation into the stratum corneum might play a role in improving skin delivery of drugs by deformable liposomes, under non-occlusive conditions, and that the penetration enhancing effect was of greater importance in case of ketotifen. Regarding ethosomes, results indicated that ketotifen should be incorporated in ethosomal vesicles for optimum skin delivery. Ethosomes were not able to improve skin delivery of non-entrapped ketotifen.