Nasal distribution of radioactive drug administered using two dosage forms

The deposition patterns of 99mtechnetium labelled disodium cromoglycate particles administered either from a metered dose aerosol with a conventional nasal adaptor or from a dry powder nasal inhaler were studied using gamma camera. Disodium cromoglycate particles were firstly labelled with 99mTc using the spray drying technique. Both the metered dose aerosol and the dry powder dosage form were formulated using these radioactive drug particles. Seven healthy volunteers inhaled either three aerosol doses or one dry powder dose unit into one nostril. The drug dose reaching nasal cavity after administration from these two dosage forms was about the same. The deposition patterns as well as the changes in distribution due to the mucociliary transport were monitored by a gamma camera equipped with a low energy all purpose collimator. Initially drug doses deposited in a wider area of the nasal cavity when disodium cromoglycate particles were administered as a dry powder dosage form. In addition, retention index (%) which illustrates the movements of drug particles by mucociliary transport from the initial area of application seemed to be slightly higher for a metered dose aerosol than for a dry powder dosage form. At the end of the 30 minutes measuring period the area of the mucosal layer covered by radioactive drug particles was clearly wider for the dry powder dosage form than for the metered dose aerosol. Thus it is well possible to administer drug particles effectively into the nasal cavity as a dry powder dosage form.