Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Mass Spectrometry and Luminogenic-based Approaches to Characterize Phase I Metabolic Competency of In Vitro Cell Cultures
Published on: March 28, 2017
Morphine metabolism in human skin microsomes
S Heilmann1, S Küchler, M Schäfer-Korting
1Institut für Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Topical morphine effectively manages severe skin wound pain. Skin metabolism does not significantly break down morphine, simplifying topical pain treatment regimens.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Dermatology
- Drug Metabolism
Background:
- Topical morphine offers analgesia for severe skin wounds via skin opioid receptors.
- Understanding skin biotransformation is crucial for effective topical drug delivery.
- Drug metabolism in the skin can reduce the active agent's concentration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of skin metabolism on topically applied morphine.
- To determine if morphine undergoes significant biotransformation in the skin.
- To assess the implications for topical morphine treatment regimens.
Main Methods:
- Utilized skin microsomes to study morphine metabolism.
- Analyzed the biotransformation pathways of morphine in skin preparations.
- Quantified the extent of morphine glucuronidation in skin samples.
Main Results:
- Morphine undergoes minimal glucuronidation in skin microsomes.
- Biotransformation of morphine in the skin is negligible.
- The concentration of active morphine is unlikely to be significantly reduced by skin metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Skin metabolism has a minimal impact on topically applied morphine.
- Topical morphine treatment regimens do not require adjustments for skin biotransformation.
- Morphine's efficacy for topical analgesia in skin wounds is not compromised by skin metabolism.
More Related Videos
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
08:59An Intestine/Liver Microphysiological System for Drug Pharmacokinetic and Toxicological Assessment
Published on: December 3, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Drug Metabolism: Phase I Reactions
Drug Metabolism: Phase II Reactions
Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbon-Containing Systems
Oxidation reactions are fundamental in aromatic carbon-containing systems. An example is the hydroxylation of phenobarbital, a process that transforms it into...
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Drug Biotransformation: Overview
Drug Biotransformation: Overview