Electroporation Parameters for Successful Transdermal Delivery of Insulin

This work investigates the effects of electroporation parameters on the transdermal delivery of insulin. Electroporation (EP) is known to induce temporal pores in the membrane, which are expected to enhance the diffusion of insulin through rabbits' skin. For such purpose, 5 different formulations of insulin and enhancers are applied to rabbit groups (5 rabbits each) with induced hyperglycemia in the presence of electroporative pulses. The blood sugar level (BSL) is followed up to 5-hour duration starting from the administration of the hyperglycemia-inducing factor. The effect of different electroporation parameters on BSL of rabbits is examined and compared with control groups. Results show that the increase in the number of pulses (from 15 up to 60 successive pulses) at an insulin concentration of 50 IU/mL, the increase in insulin concentration (from 50 to 70 IU/mL), and the decrease in applied field strength (from 200 to 100 V/cm) result in a significant decrease in BSL compared with control. Among all of the investigated formulations, the best performance is recorded for the insulin solution + EP (without enhancers) in almost all of the studied experimental conditions.