Hydrogel-forming microarray patch mediated transdermal delivery of tetracycline hydrochloride

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a critical global health threat, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies.
• Conventional oral and intravenous antibiotic administration routes can be limited by factors such as gut metabolism and rapid clearance.
• Alternative drug delivery systems that bypass the gastrointestinal tract are being explored to improve antibiotic efficacy and manage resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel antibiotic hydrogel-forming microarray patch (HF-MAP) system.
• To evaluate the potential of HF-MAP as an alternative antibiotic delivery route, bypassing the human gut.
• To assess the in vivo performance of HF-MAP for sustained antibiotic (tetracycline hydrochloride) delivery.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVA/PVP) based HF-MAP.
• Assessment of microarray patch swelling properties and skin model penetration.
• In vivo studies in Sprague Dawley rats comparing HF-MAP administration with oral gavage and intravenous injection.

Main Results:

• The PVA/PVP HF-MAP exhibited excellent swelling properties (>600% in PBS over 24 h) and demonstrated penetration through a skin model.
• HF-MAP facilitated sustained release of tetracycline hydrochloride, achieving a transdermal bioavailability of 19.1%.
• In vivo studies showed sustained plasma drug concentrations with HF-MAP, contrasting with the rapid peaks and declines observed with oral and IV routes.

Conclusions:

• The developed HF-MAP system is a viable platform for antibiotic delivery, offering sustained release profiles.
• This novel delivery approach bypasses the gut, potentially mitigating issues associated with conventional administration routes.
• HF-MAP technology presents a promising alternative for managing antibiotic resistance through improved drug delivery.