Effect of absorption promoters on subcutaneous absorption of human epidermal growth factor in rats

Subcutaneous administration of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) to rats gave a significantly smaller value of area under the curve (AUC) of concentration in plasma of immunoreactive hEGF versus time than intravenous administration, probably because the slow entry rate into the blood circulation and consequently the enzymic degradation of hEGF at the injection site. In the present study, absorption promoters such as sodium caprate, N-acylamino acids, disodium ethylenediamine-tetraacetate (EDTA), and sodium glycocholate were used because they were expected to inhibit the enzymic degradation of hEGF at the injection site and to facilitate the entry of hEGF into the blood circulation. Coadministration of an absorption promoter with hEGF significantly increased the entry rate and AUC value of immunoreactive hEGF compared with the case without the absorption promoter. The enzymic degradation of hEGF in the supernatant of the rat subcutaneous tissue homogenates and in the buffer solution containing leucine aminopeptidase or protease was markedly inhibited by the presence of the absorption promoters except EDTA. On the other hand, only EDTA increased the initial entry rate of FITC-dextran (M(r), 4000), which is not metabolized at the injection site, although all absorption promoters including EDTA markedly increased the extravasation of Evans blue. Thus, the increased subcutaneous bioavailability of hEGF in the presence of absorption promoters (except EDTA) was mainly attributed to the inhibitory effect of absorption promoters against the enzymic degradation of hEGF at the subcutaneous tissues.