Iontophoretic delivery of dexamethasone-loaded nanoparticles to the anterior segment of the eye

Abstract

Eye drops are often prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in the anterior segment of the eye; however, owing to rapid preocular drug clearance, frequent administration is required. In this study, we propose the noninvasive iontophoretic delivery of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles loaded with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone (DXT). After topical administration of DXT-loaded nanoparticles (DXT-NP) to the eye, we applied iontophoresis with electrodes attached to the skin of the forehead and eyelid. Iontophoresis increased the amount of DXT-NP permeated into the eye tissues of rabbits by ten folds compared to that without iontophoresis. One-time iontophoretic delivery of DXT-NP released the drug, in a sustained manner, in the aqueous humor of the eye for more than 10 days. In contrast, the drug was cleared rapidly in hours with Maxidex (R), a commercially available eye drop of DXT. Therefore, iontophoretic delivery of DXT-loaded nanoparticles is a promising strategy to enhance drug bioavailability and reduce the frequency of topical drug administration to the eye.CO 2022 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.