EFFECT OF PENETRATION ENHANCERS ON FLURBIPROFEN PERMEATION THROUGH RAT SKIN

To increase the skin permeation rate of flurbiprofen, fatty acids and urea were added in propylene glycol vehicle containing 1% flurbiprofen . The enhancing effects of these compounds on the skin permeation of f lurbiprofen were evaluated using Keshary-Chien diffusion cells fitted with excised rat skins. Unsaturated fatty acids increased the skin per meation rate of flurbiprofen 6.5-17.5 fold compared to the control veh icle without enhancer, while saturated fatty acids did not show any si gnificant increase. Although the addition of urea in the vehicle decre ased the skin permeation rate of flurbiprofen, the mixture of oleic ac id and urea showed a significantly higher permeation rate than oleic a cid alone. It was coincident with the results obtained with the plasma concentrations of flurbiprofen determined after the transdermal appli cation of propylene glycol vehicle containing them. AUC and C-max of t he vehicle containing the mixture were increased 2.3 and 2.5 fold, res pectively, whereas each parameter of the vehicle containing oleic acid only was increased 1.7 fold compared to those of the control vehicle.