A NEW SIMULATION-MODEL TO STUDY THE TOPIC PENETRATION OF ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS IN HARD KERATIN IN-VITRO

The topic treatments of onychomycosis are often inefficient because of the bad penetration of antifungal agents into hard keratin. We have m odelled a simulation protocol on sheep hoof plates, sufficiently simil ar to human nail both in the structure showed by Scanning Electron Mic roscope and the absorption of chemical molecules. In sterile medium, t he dermatophyte was put on the internal face of the hoof plates, the l atter received the antifungal preparation on the other face. Three dif ferent protocols were envisaged: antifungal pre-treatment of 4 days, f ollowed by dermatophytic inoculation, timely application of dermatophy te and antifungal medicine, antifungal treatment on the infected sheep hoofs after 5 days at least. The latest modelling was the closest to the topic therapy of mycosic onyxis. The results showed that more fung us was attacked precociously, shorter the treatment lime was. The four antifungal products: amorolfine, ciclopirox, ciclopiroxolamine and su lconazole, penetrated well through the hoof plates, but they could not completely inhibit the development of dermatophytes after 10 days of treatment in vitro. This technic very cheap and easy to realize, permi ts to compare and to predict in vitro the efficacy of different formul ations or galenic forms intended for onychomycosis treatment.