Distribution to the skin of penciclovir after oral famciclovir administration in healthy volunteers: Comparison of the suction blister technique and cutaneous microdialysis

Penciclovir,ir is a drug active against herpes simplex viruses located in t he epidermis basal layer, The aim of this study was to compare the suction blister technique and microdialysis as methods to measure the penciclovir c oncentration in the skin after a single dose (250 mg) of its prodrug, famci clovir. Suction blister fluid, microdialysates and plasma were sampled from 11 healthy volunteers for 5 h after famciclovir administration. Both the s uction blister technique and microdialysis,sis showed that penciclovir,ir r eaches the skin in concentrations sufficient to inhibit herpes virus replic ation, The maximum concentration in both suction blister fluid and in micro dialysate was observed later than in plasma, The microdialysis concentratio n was decreased by cooling of the skin surface and by adrenaline-mediated v asoconstriction. The microdialysis recovery of penciclovir,ir nas studied w ith,with respect to the flow-rate of perfusion medium through the microdial ysis probe. Microdialysis sis and the suction blister technique can be used to study the time-concentration profile of penciclovir in the skin and mic rodialysis sis allows a continuous sampling of the drug for a prolonged tim e after administration.