Transdermal permeation of apomorphine through hairless mouse skin from microemulsions

The in vitro transdermal absorption of apomorphine from microemulsions was studied using the skin of the hairless mouse as a membrane. Two microemulsi ons (no. 1 and 2) were prepared and thickened both containing 3.9% of apomo rphine hydrochloride. The lipophilicity of the drug was increased by formin g apomorphine-octanoic acid ion-pairs. The fluxes of the drug from the micr oemulsions through hairless mouse skin were 100 mug h(-1) cm(-2) from no. 1 and 88 mug h(-1) cm(-2) from no. 2. Apomorphine in microemulsions, protect ed from light with antioxidants, showed no degradation for up to 6 months. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.