Volume 32, Issue 9 pp. 1459-1467
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Nano-invasomes for simultaneous topical delivery of buprenorphine and bupivacaine for dermal analgesia

Soraya Babaie

Soraya Babaie

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

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Mohammad Charkhpour

Mohammad Charkhpour

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

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Maryam Kouhsoltani

Maryam Kouhsoltani

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

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Hamed Hamishehkar

Corresponding Author

Hamed Hamishehkar

Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Correspondence

Ana Cláudia Paiva-Santos, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Email: [email protected]

Hamed Hamishehkar, Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Ana Cláudia Paiva-Santos

Corresponding Author

Ana Cláudia Paiva-Santos

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Correspondence

Ana Cláudia Paiva-Santos, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Email: [email protected]

Hamed Hamishehkar, Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

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First published: 07 June 2023
Citations: 1

Abstract

Opioid and local anaesthetic receptors are abundantly concentrated in different layers of the skin. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of these receptors can produce more potent dermal anaesthesia. Herein, we developed lipid-based nanovesicles for the co-delivery of buprenorphine and bupivacaine to efficiently target skin-concentrated pain receptors. Invasomes incorporating two drugs were prepared by ethanol injection method. Subsequently, the size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, morphology, and in-vitro drug release of vesicles were characterized. Ex-vivo penetration features of vesicles were then investigated by the franz diffusion cell on the full-thickness human skin. Wherein, it was demonstrated that invasomes penetrated the skin deeper and delivered bupivacaine more effectively than buprenorphine to the target site. The superiority of invasome penetration was further evidenced by the results of ex-vivo fluorescent dye tracking. Estimation of in-vivo pain responses by the tail-flick test revealed that compared with the liposomal group, the group receiving invasomal formulation and drug-free invasomal formulation (only containing menthol) displayed increased analgesia in the initial times of 5 and 10 min. Also, no signs of oedema or erythema were observed in the Daze test in any of the rats receiving the invasome formulation. Finally, ex-vivo and in-vivo assays demonstrated efficiency in delivering both drugs into deeper layers of skin and exposing them to the located pain receptors, which improves the time of onset and the analgesic effects. Hence, this formulation appears to be a promising candidate for tremendous development in the clinical setting.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The author declared no conflicts of interests.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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