Abstract
Percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone was measured in six healthy adult men from whom informed consent had been obtained. The study compared a single topical dose to multiple-topical dose treatments (one vs three applications) on the same day. 14C-Labeled hydrocortisone in acetone was applied to 2.5 cm2 of ventral forearm skin and protected with a nonocclusive polypropylene chamber. The amount of 14C measured in urine collected over 7 days was used to determine hydrocortisone absorption. The treatments, performed 2 to 3 weeks apart, each utilized adjacent sites on the same individuals. A single dose of 13.33 µg/cm2 delivered 0.056 µg/cm2 of hydro-cortisone through the skin. When the single dose was tripled to 40 µg/cm2, the amount delivered through the skin increased by nearly three times, from 0.056 to 0.140 µg/cm2; the expected delivery was 3 x 0.056 µg/cm2 = 0.168 µg/cm2. Three serial doses of 13.33 µg/ cm2 (total, 40 µg/cm2) were also expected to deliver 0.168 µg/cm2 with or without soap and water washing between doses, but the observed amount of hydrocortisone delivered through the skin significantly exceeded our expectations. This indicates that multiple-dosing treatments resulted in a significant increase in bioavailability. It is postulated that increased vehicle application and washing dissolved and mobilized previously dosed hydrocortisone and increased bioavailability.
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Melendres, J.L., Bucks, D.A.W., Camel, E. et al. In Vivo Percutaneous Absorption of Hydrocortisone: Multiple-Application Dosing in Man. Pharm Res 9, 1164–1167 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015899721493
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015899721493