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Novel Microneedle Patches for Active Insulin Delivery are Efficient in Maintaining Glycaemic Control: An Initial Comparison with Subcutaneous Administration

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Abstract

Purpose

Good glycaemic control is essential to minimize the risk for diabetes-induced complications. Also, compliance is likely to be higher if the procedure is simple and painless. This study was designed to validate painless intradermal delivery via a patch-like microneedle array.

Materials and Methods

Diabetes was induced by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg bw) in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Plasma insulin and blood glucose were measured before, during and after subcutaneous or intradermal (microneedles) infusion of insulin (0.2 IU/h) under Inactin-anaesthesia.

Results

Before insulin administration, all animals displayed a pronounced hyperglycaemia (19 ± 1 mM; 359 mg/dl). Administration of insulin resulted in a reduced plasma glucose independently of administration route (subcutaneous 7.5 ± 4.2, n = 9, and intradermal 11 ± 1.8, n = 9 after 240 min), but with less errors of the mean in the intradermal group. In the intradermal group, plasma insulin was increased in all latter measurements (72 ± 22, 81 ± 34, and 87 ± 20 μIU/ml), as compared to the first measurement (26 ± 13). In the subcutaneous group, plasma insulin was elevated during the last measurement (to 154 ± 3.5 μIU/ml from 21 ± 18).

Conclusion

This study presents a novel possibility of insulin delivery that is controllable and requires minimal training. This treatment strategy could improve compliance, and thus be beneficial for patients’ glycaemic control.

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Acknowledgements

The sharp-minded and kind-hearted help and support from Professor Leif Jansson is gratefully acknowledged. This work was funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SFF), the Swedish Association of Nephrology, the Petersenska Hemmet Foundation, and the Scandinavian Physiological Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Cell Biology, Division of Integrative Physiology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 571, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden

    Lina Nordquist

  2. Microsystem Technology Laboratory, School of Electrical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Niclas Roxhed, Patrick Griss & Göran Stemme

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  1. Lina Nordquist
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Correspondence to Lina Nordquist.

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Nordquist, L., Roxhed, N., Griss, P. et al. Novel Microneedle Patches for Active Insulin Delivery are Efficient in Maintaining Glycaemic Control: An Initial Comparison with Subcutaneous Administration. Pharm Res 24, 1381–1388 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-007-9256-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-007-9256-x

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