title: Insulin nanoparticles for transdermal delivery: preparation and physicochemical characterization and in vitro evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This work is aimed to study the feasibility of insulin nanoparticles for transdermal drug delivery (TDD) using supercritical antisolvent (SAS) micronization process.
  
  
  METHODS
  The influences of various experimental factors on the mean particle size (MPS) of insulin nanoparticles were investigated. Moreover, the insulin nanoparticles obtained were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Under optimum conditions, uniform spherical insulin nanoparticles with a MPS of 68.2 +/- 10.8 nm were obtained. The Physicochemical characterization results showed that SAS process has not induced degradation of insulin. Evaluation in vitro showed that insulin nanoparticles were accorded with the Fick's first diffusion law and had a high permeation rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that insulin nanoparticles can have a great potential in TDD systems of diabetes chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Northeast Forestry University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiuhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yuangang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zu
authors.forename: ShuChong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zu
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Baishi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zu
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010316:Particle Size; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012869:Skin Absorption; D012995:Solubility; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013818:Thermogravimetry
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide