title: Clobetasol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for epidermal targeting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the epidermal targeting potential of clobetasol propionate-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (CP-NLC) when compared to that of chitosan-coated (CP-NLC-C).
  
  
  METHODS
  CP-NLC were prepared by microemulsion method and characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, in vitro release and permeation studies. To verify epidermal targeting, permeation studies were performed in two sets of experiments. For the first set, the skin was removed from the diffusion cell and stratum corneum (SC) was separated from the remaining skin (RS). For the second set, the whole epidermis (EP) was separated from the dermis (DER). CP quantification was performed in each skin layer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A novel clobetasol propionate-loaded NLC was produced with 1/5th of the drug dose used in commercial formulations and, even so, presented greater skin permeation. Both chitosan-coated and uncoated NLC enhanced the amount of CP in the epidermis more than 80-fold when compared to the commercial formulation (20.26 ± 2.77; 17.85 ± 0.49 and 0.22 ± 0.02 μg/cm(2) , respectively). Differently from chitosan-coated NLC, the uncoated NLC did not show dermal retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NLC proved to be a system with potential for targeting drug delivery to the epidermal layer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luis Antônio Dantas
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lígia Marquez
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Drugs and Cosmetics (LTMAC), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70.910-900, Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernando Augusto Pires
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0722-0239
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: de Sá
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Neves
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Marreto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eliana Martins
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Drugs and Cosmetics (LTMAC), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70.910-900, Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gratieri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Stephânia Fleury
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Taveira
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry; D002990:Clobetasol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004339:Drug Compounding; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010539:Permeability; D012869:Skin Absorption; D012995:Solubility; D013552:Swine; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008055:Lipids; D048271:Chitosan; D002990:Clobetasol
keywords: Clobetasol; chitosan; epidermal targeting; lipid nanoparticle; skin permeation