Effect of Salt Form on Gelation and Drug Delivery Properties of Diclofenac-Loaded Poloxamer Gels for Delivery to Impaired Skin

Purpose: Treating chronic wounds is a significant clinical challenge, and a topical product would be ideal for pain management. Poloxamer 407, a thermosensitive polymer, would allow an analgesic drug to be topically applied to a wound as a liquid that transitions to a gel at physiologic temperature. Using diclofenac as a model analgesic drug, our goal was to determine effects of salt form on poloxamer gelation and drug delivery from poloxamer gels applied to excised skin with impaired barrier function.

Methods: Gelation properties of 17% and 20% poloxamer gels loaded with 0.4 to 1.7% diclofenac sodium, potassium, epolamine, or diethylamine were evaluated rheologically. Drug release and delivery were quantified using cellulose membranes, porcine skin, and tape-stripped porcine skin.

Results: Poloxamer gelation temperature increased with higher diclofenac concentration, regardless of salt form; the magnitude of increase varied in the following order: sodium>potassium>diethylamine>epolamine. Gelation temperature differences resulting from the various counterions generally matched previously observed trends of ion-specific effects on macromolecule solubility (the Hofmeister series). Despite changes in gelation behavior, we observed minimal corresponding effects on drug release or delivery. There were no significant differences in diclofenac released or delivered through intact porcine skin over 48 h. However, in studies with impaired (tape-stripped) skin, diclofenac delivery was slowest overall with the epolamine salt.

Conclusion: Varying the salt form of a model analgesic drug can impact gelation and drug delivery characteristics of poloxamer systems. Further study of the mechanisms of these changes will be important for continued development of topical poloxamer products for clinical wound care.