1: Skin Pharmacol 1995;8(5):229-36
Noninvasive investigation of human skin after in vivo iontophoresis.
Thysman S, Van Neste D, Preat V
Universite Catholique de Louvain, Ecole de pharmacie, Unite de pharmacie
galenique, Bruxelles, Belgique.
The main objective of our study was to investigate skin function and structure
in human volunteers after electrical current application in order to demonstrate
the safety of iontophoresis in vivo. The direct current was applied for
30 min at a density of 0.1 and 0.2 mA/cm2. Iontophoresis increased cutaneous
blood flow as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). This increase
was reversible within 1 h and was more pronounced at higher current density.
Measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and LDF were the same
at the cathode and the anode sites. Except for 5 min at 0.2 mA/cm2 density,
TEWL values were not enhanced as compared to control values (no iontophoresis).
Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of
the stratum corneum structure showed a transient increase (30 min) in hydration
after electrode application for 30 min. No alteration in lipid structure
could be shown. These results augur the safety of drug delivery by iontophoresis.
PMID: 8527154, UI: 96079425