influence of liposomes and niosomes on the in vitro permeation and skin retention of finasteride

in this work we sought to determine whether vesicles (liposomes/niosomes) were able to enhance finasteride concentration in the dermis layer, including the pilosebaceous units (psu). such enhancement could be beneficial in the treatment of some androgen-related skin disorders. hamster flank skin was used to study  3hfinasteride permeation via vesicles and a hydroalcoholic solution (ha). the drug-containing vesicles were composed of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (dmpc) or egg lecithin: cholesterol: dicetyl phosphate (liposomes) and polyoxyethylene  alkyl ethers (brij ® series) or sorbitan monopalmitate (span 40): cholesterol: dicetyl phosphate (niosomes) and were prepared by the film hydration technique. determination of finasteride content by hplc showed 80-97% drug entrapment efficiency in the vesicles. the amount of 3h-finasteride penetrated into and permeated through hamster skin 24 h after topical application of vesicles ranged from 5.5 to 13% of the initial dose, compared to 24%, observed with ha  ( pspan 40 and lecithin vesicles was lower, when compared with liquid-state brij97, brij 76: brij 97 and dmpc vesicles. the fraction of finasteride found in the dermis  layer was greatest where dmpc liposomes were used (7.8%). the vesicles significantly reduced drug permeation as indicated by the flux of finasteride from vesicles (0.025-0.058 µg/cm 2.h), where compared with the ha (0.13 µg/cm2.h),  (pthe percutaneous absorption of finasteride and increasing its concentration and retention in the dermis layer.