Abstract
Nicotine replacement therapy is a medically approved means to quit smoking. Microneedle devices could be engineered in such a way to provide rapid delivery of nicotine. The main objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of nicotine delivery from microneedles via the transdermal route. Nicotine loaded microneedles were prepared using a mold casting technique with polyvinylpyrrolidone as the water-soluble polymer. The microneedles were characterized for their height, diameter, and tip width by microscopic observation. The nicotine loaded microneedles were characterized for in vitro release profile and skin permeation profile. The pharmacokinetic parameters of nicotine loaded microneedles were compared with an intravenous administration of nicotine in Sprague Dawley rats. The in vivo skin resealing kinetics was studied using TEWL (Transepidermal water loss) measurements after insertion of microneedles as an indicator of skin barrier function. In vivo, pharmacokinetic studies revealed that nicotine from microneedles showed immediate release profile with Cmax (70.10 ± 3.55 ng/mL) being achieved within the first hour. Overall, nicotine loaded into microneedles could be a potential pain-free and minimally invasive treatment option for nicotine replacement therapy.
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