Percutaneous absorption and anti-inflammatory activity of indomethacin in ointment

Abstract

A jelly-type ointment containing 1% indomethacin, ID gel, was prepared, and the anti-infla-mmatory effects and percutaneous absorption of ID gel were studied. ID gel inhibited carrageenin-induced paw edema concentration-dependently by topical application and showed significant effect at concentratin over 1%. ID gel inhibited inflammation only in the applied foot, but did not influence the edema of non-applied foot in car-rrageenin-induced edema experiments. It was shown that percutaneous absorption of indomethacin was markedly more into the exudate and muscle of the applied foot than those of non-applied foot and systemic blood. ID gel showed also anti-inflam-matory erects on adjuvant arthritis in rats and ultraviolet-induced erythema in guinea pigs.