Therapeutic and cosmeceutical potential of ethosomes: An overview

The main disadvantage of transdermal drug delivery is the poor penetration of most compounds into the human skin. The main barrier of the skin is located within its uppermost layer, the stratum corneum (SC). Several approaches have been developed to weaken this skin barrier. One of the approaches for increasing the skin penetration of drugs and many cosmetic chemicals is the use of vesicular systems, such as, liposomes and ethosomes. Ethosomes are phospholipid-based elastic nanovesicles containing a high content of ethanol (20–45%). Ethanol is known as an efficient permeation enhancer and has been added in the vesicular systems to prepare elastic nanovesicles. It can interact with the polar head group region of the lipid molecules, resulting in the reduction of the melting point of the stratum corneum lipid, thereby increasing lipid fluidity and cell membrane permeability. The high flexibility of vesicular membranes from the added ethanol permits the elastic vesicles to squeeze themselves through the pores, which are much smaller than their diameters. Ethosomal systems are much more efficient in delivering substances to the skin in the terms of quantity and depth, than either conventional liposomes or hydroalcoholic solutions. The scope of this small review is to introduce the novel concept of ethosomes and to describe some approaches and mechanisms of stimulating topical and transdermal products with ethosomes

The effect of liposome-delivered prednisolone on collagen density, myofibroblasts, and fibrous capsule thickness around silicone breast implants in rats

Capsular contracture is a potential adverse effect of breast implants. An inflammatory reaction is most likely the origin of fibrosis around the implant. It is possible that some substances may act to prevent this inflammatory reaction. Thus, our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of local depot prednisolone phosphate-liposomes (PPL) on fibrous capsule formation around textured silicone breast implants. Shell prostheses (2 mL) were implanted in the right (plus PPL group) and left (plus saline solution, saline group) subcutaneous dorsum of 18 rats. in another 18 rats, the implants were positioned in the left of the back without any drug instillation (control group). in the PPL group, the capsule thickness (mu m) and density (%) of collagen were significantly (p < 0.0001) lower compared with the control group on days 35 and 90 postsurgery. Furthermore, in the PPL group, a significant reduction in myofibroblast count was observed on day 90 postsurgery (p < 0.0001). in conclusion, a single dose of depot liposome-delivered prednisolone was effective at impairing capsule formation around the silicone implant. the results suggest a strong local and weak systemic effect of PPL on the fibrous tissue around silicone implants. To our knowledge, no study has yet assessed the effect of PPL on silicone breast implants.Body Medic(TM)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, EPM, Dept Surg, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Londrina, Dept Anesthesiol, Londrina, PR, BrazilUniv Estadual Maringa, Dept Pharmacol, Maringa, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, EPM, Dept Morphol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, EPM, Surg Tech & Expt Surg Div, São Paulo, BrazilSBCP, Maringa, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, EPM, Dept Surg, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, EPM, Dept Morphol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, EPM, Surg Tech & Expt Surg Div, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc