Nanoemulsion as a Platform for Iontophoretic Delivery of Lipophilic Drugs in Skin Tumors

Lipophilic drugs do not usually benefit from iontophoresis mainly because they do not solubilize in aqueous formulations suitable for the application of electric current. To explore the influence of iontophoresis on penetration of these drugs, a cationic nanoemulsion was developed to solubilize zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc), a promising drug for the treatment of skin cancer. To verify the influence of particle size on iontophoresis, an emulsion of nanoemulsion-like composition was also developed. The formulations were characterized and cutaneous and tumor penetration studies were performed in vitro and in vivo, respectively. With particles of about 200 nm, the nanoemulsion solubilized 2.5-fold more ZnPc than the 13-µm emulsion. At the same concentration of ZnPc, in vitro passive penetration studies showed that the nanoemulsion increased, after 1 h of treatment, by almost 4 times the penetration of ZnPc into the viable layers of the skin when compared to the emulsion, whereas iontophoresis of nanoemulsion resulted in a 16-fold increase in ZnPc penetration in only 30 min. An in vivo study in a murine model of melanoma showed that ZnPc reached the tumor after iontophoresis of the nanoemulsion. Therefore, iontophoresis of nanoemulsions appears to be a promising strategy for the topical treatment of tumors with lipophilic drugs

Efluxo de CO2 do solo em floresta de transição Amazônia Cerrado e em área de pastagem Soil efflux CO2 in mature transitional tropical forest Amazônia and pasture area

O objetivo deste trabalho foi (a) estimar o efluxo de CO2 do solo em uma Floresta de Transição Amazônica Cerrado e em uma área de Pastagem localizadas no norte do Mato Grosso, e (b) verificar a influência da umidade e temperatura do solo, e serrapilheira acumulada no efluxo de CO2. As medições foram realizadas com aparelho de absorção de CO2 por infravermelho (EGM/WMA-2 PP System, Hitchin Hertz, UK) de maio/2005 a abril/2006. Os valores médios do efluxo de CO2 do solo na Floresta e na área de Pastagem foram de 5,45 e 4,95 µmolm-2s-1, respectivamente. Uma resposta satisfatória do efluxo de CO2 do solo e a serrapilheira acumulada, ocorreu somente na estação seca. Na estação seca o comportamento do efluxo de CO2 do solo foi semelhante na Floresta de Transição Amazônica Cerrado e na área de Pastagem, e na estação úmida os ecossistemas apresentaram comportamentos distintos, e o efluxo de CO2 do solo na área de Pastagem foi superior ao na Floresta de Transição. É essencial que se avalie a influência de outros fatores no efluxo de CO2 em ecossistemas localizados em um mesmo ecótono para a obtenção de novas respostas que contribuíam para esclarecer as dúvidas da emissão de CO2 em nível mundial.<br>The objective of this paper was (a) to estimate the CO2 soil efflux in a Mature Transitional Tropical Forest Amazonia and a area of Pasture in the north of the Mato Grosso; (b) to analyzer the influence of the soil humidity and temperature, and accumulated litter. The measurements had been carried through with device of CO2 absorption for infra-red ray (EGM/WMA-2 PP System, Hitchin Hertz, UK) in may/2005 to april/2006. The average values of the CO2 efflux of the ground in the Forest and the area of 5,45 and 4,94 µmolm-2s-1 Pasture µmolm-2s-1, respectively. In the dry season the behavior of the CO2 efflux of the ground was similar in the Mature Transitional Tropical Forest Amazonian and in the area of Pasture, and in the wet season the ecosystems had presented distinct behaviors, and the CO2 efflux of the ground in the area of Pasture was superior to the one in the Transitional Forest. It is essential that if it evaluates the influence of other factors in the CO2 efflux in ecosystems located in one same ecótono for the attainment of new answers that contribution to clarify doubt atmospheric CO2 emission to them the worldwide level