Improved Flux of Levodopa via Direct Deposition of Solid Microparticles on Nasal Tissue

Epithelial flux and permeability across bovine olfactory tissue were compared when levodopa (l-DOPA) was loaded in different physical states. Aqueous solution of l-DOPA was prepared in Krebs-Ringer buffer (KRB), at a concentration (0.75 mg/mL) verified to be less than the saturation solubility at both 25 and 37°C. Sodium metabisulfite was added to solution to minimize l-DOPA oxidation; chemical stability of aqueous l-DOPA was evaluated using HPLC-UV. Solid-state characterization of unprocessed, dry, crystalline l-DOPA powder was performed using TGA, DSC, PXRD, and optical microscopy to ensure that preparation of l-DOPA microparticles used for diffusion experiments did not elicit a phase change. Measurements of in vitro flux were made for all preparations, using freshly excised bovine olfactory mucosal membrane. Samples obtained from transport studies were analyzed by HPLC-UV. Tissue viability was measured before and after experiments using transdermal epithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The average steady-state flux (J ss ) of l-DOPA from solid microparticles directly deposited on nasal epithelial tissue was 6.08 ± 0.69 μg/cm2/min, approximately three times greater than the J ss measured for l-DOPA from solution (2.13 ± 0.97 μg/cm2/min). The average apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) of l-DOPA was calculated to be 4.73 × 10−5 cm/s. These findings suggest that nasal delivery of l-DOPA by administration of solid microparticles not only benefits from improved chemical and microbiological stability by avoiding the use of aqueous formulation vehicle but also does not compromise cumulative mass transport across the olfactory membrane.