MR: Vaginal drug delivery Flashcards
What is the general structure of the vagina?
collapsible musculomembranous tube
How is the surface of the vagina? and advantages of this?
highly folded into rugae
- large SA
- rapid drug absorption
What is the disadvantage of the surface of the vagina being highly folded into rugae?
rapid infection by pathogenic organisms
What are the physicochemical properties of vaginal fluid? 3
- aqueous
- pH 3.5-5
- volume + composition can change
What is the blood supply of the vagina from? 2
- internal iliac artery
- uterine artery
What is the advantage of the rich blood supply to the vagina?
can be used to deliver drugs systemically (HRT contraception)
How is the acidic environment of the vaginal fluid maintained?
by conversion of glycogen -> lactic acid by bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus
What is the advantage of the vaginal fluid being acidic?
Provides resistance from colonisation by various microorganisms
Volume and composition of the vaginal fluid: what 3 things increase with age?
pH,
fibrosity
mucin content
Volume and composition of the vaginal fluid: what 3 things decrease with age?
viscosity
cellularity
albumin content
Give 6 advantages using the vaginal route of admin?
- local admin
- large surface area
- rich blood supply
- avoids hepatic first pass metabolism
- reduced GI side effects
- self insertion and removal
what is uterine first pass effect and is this an ad/disadvantage for vaginal drug delivery?
advantage
potential for uterine targeting: local transport between vagina and uterus
vagina is permeable to a wide range of ocmpounds e.g. X and Y which cant be taken orally as destroyed in stomach low pH?
peptides and proteins
Give 6 disadvantages for vaginal delivery?
- gender specific
- less convenient
- variable permeability
- SR must ensure vaginal environment maintained
- vagina changes with age
- local irritation
absorption across vaginal epithelium is affected by? 2
physiological factors (can’t alter) and physicochemical properties of drugs
What are the 3 routes of drug absorption from the vagina?
- transcellular
- intracellular (through/ between cells)
- receptor-mediated
problem with only relying on receptor mediator transport mechanisms?
The receptors can become saturated meaning limit to amount that can be absorbed
3 physiological factors that may affect drug absorption from vagina?
- thickness of vaginal epithelium
- pH
- volume + composition of v fluid
what does Thickness of vaginal epithelium determine?
how quickly drug absorbed through into bloodstream
pH affect of drug absorption through vagina?
drug ionised… reduce absorption
unionised… help absorption
Will poorly water-soluble drugs have a higher or lower absorption rate if the vaginal fluid is increased? Why or why not?
- higher
- more solvent (aq vaginal fluid) to solubilise drug
Why does vagina pH affect release rate of pH sensitive drugs?
if drug ionised, more soluble so quicker dissolution but slower absorption
What physicochemical properties of the drug affect absorption from the vagina?
- MW (want low)
- lipophilicity (high not too high)
- ionisation (low pH)
- solubility
- partition coefficient
- chemistry (affects all above)
drugs been delivered systemically through vaginal tissue: X bioavailability than oral route and why 2 reasons?
greater as:
- no hepatic first pass effect
- higher intercellular permeablity
With drugs that want a local effect on the vagina, what is undesirable?
absorption
Are low MW drugs likely to have a higher or lower absorption rate? Why?
- higher
- diffuse faster
What questions are considered when formulating vaginal drug delivery systems?
- systemic/local effect?
- need distribution within vagina?
- immediate/sustained release?
- cultural acceptability?
- economic implications
- physicochemical properties of the drug?
what will happen once vaginal ring administered with a really hydrophobic drug in?
drug will sit in ring and wont want to leave + go -> vaginal fluid and tissue
vaginal ring is really hydrophlic. wont dissolve in polymer to be released from drug
what is the name given to the semi solid system in which a liquid phase is constrained within a 3d cross linked matrix?
gel
In which phase is the drug dissolved or suspended in a gel?
liquid
How can vaginal gels behave when applied to the vagina? Why is this useful?
- swell, then spread over vaginal wall
- allow for localised drug delivery + sustained release for longer periods of time