Co-drug strategy for promoting skin targeting and minimizing the transdermal diffusion of hydroquinone and tranexamic acid

• Published in: Current medicinal chemistry Vol. 20; no. 32; p. 4080
• Main Authors: Hsieh, Pei-Wen, Chen, Wei-Yu, Aljuffali, Ibrahim A, Chen, Chun-Che, Fang, Jia-You
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United Arab Emirates 01.10.2013
• Subjects: Administration, Cutaneous; Animals; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Combinations; Drug Delivery Systems; Female; Hair Follicle - chemistry; Humans; Hydroquinones - administration & dosage; Hydroquinones - chemistry; Hydroquinones - pharmacology; Keratinocytes - drug effects; Mice, Nude; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Tranexamic Acid - administration & dosage; Tranexamic Acid - chemistry; Tranexamic Acid - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1875-533X
• DOI: 10.2174/15672050113109990202

Hydroquinone and tranexamic acids (TXA) are skin-lightening agents with a hydrophilic nature and low skin absorption. A high dose is needed for clinical use, resulting in a high incidence of skin irritation. Co-drugs formed by conjugating hydroquinone and TXA were synthesized and their in vitro and in vivo skin absorption characteristics were evaluated. The two synthesized co-drugs were 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-(aminomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate (HAC) and 1,4- phenylene bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate (BAC). The co-drugs were chemically stable in aqueous solution, but rapidly degraded to the respective parent drug in esterases and skin homogenates. Compared to hydroquinone application, 7.2- and 2.4-fold increments in the hydroquinone skin deposition were obtained with the in vitro application of HAC and BAC. HAC and BAC led to 3- and 2-fold enhancements of equivalent TXA deposition compared to TXA administration. The in vivo experiment showed a further enhancement of co-drugs compared to the in vitro setup. The transdermal penetration of co-drugs, especially BAC, was much lower than that of hydroquinone and TXA. This indicated high-level skin targeting by the co-drugs. HAC and BAC revealed strong affinities for the viable epidermis/dermis. Hair follicles are important reservoirs for co-drug delivery. Daily administration of co-drugs to the skin did not generate irritation for up to 7 days. Both co-drugs are superior candidates for treating skin hyperpigmentation.