In vivo skin permeation of sodium naproxen formulated in pluronic F-127 gels: Effect of Azone (R) and Transcutol (R)

The objective of this study was to determine the penetration of sodium naproxen, formulated in Pluronic F-127 (PF-127) gels containing Azone(R) and Transcutol(R) as penetration enhancers, through human skin in vivo. It was found that the combination of Azone(R) and Transcutol(R) in PF-127 gels enhanced sodium naproxen penetration, with enhancement ratios of up to two fold compared with the formulation containing only Transcutol(R). These results were confirmed by TEWL and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, suggesting a synergic action for Azone(R) and Transcutol(R). Because of the thermo-reversible behavior of Pluronic gels, the influence of the components added to the gel formulations on viscosity, as a function of temperature, was also studied.