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Transdermal delivery of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is an effective route of drug administration, as it directs the drug to the inflamed site with reduced incidence of systemic adverse effects such as gastric hemorrhage and ulcers. Tenoxicam (TNX) is a member of NSAIDs that are marketed only as oral tablets due to very poor absorption through the skin. The current study intended to formulate and characterize a hydrogel loaded with nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to enhance the transdermal delivery of TNX. Six formulations of TNX were formulated by slight modifications of high shear homogenization and ultrasonication method. The selected formula was characterized for their particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, entrapment efficiency (EE), in-vitro drug release and ex-vivo skin permeation studies. Moreover, the effectiveness of the developed formula was studied in-vivo using carrageenan-induced paw edema and hyperalgesia model in irradiated rats. Formula F4 was chosen from six formulations, as the average diameter was 679.4 ± 51.3 nm, PDI value of about 0.02, zeta potential of −4.24 mV, EE of 92.36%, globules nanoparticles without aggregations and absence of interactions in the developed formula. Additionally, the in-vivo study showed the efficacy of formula F4 (TNX-NLCs hydrogel) equivalent to oral TNX in reducing the exaggerated inflammatory response induced by carrageenan after irradiation. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that TNX-NLCs hydrogel could be a potential transdermal drug delivery system alternative to the oral formulation for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions.

Aim of the work: Resveratrol (RSV) is a phytoalexin with potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties; however, its low bioavailability is considered a major obstacle. Piperine (PIP), an alkaloid, has been widely used as an effective bio-enhancer with drugs associated with low bioavailability. The current study was directed to examine the role of PIP in enhancing the efficacy of RSV in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats. Materials and methods: Carrageenan-induced paw edema model was designed for RSV and PIP doses optimization. Afterward, in the AIA model, rats were immunized at day 0 by sub-plantar injection of Freund’s complete-adjuvant. RSV (50 mg/kg) and PIP (20 mg/kg) were orally administered concurrently once daily from day 14 for two weeks. A standard anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, was employed for treatment validation. The paw volume was measured every 4 days. On day 29, rats were sacrificed and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total nitrate/nitrite (NOx) were estimated. Ankles were dissected for histopathological examinations and immuno-histochemical expression of nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65). Results: Co-administration of RSV and PIP significantly decreased the paw swelling and ameliorated the histopathological changes. In addition, the combined treatment highly reduced the serum TNF-α, IL-1β, TBARS and NOx. Besides, a nearly negative expression of NF-κB p65 in the synovial tissue was observed by co-administration of PIP with RSV. Results of the combination treatment were comparable to that of the diclofenac treatment. Conclusion: Co-administration of PIP enhanced the anti-inflammatory efficacy of RSV in the arthritic-induced rats. Keywords: Adjuvant-induced arthritis, Resveratrol, Piperine, Inflammation, Cytokines, Oxidative stress

Purpose: Low dose radiation has been reported as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis via multiple dose exposures. The present study was designed to increase the therapeutic efficacy of ...