Dendrimers as potential drug carriers. Part II. Prolonged delivery of ketoprofen by in vitro and in vivo studies.

Ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with well-known anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties, has low solubility in water and causes local or systemic disturbance in the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study we investigated the potential of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as drug carriers of ketoprofen by in vitro and in vivo studies. The in vitro release of ketoprofen from the drug-dendrimer complex is significantly slower compared to pure ketoprofen. Anti-nociceptive studies using the acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice showed a prolonged pharmacodynamic behavior for the ketoprofen-PAMAM dendrimer complex. Also, the blood level studies were investigated. We concluded that PAMAM dendrimers might be considered as a potential drug carrier of ketoprofen with a sustained release behavior under suitable conditions.