PROGRAMMED CHRONOKINETICS OF SALBUTAMOL SULPHATE FOR NOCTURNAL ASTHMA.

Abstract

Asthma symptoms are worsening at night. In fact, it has been estimated that incidence of asthma occurred 100 times more often at night than during the day. Many circadian-dependent factors appear to contribute to the worsening nocturnal asthmatic symptoms. For example, cortisol levels are lowest in the middle of the night and histamine concentration peaked at a level that coincided with the greatest degree of bronchoconstriction at 4:00 am.

We developed a formulation that relies on a combination of water soluble and water insoluble polymers, coated on to drug loaded beads to delay release by four to five hours after ingestion. This delivery device is a pulsatile drug delivery system and capable of releasing drug after predetermined time delay. The release of drug can characterize by proportioning drug concentration throughout night period in synchrony with biological rhythm determinants of asthma. Such coordination of biological rhythms with treatment is called chronotherapy and the delivery device is known as chronotherapy drug delivery system.

Developed formulation is a multiarticulate pulsatile system in which Salbutamol Sulphate is coated on non-pareil sugar seeds, using PVP-K-30 as a binder, followed by a middle layer of water insoluble ingredients and final coating of drug to immediate release^.  The water insoluble ingredients used were Propylene Glycol and Cellulose acetate Phthalate which delay release by 4 hours. It shows that 1 gm of pellets administered before sleep can provide relief from nocturnal asthma.

Keywords: PVP-K-30