Intradermal delivery of a liposomal formulation encapsulating amphiphilic ascorbic acid by iontophoresis for promotion of collagen synthesis

Collagen is a structural protein in skin that is an important component for maintaining skin functions, such as elasticity. As the amount and functional capacity of collagen in the skin decreases with age, wrinkles and skin sagging are induced. Treatment of the skin with vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AsA) is attracting attention as a means of inducing collagen production. However, penetration of AsA into the skin is difficult due to its hydrophilicity. To overcome this limitation, we focused on a combination of iontophoresis (ItP), which is a non-invasive intradermal drug delivery technology, and use of a liposome formulation, to improve skin penetration of AsA. In this study, palmitoylated AsA was used to increase the encapsulation efficiency into liposomes. We prepared liposomes encapsulating palmitoylated AsA (AsA-lipo) and performed ItP of fluorescently-labeled AsA-lipo on the shaved dorsal skin of rats. Fluorescence of the liposomes was observed in skin sections following ItP, indicating that AsA-lipo was delivered into the skin. The amount of collagen in the skin after ItP of AsA-lipo increased with the number of doses, and the amount of collagen mRNA also showed an increasing trend. Furthermore, the amount of hydroxyproline, which is a major component of collagen, was significantly increased in skin treated with AsA-lipo via ItP. In conclusion, results of this study demonstrate the successful promotion of skin collagen synthesis by non-invasive iontophoretic intradermal delivery of AsA-lipo.

論文本文は2025-11-24以降公開予定

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