DOI: 10.2298/AVB0903157D UDK 619:615.032 THE EVALUATION OF THE CONCENTRATIONS OF METHYLPREDNISOLONE APPLIED

The current clinical research on pharmacokinetics of methylprednisolone was performed on male pigs to whom was administered either intravenously or locally, via iontophoresis. Equal doses of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) were applied, i.e. 40 mg it total per animal. In all pigs artificial inflammation of knee and elbow joints was provoked four days prior to the treatment. Four hours after the application of methylprednisolone tissue samples (both synovial fluid and hyaline cartilage) were obtained from the inflamed joints and subjected to analysis. The quantification of the drug was performed by HPLC technique. The results indicated high quantities of methylprednisolone both in the synovial fluid and hyaline cartilage, the concentrations being significantly higher in animals after iontophoretic application (17.15±3.11 and 12.70±2.19 µg/g, respectively) in comparison with the animals treated intravenously (0.33±0.11 and 0.21±0.06 µg/g, respectively). Thus, iontophoresis was proved a highly advisable clinical means of application of methylprednisolone, especially having in mind the possibility of avoiding systemic adverse effects which are present after parenteral drug administration. In addition, it enables higher therapeutic concentrations of MPSS to be obtained both in the synovial fluid and in the hyaline cartilage of the treated inflamed joints. Key words: iontophoresis, methylprednisolone, inflamed joints, domestic pi