In vivo determination of doxorubicin and its metabolites within the skin using laser scanning microscopy

✍ Scribed by U. Jacobi; E. Waibler; J. Bartoll; P. Schulze; W. Sterry; J. Lademann

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 251 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1612-2011
• DOI: 10.1002/lapl.200310028

✦ Synopsis

Much research in medicine is focused on the development
of antitumoral therapies. The encapsulation of the active single
chemotherapy agent doxorubicin in highly stable
Stealth^®^ liposomes can cause
dominant and dose-limiting mucocutaneous reactions, such as the
hand-foot syndrome. The aim of the present study was to determine
the kinetic and localization of doxorubicin or its metabolites
within the skin in vivo. Therefore, a laser scanning microscope
was used to excite and detect the fluorescence of these compounds.
The approach was tested on porcine skin after topical application
of the agent prior to measurement. Subsequently, the laser
scanning microscope was used to study skin areas mainly affected
by the hand-foot syndrome on a patient who had undergone a therapy
with the encapsulated doxorubicin
(Caelyx^®^). Fluorescence was
detected on the skin surface of the axilla, on the forehead inside
furrows and the sebaceous glands (1 h after commencement of the
treatment) and within the skin of the sole and the palm (2 h after
beginning the injection). These signals were determined for up to
3.5 h. The results obtained indicate that both the sweat glands
and sebaceous glands function as pathways for the release of
doxorubicin or its metabolites. The described method opens the
possibility for further studies to develop and test prevention
strategies against the hand-foot syndrome.