Transdermal Delivery of Endogenous Growth Inhibiting Proteins Using Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Films

Abstract

To evaluate the feasibility of non-invasive, specifically transdermal, delivery of a thermostable growth - inhibiting protein complex (TPC) isolated from adult rat liver, we investigated its effects on cell proliferation in the tissues of juvenile rats when immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based films of different compositions. It was found that immobilization of TPC in films composed of polyvinyl alcohol and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) led to a significant reduction in the mitotic index of liver and kidney cells in experimental animals compared with controls (by 46% and 30%, respectively). In contrast, immobilization of TPC in films composed solely of polyvinyl alcohol did not produce an inhibitory effect in any tissue. In parallel, we examined whether the incorporation of starch as a third component could enhance film solubility and the release of proteins. The results showed that starch addition did not increase film solubility, nor did it alter the antiproliferative activity of the immobilized TPC.