Oxytocin is recommended by the World Health Organisation as the most effective uterotonic for the prevention and\r\ntreatment of postpartum haemorrhage. The requirement for parenteral administration by trained healthcare providers\r\nand the need for the drug solution to be maintained under cold-chain storage limit the use of oxytocin in the\r\ndeveloping world. In this study, a spray-dried ultrafine formulation of oxytocin was developed with an optimal particle\r\nsize diameter (1-5 �µm) to facilitate aerosolised delivery via the lungs. A powder formulation of oxytocin, using\r\nmannitol, glycine and leucine as carriers, was prepared with a volume-based median particle diameter of 1.9 �µm.\r\nOxytocin content in the formulation was assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy\r\nand was found to be unchanged after spray-drying. Ex vivo contractility studies utilising human and ovine uterine\r\ntissue indicated no difference in the bioactivity of oxytocin before and after spray-drying. Uterine electromyographic\r\n(EMG) activity in postpartum ewes following pulmonary (in vivo) administration of oxytocin closely mimicked that\r\nobserved immediately postpartum (0-12 h following normal vaginal delivery of the lamb). In comparison to the\r\nintramuscular injection, pulmonary administration of an oxytocin dry powder formulation to postpartum ewes resulted\r\nin generally similar EMG responses, however a more rapid onset of uterine EMG activity was observed following\r\npulmonary administration (129 �± 18 s) than intramuscular injection (275 �± 22 s). This is the first study to demonstrate\r\nthe potential for oxytocin to elicit uterine activity after systemic absorption as an aerosolised powder from the lungs.\r\nAerosolised oxytocin has the potential to provide a stable and easy to administer delivery system for effective\r\nprevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage in resource-poor settings in the developing world.\r\nCitation: Prankerd RJ, Nguyen T-H, Ibrahim JP, Bischof RJ, Nassta GC, et al. (2013) Pulmonary Delivery of an Ultra-Fine Oxytocin Dry Powder
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