The objective of this work was to study in vitro propranolol permeation and skin retention after topical application of different\nsemisolid vehicles, with the final aim of developing new topical formulations intended for the treatment of infantile hemangioma,\nable to produce therapeutic drug levels in the skin, avoiding systemic absorption. Propranolol ointments, creams, and gels were\nprepared and tested on pig skin, an accepted model of human skin. Fromthe results obtained in the present work it is clear that the\npermeation of propranolol across the skin is a poor predictor of its skin retention, at least in the time-frame considered. With an\napplication time of 4 h, reasonably close to the permanence time of a semisolid formulation on the skin surface, the best performance\n(high retention and lowskin penetration)was obtained with lipophilic formulations, in particular with a lipophilic creamcontaining\nolive oil. Hydrophilic formulations, such as gels, are characterized by a significant permeation across the skin, probably leading to\nsystemic side effects, accompanied by a limited skin retention. Overall, the results obtained in the present work pose the basis for\nthe development of new topical formulations, containing propranolol, with better performance and reduced systemic absorption.
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