Evaluation of mesotherapy as a transdermal drug delivery tool

Facial Skin Rejuvenation Using Poly-dl-Lactic Acid Injected With a Laser-Generated Needle-Free Microjet Injector

BACKGROUND

A laser-induced needle-free microjet injector was developed for rapid, high-speed drug delivery of microliters into the skin.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the clinical rejuvenation effect of repeated dermal injections of the collagen simulator poly-dl-lactic acid (PDLA) using a laser-induced needle-free microjet injector.

METHODS

Five PDLA injection sessions using a laser-induced needle-free microjet injector were conducted in patients concerned about aging skin. Facial uplifting, darkness, redness, roughness, pore size, subjective satisfaction, and side effects were evaluated before each session and 4 weeks after treatment completion. Histological evaluation was also performed with immunohistochemical staining of collagen and elastic fibers.

RESULTS

The clinical results of 27 female patients were evaluated. The treatment resulted in a noticeable skin surface uplifting (0.711 ± 0.42 mm) and significant improvements in darkness (p = .013), redness (p = .009), and roughness (p = .036), with no significant difference in the pore size (p = .770). Patients were reported being satisfied with the overall therapeutic effects, despite mild and tolerable adverse effects. Histological findings revealed growth and thickening of collagen and elastic fibers, with marked increase in collagen I and III levels.

CONCLUSION

Repeated dermal injections of PDLA using a laser-induced microjet injector offer excellent drug delivery, achieving high efficacy in skin rejuvenation, patient satisfaction, and safety.

Extended Injection Intervals of Gonadotropins by Intradermal Administration in IVF Treatment

CONTEXT

Gonadotropins can be administered every 5 days under intradermal injection in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effectiveness of intradermal injection of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) for women undergoing IVF.

METHODS

Women who received their first IVF treatment enrolled in this prospective intervention in 2018. All women received a bolus of 900 IU rhFSH intradermally at day 2 of the treatment cycle followed by additional dosage of rhFSH at day 7 and/or day 10. The main outcome measures included the total dose of rhFSH and number of injections required, sequential serum FSH level detected, and number of mature oocytes retrieved.

RESULTS

Seventy women completed the study. On average, 2.31 ± 0.73 injections and 1662 ± 397 IU of rhFSH were administered. While the baseline FSH level was 5.6 ± 2.2 IU/L, the serum concentrations of FSH after rhFSH administration were 35.3 ± 7.0 on the first day (24 hours) and 10.7 ± 3.7 IU/L on the fifth day (120 hours). A total of 10.5 ± 6.6 mature oocytes were retrieved, resulting in 7.3 ± 5.1 pronuclear embryos; 1.8 ± 0.6 embryos were transferred to the uterus. Our findings resulted in 72% fertilization, 91% cleavage, 31% implantation, and 36% live birth rates. Although fewer larger follicles were found, noninferiority results were noted in the mature oocytes retrieved, good embryos available, and clinical pregnancy rate compared with those received conventional daily subcutaneous rhFSH administration.

CONCLUSION

Intradermal administration of rhFSH, with a smaller dose of rhFSH and fewer injections, may achieve the goal of a cost-effective and more patient-friendly regimen.

Safety evaluation and consideration of 4 Pin Multi-needle for meso-therapy

This study was conducted according to the method presented in the Republic of Korea Pharmacopoeia 11th Revision, aseptic test method to evaluate the suitability of sterilization for a sterile needle (4 Pin Multi-needle). In this study, four tests were conducted: sterility test, cytotoxicity test, acute toxicity test, skin sensitization test. First, in the aseptic test, the microorganism was not proliferated in the aseptic test of the medium. As a result of the performance test of the medium, it was confirmed that the microorganism developed within 3 days and the fungus was evident within 5 days. Based on this, it was confirmed that the medium was suitable, and as a result of the aseptic test, the development of microorganisms was not observed during the total culture period. Based on these results, tests were conducted which were confirmed to be suitable for aseptic testing because the development of bacteria on the provided samples was not recognized. For cytotoxicity tests ISO10993-5; 2009 (Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices, Part 5: Test for in vitro Cytotoxicity). As a result, the MEM eluate of the test substance caused very slight cytotoxicity to the fibroblasts of the mouse and was judged to be Grade 1 (Slightly cytotoxic) according to the judgment standard of ISO 10993-5. On the other hand, solvent control, negative control and positive control showed the expected results on the test. Acute Toxicity Test Results: It was judged that there was no systemic toxicity change when ICR mice were treated with 50 mL/kg B.W. of the eluate of sterile injectable needle for 72 hours. Skin sensitization test result: The Hartley guinea pig was evaluated as a substance which is evaluated as a substance which does not induce any skin reaction when skin sensitization is applied to the dissected material of the sterile injectable needle and is weak in skin sensitivity. Based on the above tests, we will study the stability and efficacy of more reliable medical devices based on the verification and performance of medical devices.

Efficacy of mesotherapy using drugs versus normal saline solution in chronic spinal pain: a retrospective study

Mesotherapy, or intradermal therapy, is a therapeutic approach that is gaining popularity, but there is still a significant lack of information on its mechanisms of action or the pharmacokinetics of the therapeutic regimens. This retrospective study on 220 records compared the short-term and long-term effects of mesotherapy using a mixture of drugs versus normal saline solution in the treatment of patients with chronic spinal pain (CSP). At the end of treatment, outcome measures showed a significant improvement (P<0.003) in both groups, which persisted at the follow-up assessments. At 12 weeks of follow-up, the improvement was significantly greater in patients treated with the drug cocktail than with the saline solution (P<0.05). Mesotherapy was effective in patients affected by CSP, with high patient satisfaction reported irrespective of the agent used. Considering the risks and costs of drugs, normal saline solution appears to be the best agent in cost-benefit terms for treating localized pain by mesotherapy in CSP.

Spring-loaded Syringe for Multiple Rapid Injections

Mesotherapy refers to multiple injections of small quantity of the drug over a large area. The mesoguns available are expensive and the motor-driven models tends to waste the expensive material to be injected since the plunger stops after injecting without recoil. We searched for a less expensive device which would inject like the mesogun and still not waste the solution. On searching the web, we identified a spring-loaded syringe. We describe the assembly and use of this inexpensive syringe for delivering multiple injections with minimal wastage.