Mechanistic Study of Decreased Skin Penetration Using a Combination of Sonophoresis with Sodium Fluorescein-Loaded PEGylated Liposomes with D-Limonene

The study from December 2015 examined how sonophoresis (SN) affected the skin penetration of sodium fluorescein-loaded PEGylated liposomes with D-limonene (NaFI-loaded PL-LI). It was found that SN increased the flux of NaFI solution but decreased the flux of NaFI-loaded PL-LI. The penetration of NaFI-loaded PL-LI was significant without SN, especially through hair follicles, but SN reduced this penetration, likely by altering the skin's structure and partially blocking the follicular route. The study concluded that while SN can enhance the penetration of small hydrophilic molecules, it may impede the permeation of drug-loaded PEGylated liposomes with D-limonene through the transfollicular pathway.