Intranasal administration of human fibroblast interferon in mice, rats, rabbits and dogs.

Abstract

In previous studies on the nasal administration of human fibroblast interferon (HulFN-.beta.), only rabbits have been used. Therefore, this route was investigated in mice, rats, rabbits and dogs. HuIFN-.beta. could be delivered across the nasal mucosa in mice, rats, rabbits and dogs, when it was mixed with sodium glycocholate as an absorption promoter. However, the pattern of the plasma HuIFN-.beta. concentration-time curve was different from that in rabbits. Rabbits gave the highest value of the maximum plasma HuIFN-.beta. concentration (Cmax), but plasma HuIFN-.beta. declined rapidly thereafter, upon nasal administration of the powder dosage form (8.45 .times. 102 IU/g). In rats and dogs, Cmax was lower than in rabbits, but plasma HuIFN-.beta. declined slowly after nasal administration of the powder or liquid dosage form (4-6 .times. 102 IU/g). These differences might be attributed to differences of absorption rate constant.