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ACTA
HELVETIAE
ELSEVIER
Pharmaceutics
Acta Helvetiae
70 (1995) 125-131
Rouan
b, C.T. Rhodes
11 October
1993; accepted
21 October
1994
Abstract
We have previously developed a spray dried formulation
of a model protein (P-galactosidase)
of a size suitable for evaluation
in dry powder
inhaler devices. In this study, we wished to evaluate the roles of various methods available for the laboratory
testing of dry powders for inhalation
(cascade impactor, twin impinger, aerodynamic
time of flight and image analysis). Secondly we wished to compare different inhaler devices using
formulations
with and without a carrier. Both the cascade impactor and twin impinger were appropriate
methods for the testing of dry powder
inhalers,
and gave comparable
estimates
of respirable
fraction.
Image analysis and aerodynamic
time of flight were suitable methods for
determining
the particle size of the dry powders, although the former was considerably
more time consuming than the latter. The four inhalers
evaluated differed greatly in terms of in vitro deposition properties.
The presence of a carrier significantly improved respirable fraction with the
poorer inhalers, but was less critical to the performance
of the more efficient devices.
Keywords: Spray drying;
Impactor;
Impinger:
Particle
size; Inhalation;
1. Introduction
Bronchodilators
and other drugs for asthma have
traditionally
been administered
by the inhalation
route,
usually in the form of suspension,
metered
dose inhalers (MDIs).
More recently
dry powder
inhalers
(DPIs) have been developed.
These enable the pulmonary delivery of higher dose, locally acting, drugs
such as sodium cromoglycate.
They also offer an alternative delivery system to patients who are unable to
synchronize
the discharge
and inhalation
of MDIs
(Ganderton
and Kassem, 1991).
Whether a drug is to be delivered by a metered dose
or dry powder device, control of particle size is critical.
Particles
of around
5 pm generally
deposit
in the
bronchiolar
region of the respiratory
tract, whereas
* Corresponding
author.
Present
address:
Creative
BioMolecules,
35, South Street,
Hopkinton,
MA 01748, USA. Fax: +l (508)
4350454.
Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
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reserved
Protein
126
2. Experimental
procedures
2.1. Materials
Lyophilized
P-galactosidase
derived
from
Aspergillus oryzae was obtained
from Enzyme Development (New York). Reagents and standard for the BCA
and micro BCA protein
assays were obtained
from
Pierce (Rockford,
IL). Avicel PH 101 was obtained
from FMC. Mannitol
was obtained
from ICI. Trehalose dihydrate and all other chemicals were obtained
from Sigma (St. Louis, MO).
2.2. Spray drying
A 60 mg/ml
solution of P-galactosidase
was prepared by dispersing
the enzyme, as supplied by the
manufacturer,
in deionized water, centrifuging
and dialyzing the supernatant
against deionized
water. Trehalose, at a concentration
of 50 mg/ml, was added to
this solution to prevent activity loss during drying and
storage. Spray drying was carried out using a Biichi 190
mini spray dryer at an inlet temperature
of 140 C and
an outlet temperature
of approx. 95 C. The solution
was fed to the dryer at a rate of 2 ml/min.
An air flow
rate of 600 l/h and aspirator vacuum of 35 mbar were
used. The moisture content of the spray dried material,
determined
by Karl Fischer analysis, was 3.7%.
2.3. In vitro inhalation behavior
The spray dried material was evaluated both in the
presence and absence of a carrier. The carrier formulation was prepared by mixing equal weights of the spray
dried powder and micro crystalline
cellulose (Avicel
PH 101). Avicel was used simply as a model carrier
material, since lactose is a substrate for P-galactosidase
and therefore could not be used. The geometric mean
size of the Avicel 101 was 24.3 pm as determined
by
image analysis. Hard gelatin capsules were filled with
either 20 mg of the spray dried material or 40 mg of
the carrier blend. This represents
approx. 11-12 mg of
protein per capsule. Four inhalation
devices were evaluated (Spinhaler,
Rotahaler,
Berotec and ISF). The
deposition
properties
were evaluated using a twin impinger (Copley Instruments)
and a cascade impactor
(Andersen
8 stage 1 ACFM Non Viable Particle Size
Sampler Mark II). In both cases five capsules were
discharged
into the apparatus
per determination
and
each determination
was carried out five times. An air
flow rate of 60 l/min
and an inhalation
time of 10 s
was used throughout.
Deionized water was used as the
impingement
fluid for the twin impinger. The volumes
in stage 1 and 2 were 5 ml and 20 ml, respectively.
After each determination
the throat and two stages of
the twin impinger were rinsed with deionized
water,
and the washings analyzed for protein content. For the
cascade impactor determinations,
the eight glass plates
of the impactor were coated with a thin layer of silicone grease. This prevents particles bouncing
off the
plates and becoming
re-entrained
in the air stream
(Allen, 1990). A preseparator
was attached to the top
of the cascade impactor to prevent large particles or
aggregates
reaching
the stages. The twin impinger
throat piece was attached to the top of the preseparator. After each determination
the material
on each
plate of the impactor
was collected
by rinsing with
deionized
water. The material which deposited
in the
throat piece, the preseparator
and on the metal stages
was also determined.
The aerodynamic
diameters
collected with 50% efficiency
at each stage of the impactor are 7.39, 4.71, 3.21, 2.21, 1.43, 0.73, 0.46 and
0.32 at an air flow rate of 60 l/min (calibration
data
from Andersen).
The cut off aerodynamic
diameter
between stage 1 and 2 of the twin impinger is approx.
6.4 pm.
The protein
content
of the various
samples was
determined
using the BCA protein assay (concentrations of 20-300 pgg/ml) or micro BCA protein assay
(concentrations
less than 20 pg/mlI
(Smith et al.,
1985). The percentage
of the protein
filled into the
capsules which was recovered
in each region of the
Table 1
The effect of formulation
Formulation
Region
of deposition
No carrier
Avicel blend
a Results
expressed
as percentage
and inhaler
and inhaler
of protein
121
impinger
or impactor was thus calculated.
The mass
median aerodynamic
diameter of the samples was determined
from the cascade impactor
data. The Students t-test (two-sided) was used to evaluate the significance of differences
in deposition
results at the 95%
confidence
level.
deposition
Device a
ISF
Capsules
Throat
Stage 1
Stage 2
Capsules
Throat
Stage 1
Stage 2
32.55
19.99
21.06
17.80
21.72
13.50
23.99
24.74
(13.15)
(3.86)
(2.72)
(6.10)
(7.74)
(1.58)
(3.82)
(4.06)
reaching
Berotec
Rotahaler
Spinhaler
56.78
20.18
6.40
10.49
49.55
11.76
9.05
19.33
69.25
9.78
15.16
1.96
67.42
5.57
12.19
5.89
78.56
4.26
14.28
0.74
70.26
4.19
10.96
5.72
respective
(7.84)
(3.19)
(0.59)
(2.48)
(8.94)
(1.92)
(2.38)
(3.94)
regions.
(10.01)
(2.84)
(5.16)
(0.48)
(3.66)
(1.18)
(0.81)
(0.93)
n = 5; standard
deviations
(14.28)
(2.49)
(9.36)
(1.13)
(11.30)
(1.01)
(3.39)
(1.46)
in parentheses.
128
Table 2
The effect of formulation
impactor
deposition
Device a
Formulation
No carrier
Stages 1-8
Stages 3-8
Ar?cel blend
Stages l-8
Stages 3-8
a Results
expressed
ISF
Berotec
Rotahaler
Spinhaler
17.52 (2.06)
9.20 (1.27)
10.58 (1.92)
6.63 (1.34)
3.51 (0.66)
1.84 (0.52)
1 SO (0.84)
0.99 (0.56)
22.48 (2.34)
9.90 (0.98)
16.58 (3.71)
8.01 (1.83)
8.03 (0.45)
2.78 (0.44)
3.19 (0.46)
1.69 (0.26)
as percentage
of protein
in capsules
reaching
respective
properties
Particle
Fig. 1. The particle
size distribution
n = 5; standard
deviations
in parentheses.
gave significantIy
different estimates for both formulations, and the Spinhaler
gave a significantly
different
estimate for the Avicel formulation.
In the case of the
Rotahaler,
the cascade impactor gave higher estimates,
whereas with the Spinhaler
the twin impinger gave a
higher estimate for the Avicel formulation.
3. Results
3.1. In vitro inhalation
regions.
Size
(microns)
formulation
determined
MMAD
determinations
(pm)
ISF
Berotec
Rotahaler
Spinhaler
No carrier
Avicel blend
2.86 (0.17)
3.40 (0.14)
2.36 (0.11)
3.00 (0.25)
2.68 (0.44)
4.40 (0.60)
2.06 (0.49)
2.76 (0.21)
n = 5; standard
deviations
in parentheses.
4. Discussion
4.1. Effect of formulation and inhaler type
Table 4
Aerosizer
particle
size determinations
Device
Mean aerodynamic
Dry powder
Rotahaler
Berotec
Spinhaler
4.29
6.02
4.64
4.42
n = 3; standard
129
deviations
(0.49)
(0.40)
(0.60)
(0.50)
in parentheses.
diameter
(pm) (by
volume)
Mean geometric
1.54 (0.16)
2.14 (0.07)
1.90(0.11)
1.60 (0.32)
diameter
(pm)
(by number)
130
131
discriminating. Whether to use this device or the cascade impactor would require an assessment as to
whether the additional data which the cascade impactor can provide merits the additional time required
to carry out the analysis.
Acknowledgements
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