Nasal retention of budesonide and fluticasone in man: formation of airway mucosal budesonide-esters in vivo

Abstract

AIMS: The efficacy of topical glucocorticosteroids in rhinitis and asthma is likely to depend on drug retention in the airway mucosa. With fluticasone propionate, retention may be achieved exclusively by lipophilicity, whereas for budesonide an additional possibility may be provided by its ability to form fatty acid esters in the airway mucosa that release the active drug. The aim of the present study was to determine the nasal mucosal retention of budesonide and fluticasone propionate, and the occurrence of budesonide-esters (budesonide-oleate, budesonide-palmitate) in the nasal mucosa. METHODS: In the present study, involving 24 healthy subjects, we have examined nasal mucosal drug retention of single doses of topical budesonide (256 microg) and fluticasone propionate (200 microg). Treatments were given consecutively and the administration sequence was randomised. Subjects were randomised into four parallel groups and two nasal biopsies were taken from each subject, i.e. before and at 2 h, at 2 and 6 h, at 6 and 24 h, or before and at 24 h after drug administration, resulting in 12 biopsies/time point. The measurement of unesterified budesonide, budesonide-oleate, budesonide-palmitate, and fluticasone propionate was based on microwave extraction procedures combined with liquid-chromatography/tandem mass-spectrometry. RESULTS: Neither of the analytes was detected in samples taken before glucocorticosteroid administration. After administration, unesterified budesonide, budesonide-esters, and fluticasone propionate were detected in the tissue from 23, 20, and 19 subjects, respectively. The mean tissue levels of budesonide at 2 and 6 h were 1051 and 176 pmol g(-1); the mean levels of fluticasone propionate at these time points were 237 and 10 pmol g(-1). The dose-corrected budesonide/fluticasone propionate tissue concentration ratios were 3.5 (P = 0.07) and 13.7 (P < 0.0002), respectively. At 24 h, budesonide and fluticasone propionate were detected in 8/12 and 3/12 of the biopsies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates the formation of budesonide-esters in the human nasal mucosa in vivo, and that budesonide is retained in the nasal mucosa to a greater extent than fluticasone propionate. It is suggested that the formation of budesonide-esters and their subsequent release of budesonide contributes to an extended retention of budesonide in the airway mucosa