Brain drug delivery system bearing dopamine hydrochloride for effective management of parkinsonism.

Dopamine hydrochloride bearing positively charged small liposomes was prepared by sonicating the multilamellar vesicles. These vesicles were characterized for their physical attributes (shape, size, charge, drug entrapment efficiency, and drug leakage). The drug release kinetics from the liposomes were also studied and found to be Fickian-type diffusion. In vivo performance of the drug-entrapped liposomes was assessed by periodic measurement of drug- (chlorpromazine) induced catatonia in Sprague-Dowley rats. These results were compared with the plain dopamine HCl and levodopa preparations as well with the marketed formulation of levodopa containing carbidopa (Syndopa). These studies revealed that the dopamine can be effectively delivered to the brain by incorporating it into liposomes, and its degradation in circulation can also be protected. The results of liposomal formulation were found to be superior compared to plain levodopa as well as Syndopa.