In vivo iontophoretic delivery of calcium ions through guinea pig skin enhanced by direct and pulsating current

Studies were initiated to investigate the effect of the delivery mode of⁴⁵Ca ions through guinea pig skin in vivo. Direct current (DC), pulsating current (PC) and a Bernard current form, the “courtes periodes” current profile (CP) were applied with the same current density (0.16 mA/cm²) and for the same duration (30 minutes). The⁴⁵Ca ions were delivered from a Ca-bentonite patch radiolabeled with⁴⁵Ca (a natural mineral clay rich in calcium, 50 mgCa/g). The total quantity of applied bentonite was 1.5g×10 days=15g.⁴⁵Ca was counted in different biological samples of the animals. The delivery of⁴⁵Ca ions into the body (systemic effect) is the highest when CP current is applied (6.87±0.95·10⁻¹²g/samples). The local effect appears to be more effective in case of DC current mode (5.89±0.12·10⁻¹²g/0.5g bone). Total calcium measurements proved that the result of transdermal radiocalcium delivery is not only an ion exchange process at the surface of the bone but a deposition of calcium ions into the hydroxiapatite matrix (the net calcium introduction, which represent the difference between the total calcium into the treated bone and total calcium into untreated bone varied from 15.52±2.42·10⁻³g/0.5g bone to 44.30±3.50·10⁻³g/0.5g bone). The results suggest that iontophoresis could be used to accumulate calcium into different target tissues using the appropriate current system.