Alleviation of prochlorperazine-induced primary irritation of skin by cyclodextrin complexation.

Cyclodextrins (CyDs) protected human erythrocytes from hemolysis induced with prochlorperazine (PCP) in isotonic solution, depending upon the magnitude of the stability constant of PCP-CyD complexes (β- > γ- > α-CyD). The primary irritation produced by PCP on the skin of guinea pigs was found to be reduced by the addition of β- and γ-CyDs, particularly by γ-CyD, while α-CyD enhanced the irritancy of PCP. The most favorable protective effect observed for the γ-CyD complex was mainly ascribable to the weak irritancy of γ-CyD itself, suggesting a great utility of γ-CyD to alleviate the PCP-induced contact dermatitis.