Metoclopramide hydrochloride thermally sensitive rectal in situ gelling system, a novel out-patient treatment for vomiting in pediatric age

Vomiting is a common symptom of pediatric illness. Rectal route can be considered as an alternative route for antiemetic drugs that complains from difficulty of oral therapy with vomiting and the undesirability of parenteral route due to pain and the need for emergency unit admission. In this study, we attempted to find an alternative and efficient route for Metoclopramide HCL (MET HCL) via its formulation in an in situ gelling system to avoid the limitations of solid suppositories. MET HCL loaded liquid suppositories (LSs) were prepared using Poloxamer 407 (P407) with one of the following mucoadhesive polymers; HPMC, HEC or PVP at different concentrations. Gelation temperature, mucoadhesiveness, pH, drug content and viscosity of the prepared LSs were estimated. All the formulations showed sustained release of MET HCL over 8 h. F15 batch was selected for further investigations due to its higher mucoadhesive force, viscosity and slower drug release. The pharmacokinetic data showed that AUC0-24, Tmax and MRT were significantly higher (p < 0.05) when MET HCL was administered in LS form compared to oral plain drug. This study suggests that the administration of MET HCL as LS might represent a potential alternative to oral route with superior therapeutic benefits.