Aphthous stomatitis is induced by
chemotherapy and
radiotherapy. It has been reported that 100% of patients administered high-dose
chemotherapy and 80% of patients receiving
radiotherapy develop
stomatitis. The most serious cases are accompanied by
pain and
bleeding of the
ulcers, which cause significant suffering and reduce patients' quality of life.
Rebamipide (RB) was developed in Japan as a treatment for
gastric ulcer. In this study, we prepared and evaluated a mouthwash for
stomatitis taking into consideration the solubilization of RB. RB nanoparticles were prepared by the wet-milling technique using various forms of
hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC-L, -SL, and -SSL) and
sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). RB nanoparticles sized between 126.6 and 286.8 nm were obtained under various conditions. From the results of zeta potential measurement and evaluation of their dispersibility, it appeared that the prepared nanosuspensions were stable. Furthermore, adhesion of the nanoparticles to the mucous membrane in the oral cavity was evaluated using
quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) technology. From the changes in the thickness of the
gold sensor observed in QCM-D measurement, it was suggested that HPC-SSL molecules interact with
mucin mounted on the
gold sensor. It appears feasible to utilize RB nanoparticles dispersed in HPC-SSL
solution in mouthwash to prevent
stomatitis.