Injection Adipolysis: Mechanisms, Agents, and Future Directions

Noninvasive procedures targeting the elimination of unwanted adipose tissues have recently been developed. injection adipolysis is the term for the injection of cytotoxic substances into these tissues, with the intent of cosmetic improvement by volume reduction. initial attempts in the field utilized intravenous preparations of sodium deoxycholate and soy-derived phosphatidylcholine, approved for the intravenous treatment of fat emboli and dyslipidemias in countries outside the United States. it was initially purported that the active ingredient in these injections was phosphatidylcholine. Subsequent research discovered that injections of sodium deoxycholate alone were capable of inducing cellular lysis in vitro. These compounds also demonstrated an affinity for adipose tissue, sparing the overlying dermis and epidermis. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a formulation of sodium deoxycholate 10mg/mL for subcutaneous injection with the indication of aesthetic improvement of excess submental fat. it has shown moderate efficacy with appropriate patient selection and good patient satisfaction. However, previous research leading to the development of this drug proposed that including phosphatidylcholine to a more appealing cosmetic result, with decreased severity of injection-site reactions. Future drugs in the field of injection adipolysis may attempt to combine these ingredients for improved cosmesis and tolerability.