An experimentally based approach for predicting skin permeability of chemicals and drugs using a membrane-coated fiber array

A membrane-coated fiber (MCF) array approach is proposed for predicting the percutaneous absorption of chemicals and drugs from chemical or biological mixtures. Multiple MCFs were used to determine the partition coefficients of compounds (logK(MCF)). We hypothesized that one MCF will characterize one pattern of molecular interactions and therefore the skin absorption process can be simulated by a multiple MCF array having diverse patterns of molecular interactions. Three MCFs, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyacrylate (PA) and CarboWax (Wax), were used to determine the logK(MCF) values for a set of calibration compounds. The skin permeability log(kp) of the compounds was measured by diffusion experiments using porcine skin. The feasibility of the MCF array approach for predicting skin permeability was demonstrated with the three MCFs. A mathematical model was established by multiple linear regression analysis of the log(kp) and logK(MCF) data set: log(kp)=-2.34-0.124 logK(pdms)+1.91 logK(pa)-1.17 logK(wax) (n=25, R(2)=0.93). The MCF array approach is an alternative animal model for skin permeability measurement. It is an experimentally based, high throughput approach that provides high prediction confidence and does not require literature data nor molecular structure information in contrast to the existing predictive models.     

Effect of vehicles and sodium lauryl sulphate on xenobiotic permeability and stratum corneum partitioning in porcine skin

Dermal contact with potentially toxic agricultural and industrial chemicals is a common hazard encountered in occupational, accidental spill and environmental contamination scenarios. Different solvents and chemical mixtures may influence dermal absorption. The effects of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) on the stratum corneum partitioning and permeability in porcine skin of 10 agricultural and industrial chemicals in water, ethanol and propylene glycol were investigated. The chemicals were phenol, p-nitrophenol, pentachlorophenol, methyl parathion, ethyl parathion, chlorpyrifos, fenthion, simazine, atrazine and propazine. SLS decreased partitioning into stratum corneum from water for lipophilic compounds, decreased partitioning from propylene glycol and did not alter partitioning from ethanol. SLS effects on permeability were less consistent, but generally decreased permeability from water, increased permeability from ethanol and had an inconsistent effect on permeability from propylene glycol. It was concluded that, for the compounds tested, partitioning into the stratum corneum was determined by the relative solubility of the solute in the donor solvent and the stratum corneum lipids. Permeability, however, reflected the result of successive, complex processes and was not predictable from stratum corneum partitioning alone. Addition of SLS to solvents altered partitioning and absorption characteristics across a range of compounds, which indicates that partition coefficients or skin permeability from neat chemical exposure should be used with caution in risk assessment procedures for chemical mixtures.     

Effect of chemical interactions in pentachlorophenol mixtures on skin and membrane transport.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been widely used as a pesticide, and topical exposure to a chemical mixture can alter its dermal absorption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of single and binary solvent systems (ethanol, EtOH, and water), a surfactant (6% sodium lauryl sulfate, SLS), and a rubifacient/vasodilator (1.28% methyl nicotinate, MNA) on PCP membrane transport, and to correlate these effects with physiochemical characteristics of the PCP mixtures. Partitioning, diffusion, and absorption parameters of (14)C-PCP at low (4 microg/cm(2)) and high (40 microg/cm(2)) doses were assessed in porcine skin and silastic membranes in vitro. In these 8-h, flow-through diffusion studies, PCP was dosed with the following vehicles: 100% EtOH, 100% water, 40% EtOH + 60% water, 40% EtOH + 60% water + SLS, 40% EtOH + 60% water + MNA, and 40% EtOH + 60% water + SLS + MNA. PCP absorption ranged from 1.55-15.62% for the high dose and 0.43-7.20% for the low dose. PCP absorption, flux, and apparent permeability were influenced by PCP solubility, and PCP apparent permeability was correlated with log PC (r2 = 0.66). Although PCP was very soluble in pure ethanol (100%), this vehicle evaporated very rapidly, and PCP absorption in ethanol was the lowest with this vehicle when compared to pure water (100%) or aqueous ethanol mixtures in general. MNA had no significant effect on membrane absorption or relative permeability R(P) in aqueous ethanol solutions, but the presence of the surfactant, SLS, significantly reduced PCP absorption and R(P) in both membrane systems. In conclusion, these studies demonstrated that modification in mixture composition with either a solvent and/or a surfactant can influence PCP diffusion in skin. Physicochemical interactions between these mixture components on the skin surface and stratum corneum contributed significantly to PCP transport, and these interactions were identified by simultaneously assessing chemical diffusion in biological and inert membrane systems.     

Mixture component effects on the in vitro dermal absorption of pentachlorophenol

Interactions between chemicals in a mixture and interactions of mixture components with the skin can significantly alter the rate and extent of percutaneous absorption, as well as the cutaneous disposition of a topically applied chemical. The predictive ability of dermal absorption models, and consequently the dermal risk assessment process, would be greatly improved by the elucidation and characterization of these interactions. Pentachlorophenol (PCP), a compound known to penetrate the skin readily, was used as a marker compound to examine mixture component effects using in vitro porcine skin models. PCP was administered in ethanol or in a 40% ethanol/60% water mixture or a 40% ethanol/60% water mixture containing either the rubefacient methyl nicotinate (MNA) or the surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), or both MNA and SLS. Experiments were also conducted with 14C-labelled 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB). Maximal PCP absorption was 14.12% of the applied dose from the mixture containing SLS, MNA, ethanol and water. However, when PCP was administered in ethanol only, absorption was only 1.12% of the applied dose. There were also qualitative differences among the absorption profiles for the different PCP mixtures. In contrast with the PCP results, absorption of TCB or PCB was negligible in perfused porcine skin, with only 0.14% of the applied TCB dose and 0.05% of the applied PCB dose being maximally absorbed. The low absorption levels for the PCB congeners precluded the identification of mixture component effects. These results suggest that dermal absorption estimates from a single chemical exposure may not reflect absorption seen after exposure as a chemical mixture and that absorption of both TCB and PCB are minimal in this model system.     

Partitioning behavior of aromatic components in jet fuel into diverse membrane-coated fibers

Jet fuel components are known to partition into skin and produce occupational irritant contact dermatitis (OICD) and potentially adverse systemic effects. The purpose of this study was to determine how jet fuel components partition (1) from solvent mixtures into diverse membrane-coated fibers (MCFs) and (2) from biological media into MCFs to predict tissue distribution. Three diverse MCFs, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, lipophilic), polyacrylate (PA, polarizable), and carbowax (CAR, polar), were selected to simulate the physicochemical properties of skin in vivo. Following an appropriate equilibrium time between the MCF and dosing solutions, the MCF was injected directly into a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to quantify the amount that partitioned into the membrane. Three vehicles (water, 50% ethanol-water, and albumin-containing media solution) were studied for selected jet fuel components. The more hydrophobic the component, the greater was the partitioning into the membranes across all MCF types, especially from water. The presence of ethanol as a surrogate solvent resulted in significantly reduced partitioning into the MCFs with discernible differences across the three fibers based on their chemistries. The presence of a plasma substitute (media) also reduced partitioning into the MCF, with the CAR MCF system being better correlated to the predicted partitioning of aromatic components into skin. This study demonstrated that a single or multiple set of MCF fibers may be used as a surrogate for octanol/water systems and skin to assess partitioning behavior of nine aromatic components frequently formulated with jet fuels. These diverse inert fibers were able to assess solute partitioning from a blood substitute such as media into a membrane possessing physicochemical properties similar to human skin. This information may be incorporated into physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to provide a more accurate assessment of tissue dosimetry of related toxicants.     

A mathematical approach to predicting the percutaneous absorption enhancing effect of sodium lauryl sulphate

A study has been made of the effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) at several concentrations from 0.24 to 5% (w/w) on skin permeability. Seven model drugs were selected for this study on the basis of their lipophilicity as represented by their logP(oct) values (from -0.95 to 4.2). Skin pre-treatment with aqueous solutions of SLS does not increase the permeability coefficient of the most lipophilic compounds (logP(oct)> or =3). For the other compounds assayed the increase in the permeability coefficients depends on the concentration of SLS used in the skin pre-treatment, and on the lipophilicity of the compounds tested.The correlation between the inverse of SLS efficacy as an enhancer (1/ER) and the lipophilicity (logP(oct)) of the model permeants was established via a hyperbolic equation. This model makes it possible to predict the percutaneous absorption enhancing effect of SLS, expected for a compound of specific lipophilicity, according to the concentration used in skin pre-treatment. An excellent accuracy (r(2)>0.94) for the linear relationship between the experimental (n=15) and theoretical (ER) values predicted by the equation was obtained. The model proposed was also useful for experimental data obtained previously using Azone and compounds with the same range of lipophilicity.     

Prediction of skin penetration using artificial neural network (ANN) modeling

Artificial neural network (ANN) analysis was used to predict the skin permeability of selected xenobiotics. Permeability coefficients (log k(p)) were obtained from various literature sources. A previously reported equation, which was shown to be useful in the prediction of skin permeability, uses the partial charges of the penetrants, their molecular weight, and their calculated octanol water partition coefficient (log K(oct)). The equation was used to predict the skin permeability for the set of 40 compounds (r(2) = 0.672). A successful ANN was developed and the ANN produced log k(p) values that correlated well with the experimental ones(r(2) = 0.997). The penetration properties of a selection of compounds through human skin that have not been previously investigated, etodolac, famotidine, nimesulide, nizatidine, ranitidine, were investigated. Their permeability coefficients were determined. It was then possible to compare the experimental data with that predicted using the partial charge equation and the trained ANN. ANN modeling for predicting skin permeability was found to be useful for predicting skin permeability coefficients of compounds. In conclusion, the developed and described ANN model in this publication does not require any experimental parameters; it could potentially provide useful and precise prediction of skin penetration for new drugs or toxic penetrants.     

QSAR Analysis of Skin Permeability of Various Drugs in Man as Compared to in Vivo and in Vitro Studies in Rodents

A general mathematical model involving partition coefficient, molecular weight and hydrogen bonding has been formulated for correlating the structures and skin permeability of a wide range of compounds through human skin and through hairless mouse skin. The correlations obtained are dependent not only on the biological system but also on the vehicle used. Without the use of lipophilic vehicle, the ideal lipophilicity for maximum permeability through human skin as measured by log P_o(oct/w)ranges from 2.5 to 6 (extrapolated value). When a lipophilic vehicle was used in hairless mouse skin study, the log P_o(oct/w) was lowered to around 0.4 ~ 0.6. While increased M.W. always has a negative effect on the permeability, increased H-bond can have either a slight positive or a slight negative effect, depending on the experiments (absorption vs. permeability constant). Cross validations with previously unanalyzed data as well as other biological systems support the usefulness of the general model developed for passive diffusion.     

The application of Gaussian processes in the prediction of percutaneous absorption

Objectives The aim was to assess mathematically the nature of a skin permeability dataset and to determine the utility of Gaussian processes in developing a predictive model for skin permeability, comparing it with existing methods for deriving predictive models. Methods Principal component analysis was carried out in order to determine the nature of the dataset. MatLab software was used to assess the performance of Gaussian process, single linear networks (SLN) and quantitative structure‐permeability relationships (QSPRs) using a range of statistical measures. Key findings Principal component analysis showed that the dataset is inherently nonlinear. The Gaussian process model yielded a predictive model that provides a significantly more accurate estimate of skin absorption than previous models, particularly QSPRs (which were consistently worse than Gaussian process or SLN models), and does so across a wider range of molecular properties. Gaussian process models appear particularly capable of providing excellent predictions where previous studies have shown QSPRs to fail, such as where penetrants have high log P and high molecular weight. Conclusions A non‐linear approach was more appropriate than QSPRs or SLNs for the analysis of the dataset employed herein, as the prediction and confidence values in the prediction given by the Gaussian process are better than with other methods examined. Gaussian process provides a novel way of analysing skin absorption data that is substantially more accurate, statistically robust and reflective of our empirical understanding of skin absorption than the QSPR methods so far applied to skin absorption.     

High throughput screening of transdermal formulations

Purpose. Applications of transdermal drug delivery are limited by low skin permeability. Many chemicals have been used to enhance skin permeability, however, only a handful are actually used in practice. Combinations of chemicals are likely to be more efficient in enhancing skin permeability compared to individual enhancers. However, identification of efficient enhancer combinations is quite challenging because many chemical enhancers interact with each other and with the skin in a complex manner. In the absence of a fundamental knowledge of such interactions, we need to rely on rapid methods to screen various enhancer combinations for their effectiveness. In this paper, we report a novel high throughput (HTP) method that is at least 50-fold more efficient in terms of skin utilization and up to 30-fold more efficient in terms of holdup times than the current methods for formulation screening (Franz diffusion cells). Methods. A high throughput method was developed based on skin conductivity and mannitol penetration into the skin. This method was used to perform at least 100 simultaneous tests per day. Detailed studies were performed using two model enhancers, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and dodecyl pyridinium chloride (DPC). The predictions of the high throughput method were validated using Franz diffusion cells. Results. High throughput screening revealed that mixtures of SLS and DPC are significantly more effective in enhancing transdermal transport compared to each of them alone. Maximum efficiency was observed with near-equimolar mixtures of SLS: DPC. The predictions of the HTP method compared well against those made using Franz diffusion cells. Specifically, the effect of surfactant mixtures on skin conductivity and mannitol permeability measured using Franz cells also showed a maximum at near-equimolar mixtures of SLS: DPC. Conclusions. The novel HTP method allows rapid screening of enhancer formulations for transdermal applications. This method can be used to discover new and effective enhancer mixtures. At the same time, these data may also broaden our understanding of the effect of enhancers on skin permeability.     

HT29-MTX and Caco-2/TC7 monolayers as predictive models for human intestinal absorption: role of the mucus layer.

The permeability of 19 compounds in both the Caco-2/TC7 and HT29-MTX models was determined, and the ability of each model to predict intestinal absorption in humans was compared. Similar apparent permeability values (log P(app)) were obtained in both models for the majority of compounds tested, and plots of log P(app) versus fraction absorbed in humans gave comparable sigmoidal curves. A linear correlation was also observed between the log P(app) values derived from these two models, which suggests that HT29-MTX is an alternative model for absorption prediction in humans. The similarity of both the diffusion coefficients and permeability values obtained for a range of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds in the two models indicates that the mucus layer secreted by the human adenocarcinoma HT29-MTX goblet cells does not constitute a diffusion barrier to such compounds. The lack of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the HT29-MTX cell line may explain the higher permeability values obtained for cimetidine and sumatriptan in this model compared with those derived from the Caco-2/TC7 monolayers. The results suggest that the HT29-MTX model can be used to rank order the passive permeability of compounds, irrespective of their potential interaction with P-gp, which may facilitate optimization of the physicochemical features of compounds within a chemical series.     

A Compartment Model for the Membrane-Coated Fiber Technique Used for Determining the Absorption Parameters of Chemicals into Lipophilic Membranes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to develop a compartment model for the membrane-coated fiber (MCF) technique for determining the absorption parameters of chemicals into lipophilic membranes. METHODS: A polymer membrane coated onto a section of inert fiber was used as a permeation membrane in the MCF technique. When MCFs were immersed into a donor solution, the compounds in the solution partitioned into the membrane. At a given permeation time, a fiber was removed from the solution and transferred into a gas chromatography injector for quantitative analysis. The permeation process of a given chemical from the donor phase into the membrane was described by a one-compartment model by assuming first-order kinetics. RESULTS: A mathematical model was obtained that describes the cumulative amount of a chemical permeated into the membrane as a function of the permeation time in an exponential equation. Two constants were introduced into the compartment model that were clearly defined by the physiochemical parameters of the system (a kinetic parameter and the equilibrium absorption amount) and were obtained by regression of the experimental data sampled over a limited time before equilibrium. The model adequately described the permeation kinetics of the MCF technique. All theoretical predictions were supported by the experimental results. The experimental data correlated well with the mathematical regression results. The partition coefficients, initial permeation rate, uptake, and elimination rate constants were calculated from the two constants. CONCLUSIONS: The compartment model can describe the absorption kinetics of the MCF technique. The regression method based on the model is a useful tool for the determination of the partition coefficients of lipophilic compounds when it takes too long for them to reach permeation equilibrium. The kinetic parameter and the initial permeation rate are unique parameters of the MCF technique that could be used in the development of quantitative structure-activity relationship models.     

Methods for in vitro percutaneous absorption studies I. Comparison with in vivo results

The percutaneous absorption of selected radiolabeled compounds through female rat skin was determined after their application in a petrolatum vehicle. Absorption was measured during a 5-day period by in vivo and in vitro techniques. Benzoic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, urea, and caffeine were selected because of their differing skin permeability rates. Absorption was measured in vivo from urinary excretion data and in vitro with excised skin in diffusion cells. When skin absorption was expressed as the percentage of applied dose, values obtained in vitro were benzoic acid, 49.1; acetylsalicylic acid, 29.0; and urea, 7.2. Since similar values were obtained in vivo, permeability measurements of these compounds with excised skin appear reliable. With the in vitro data, the rate of skin absorption was more accurately stated in the form of a permeability constant. A method is described for the determination of a permeability constant in vivo, using measurements obtained from blood and urine samples.     

Dependence of Skin Permeability on Contact Area

Purpose. We report that experimentally measured skin permeability to hydrophilic solutes increases with decreasing contact area between the formulation and the skin. Our results suggest that an array of smaller reservoirs should thus be more effective in increasing transdermal drug delivery compared to a large single reservoir of the same total area. Methods. Experimental assessment of the dependence of skin permeability on reservoir size was performed using two model systems, an array of liquid reservoirs with diameters in the range of 2 mm to 6 mm and an array of gel disk reservoirs with diameters in the range of 3 mm to 16 mm. Full thickness pig skin was used as an experimental model. Two molecules, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and oleic acid, were used as model penetration enhancers. Results. Mannitol transport per unit area into and across the skin increased with a decrease in the contact area between the skin and the formulation. Mannitol permeability increased approximately 6-fold with a decrease in the reservoir size from 16 mm to 3 mm in presence of 0.5% SLS in PBS (phosphate buffered saline) as a permeability enhancer. Similar results were obtained when oleic acid was used as an enhancer. Conclusions. To explain the observed dependence of transdermal transport on contact area a simple mathematical model based on skin geometry in the reservoir was developed. The model predicts a lateral strain in the skin due to preferential swelling of skin upon penetration of water. We propose that this lateral strain is responsible for the increased skin permeability at lower reservoir sizes.     

Moisturizing lotions can increase transdermal absorption of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxacetic acid across hairless mouse skin

Moisturizing lotions can be an effective treatment for occupationally induced dry skin. These compounds are designed to be hygroscopic and retain water to keep the stratum corneum hydrated, while at the same time enhancing the horny layer to prevent increases in transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Skin hydration levels, however, are known to influence barrier properties. The purpose of this work was to compare skin moisture levels induced by four commercially available moisturizing lotions with their capacity as transdermal penetration enhancers using the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as a model chemical. Further, the effect of moisturizing the skin after washing with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) on transdermal absorption was determined. Skin moisture levels were also measured noninvasively and were correlated to penetration enhancement. Hairless mouse skin was pretreated with commercially available moisturizing lotions either with or without SLS washing and in vitro permeability studies were performed with the herbicide 2,4-D. The data demonstrate that pretreatment with three of the four lotions tested increased the transdermal absorption of 2,4-D as evidenced by cumulative penetration or faster lag times (p < 0.05). Skin moisture levels correlated with the penetration enhancement capabilities of the lotion. Washing the skin with 5% SDS increased the transdermal absorption of 2,4-D (p < 0.05) and application of moisturizing lotions increased the absorption further. In summary moisturizing lotions may influence transdermal penetration of the skin, with the more effective moisturizers having a greater effect on 2,4-D absorption.     

Lipophilic and electrostatic forces encoded in IAM-HPLC indexes of basic drugs: their role in membrane partition and their relationships with BBB passage data

The membrane phospholipid affinity data, log k(w)(IAM), for 14 basic drugs spanning a wide lipophilicity range were measured by HPLC on two different phospholipid stationary phases, i.e. IAM.PC.MG and IAM.PC.DD2. These data related weakly with log P(N) values, the n-octanol/water partition coefficients of the neutral forms; poorer relationships were found with log D(7.0) values, the n-octanol/water partition coefficients of the mixtures of neutral and ionized forms at pH 7.0. The lack of collinearity confirms that, differently from partition in n-octanol/water, partition in phospholipids encodes not only lipophilic/hydrophobic intermolecular recognition forces but also ionic bonds, due to electrostatic interactions between electrically charged species and phospholipids, according to the "pH-piston hypothesis". This component of interaction was parameterized by Δ log k(w)(IAM) values; they are the differences between the log k(w)(IAM) values experimentally measured and the values expected for neutral isolipophilic compounds. Δ log k(w)(IAM) values of the various analytes changed almost linearly from positive to negative values at increasing lipophilicity. This behavior is consistent with an interaction mechanism with membrane phospholipids including two intermolecular interaction forces: (i) lipophilic/hydrophobic interactions, which decrease on ionization proportionally to the lipophilicity of the neutral forms, and (ii) electrostatic interactions, which increase on ionization and are quite constant for all the analytes at a given ionization degree. Since BBB passage of the considered compounds is supposed to be based on passive mechanisms, we investigated the possible relationships between log BB values, i.e. the logarithms of the ratio between brain and blood concentrations, and three physico-chemical parameters, i.e. (i) log P(N) (lipophilic interaction of the neutral form), (ii) log k(w)(IAM) (global interaction with phospholipids), and (iii) Δ log k(w)(IAM) (electrostatic component of interaction with phospholipids). The results suggest that the electrostatic interactions encoded in log k(w)(IAM) values might act as trapping forces in a phospholipid barrier. Actually, we observed an inverse linear dependence of log BB on Δ log k(w)(IAM) values, but only for the compounds showing positive Δ log k(w)(IAM) values. We conclude that the driving force for BBB passage is the lipophilicity of the neutral forms, log P(N), and not the lipophilicity actually displayed at the experimental pH, log D(7.0). Indeed, the latter does not adequately take into account the role played by protonation in the analyte/membrane interactions because protonation, although hindering membrane passage, can either reduce or enhance partition in phospholipids, depending on analyte lipophilicity.