Prediction of drug disposition kinetics in skin and plasma following topical administration

The development of a physically based pharmacokinetic model for percutaneous absorption is described. The simulation includes four first-order rate constants assigned the following significance: (a) absorption across the stratum corneum; (b) diffusion through the viable tissue; (c) a retardation process which retains penetrant in the stratum corneum (and hence provides a means to mathematically produce a "reservoir" effect, for example); and (d) uptake from the skin into the systemic circulation and subsequent elimination from the body. The kinetic equations of the model are solved and expressions are obtained for the concentration of penetrant within the stratum corneum (and available to subsequently partition into the viable epidermis) and the plasma concentration of the administered substance, as a function of time. Using example values for the four rate parameters, disposition profiles for the penetrant in skin and plasma were derived. The cases considered cover slow and fast stratum corneum penetrants, substances which are excreted rapidly or slowly from the body, and absorbing molecules with a variety of relative stratum corneum-viable tissue affinities. The results suggest a framework for the prediction of pharmaceutically and clinically relevant information following the topical administration of therapeutic agents for local or systemic effect.     

Percutaneous penetration of nicotinates: in vivo and in vitro measurements

The relationship between chemical structure and percutaneous absorption has been explored with nicotinic acid and its methyl, ethyl, hexyl, and benzyl esters. Skin penetration has been measured in vitro across hairless mouse skin and in vivo in humans. In vitro, methyl and ethyl nicotinates (when applied in acetone) were delivered into skin such that the stratum corneum barrier was effectively bypassed. The lipophilic esters, on the other hand, were not solubilized in this way and penetrated more slowly. Nicotinic acid penetrated poorly, yielding essentially zero-order skin transport kinetics. Tape-stripping experiments, in which penetration was monitored across skin with no stratum corneum, confirmed these observations. In vivo absorption of the esters was determined from the urinary excretion of total radioactivity following topical administration of 14C-labeled penetrant. Kinetic analysis of the data yielded rate constants, the ratio of which correlated acceptably with the penetrant octanol-water partition coefficient (K). The dependence of the rate constants on K was interpreted in terms of the relative affinity of the substrate for the stratum corneum compared with the viable tissue; the relationship agrees well with a previous evaluation involving structurally unrelated molecules.     

Absorption through the skin: theory, in vitro techniques and their applications

Human exposure to chemicals often occurs by skin contact and estimations of percutaneous absorption play an important part in the assessment of the risks involved. It is well established that the rate determinant step in absorption through skin is diffusion across the outermost layer, the stratum corneum, a process that is known to be passive in character. This latter property, combined with the stability of the stratum corneum, makes possible meaningful in vitro measurements of skin permeability in diffusion cells. The use of diffusion cells has permitted the development of a thorough understanding of the physical chemistry of the absorption process. Various parameters can be established in vitro that allow assessments of absorption to be calculated for a range of exposure situations. Another major advantage is that human skin samples may be used in vitro and, since no animal model has been found to be adequate for all penetrant chemicals, this has proved to be the most relevant tissue for assessing absorption in practical circumstances.     

Does Epidermal Turnover Reduce Percutaneous Penetration?

Purpose. After its removal from the skin surface, chemical remaining within the skin can become systemically available. The fraction of chemical in the skin that eventually enters the body depends on the relative rates of percutaneous transport and epidermal turnover (i.e., stratum corneum desquamation). Indeed, some investigators have claimed that desquamation is an efficient mechanism for eliminating dermally absorbed chemical from the skin. Methods. The fate of chemical within the skin following chemical contact was examined using a mathematical model representing turnover of and absorption into the stratum corneum and viable epidermis. The effects of turnover rate, exposure duration, penetrant lipophilicity, and lag time for chemical diffusion were explored. Results. These calculations show that significant amounts of chemical can be removed from skin by desquamation if epidermal turnover is fast relative to chemical diffusion through the stratum corneum. However, except for highly lipophilic and/or high molecular weight (>350 Da) chemicals, the normal epidermal turnover rate is not fast enough and most of the chemical in the skin at the end of an exposure will enter the body. Conclusions. Epidermal turnover can significantly reduce subsequent chemical absorption into the systemic circulation only for highly lipophilic or high molecular weight chemicals.     

Distributed diffusion-clearance model for transient drug distribution within the skin

Quantitative predictions of molecular transport rates through the skin are key to the development of topically applied and transdermally delivered drugs, as well as risk assessment associated with dermal exposure. Most research to date has focused on correlations for the permeability of the stratum corneum, and transient diffusion models that oversimplify vascular clearance processes in terms of a perfect-removal boundary condition at an artificially introduced lower boundary. Considerations of the spatially distributed nature and action of blood vessels have usually been limited to the steady-state case. This article describes a more comprehensive transient model of percutaneous absorption formulated in terms of volumetric dispersion and clearance coefficients reflecting the spatial distribution of vascular processes. The model was implemented through an analysis of published experimental results on in vivo permeation of salicylic acid (SA) in de-epidermized rat skin. With regard to the characterization of SA in rat dermis ("de") in vivo, it was found that: (i) SA is likely to have a dermal effective partition coefficient (relative to pH 7.4 aqueous buffer "pH7.4") around unity (K(de/pH7.4) = 0.9 +/- 0.3); (ii) vascular processes seem not to increase drug dispersion significantly beyond molecular diffusion [D(de) approximately (D(de))(mol) = (8 +/- 3) . 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1)]; and (iii) vascular clearance is characterized by a rate coefficient k(de) = (7 +/- 2) . 10(-4) s(-1). Application of a whole-skin variant of the model (including the stratum corneum and viable epidermis) allowed realistic predictions to be made of transient subsurface concentration levels after application from a finite dose.     

Heterogeneity Effects on Permeability–Partition Coefficient Relationships in Human Stratum Corneum

The relationship between the permeability of solutes undergoing transport via the lipid pathway of the stratum corneum and the degree to which the same solutes partition into the stratum corneum has been explored by measuring the permeability coefficients and stratum corneum/water partition coefficients of a series of hydrocortisone esters varying in lipophilicity. Isolated human stratum corneum, used in both the permeability and the uptake experiments, was shown to resemble full-thickness skin in its overall resistance and selectivity to solute structure. As with full-thickness skin, delipidization destroys the barrier properties of isolated stratum corneum. Although a linear relationship is frequently assumed to exist between permeability coefficients and membrane/water partition coefficients, a log–log plot of permeability coefficients versus the intrinsic stratum corneum/water partition coefficients for the series of hydrocortisone esters studied is distinctly nonlinear. This nonlinearity arises from the fact that the transport of these solutes is rate limited by a lipid pathway in the stratum corneum, while uptake reflects both lipid and protein domains. From the relative permeability coefficients of 21-esters of hydrocortisone varying in acyl-chain structure, group contributions to the free energy of transfer of solute into the rate-limiting barrier microenvironment of the stratum corneum lipid pathway are calculated for a variety of functional groups including the –CH_2–, –CONH₂, –CON(CH₃)₂, -COOCH₃, –COOH, and –OH groups. These are compared to contributions to the free energies of transfer obtained for the same functional groups in octanol/water, heptane/water, and stratum corneum/water partitioning experiments. The group contributions to transport for polar, hydrogen-bonding functional groups are similar to the values obtained from octanol/water partition coefficients. This similarity suggests that complete loss of hydrogen bonding does not occur in the transition state for passive diffusion via the lipid pathway.     

Determination of Solute Diffusion Properties in Artificial Sebum

Despite a number of studies showed that hair follicular pathway contributed significantly to transdermal delivery, there have been limited studies on the diffusion properties of chemicals in sebum. Here, the diffusion property of 17 chemical compounds across artificial sebum has been measured using diffusion cell. The diffusion flux showed 2 types of distinctive behaviors: that reached steady state and that did not. Mathematical models have been developed to fit the experimental data and derive the sebum diffusion and partition coefficients. The models considered the uneven thickness of the sebum film and the additional resistance of the unstirred aqueous boundary layer and the supporting filter. The derived sebum-water partition coefficients agreed well with the experimental data measured previously using equilibrium depletion method. The obtained diffusion coefficients in artificial sebum only depended on the molecular size. Change in pH for ionic chemicals did not affect the diffusion coefficients but influenced their diffusion flux because of the change of sebum-water partition coefficients. Generally, the measured diffusion coefficients of chemicals in artificial sebum are about one order of magnitude higher than those in the stratum corneum lipids, suggesting the hair follicle might have a non-negligible contribution to the overall permeation.     

Diffusion modeling of percutaneous absorption kinetics: 2. Finite vehicle volume and solvent deposited solids

The diffusion model for percutaneous absorption is developed for the specific case of delivery to the skin being limited by the application of a finite amount of solute. Two cases are considered; in the first, there is an application of a finite donor (vehicle) volume, and in the second, there are solvent-deposited solids and a thin vehicle with a high partition coefficient. In both cases, the potential effect of an interfacial resistance at the stratum corneum surface is also considered. As in the previous paper, which was concerned with the application of a constant donor concentration, clearance limitations due to the viable eqidermis, the in vitro sampling rate, or perfusion rate in vivo are included. Numerical inversion of the Laplace domain solutions was used for simulations of solute flux and cumulative amount absorbed and to model specific examples of percutaneous absorption of solvent-deposited solids. It was concluded that numerical inversions of the Laplace domain solutions for a diffusion model of the percutaneous absorption, using standard scientific software (such as SCIENTIST, MicroMath Scientific software) on modern personal computers, is a practical alternative to computation of infinite series solutions. Limits of the Laplace domain solutions were used to define the moments of the flux-time profiles for finite donor volumes and the slope of the terminal log flux-time profile. The mean transit time could be related to the diffusion time through stratum corneum, viable epidermal, and donor diffusion layer resistances and clearance from the receptor phase. Approximate expressions for the time to reach maximum flux (peak time) and maximum flux were also derived. The model was then validated using reported amount-time and flux-time profiles for finite doses applied to the skin. It was concluded that for very small donor phase volume or for very large stratum corneum-vehicle partitioning coefficients (e.g., for solvent deposited solids), the flux and amount of solute absorbed are affected by receptor conditions to a lesser extent than is obvious for a constant donor constant donor concentrations.     

Analysis of Simultaneous Transport and Metabolism of Ethyl Nicotinate in Hairless Rat Skin

Purpose. Simultaneous skin transport and metabolism of ethyl nicotinate (EN), a model drug, were measured and theoretically analyzed. Methods. Several permeation studies of EN or its metabolite nicotinic acid (NA) were done on full-thickness skin or stripped skin with and without an esterase inhibitor. Permeation parameters such as partition coefficient of EN from the donor solution to the stratum corneum and diffusion coefficients of EN and NA in the stratum corneum and the viable epidermis and dermis were determined by these studies. Enzymatic parameters (Michaelis constant K _m and maximum metabolism rate V _max were obtained from the production rate of NA from different concentrations of EN in the skin homogenate. Obtained permeation data were then analyzed by numerical method based on differential equations showing Fick's second law of diffusion in the stratum corneum and the law with Michaelis-Menten metabolism in the viable epidermis and dermis. Results. Fairly good steady-state fluxes of EN and NA through the skin were obtained after a short lag time for all the concentrations of EN applied. These steady-state fluxes were not proportional to the initial donor concentration of EN: EN and NA curves were concave and convex, respectively, which suggests that metabolic saturation from EN to NA takes place in the viable skin at higher EN application. The steady-state fluxes of EN and NA calculated by the differential equations with resulting permeation and enzymatic parameters were very close to the obtained data. Conclusions. The present method is a useful tool to analyze simultaneous transport and metabolism of many drugs and prodrugs, especially those showing Michaelis-Menten type-metabolic saturation in skin.     

Percutaneous Absorption of Benzoic Acid Across Human Skin. I. In Vitro Experiments and Mathematical Modeling

The percutaneous absorption of benzole acid across human skin in vitro was experimentally and mathematically modeled. Skin partition coefficients were measured over a range of benzoic acid concentrations in both saline and distilled water. The permeation of benzoic acid was measured across isolated stratum corneum, stratum corneum and epidermis, and split-thickness skin. These experiments demonstrated that the stratum corneum was the rate-limiting barrier and that the flux is proportional to the concentration of the undissociated species. The permeation data were analyzed with a comprehensive non-steady-state mathematical model of diffusion across skin. Two adjustable parameters, the effective skin thickness and diffusivity, were fit to the permeation data by nonlinear regression.     

Dynamics and control of percutaneous drug absorption in the presence of epidermal turnover

The integration of epidermal turnover into the study of transdermal drug-delivery kinetics is addressed in light of classical control theory. A mathematical representation of the process, which includes Fickian diffusion and advection, was formulated in the frequency domain. This transformation facilitated a detailed analysis of the system dynamics and revealed the intricate relationships among a medicament transient absorption through the skin, the epidermal turnover rate, its physicochemical properties and the amount of drugs in a reservoir. The process, represented by transcendental transfer functions, was reduced to a second-order system with dead-time by minimizing the squared magnitude of the complex error between the original and simplified models. Clinically relevant parameters, such as the time to reach steady-state flux or drug concentration in the skin layers, are readily available from the low-order models. The time it takes to deliver a specified dose of drug to a particular depth in the skin is a function of the penetration depth and the diffusion coefficients of the drug molecules in the stratum corneum and the viable epidermis. An optimum administration protocol was developed for the transdermal delivery of chemicals when epidermal turnover is likely to affect their absorption into the systemic circulation.     

Determination of the partition coefficients and absorption kinetic parameters of chemicals in a lipophilic membrane/water system by using a membrane-coated fiber technique.

The absorption kinetics of chemicals in a lipophilic membrane/water system was studied with a membrane-coated fiber (MCF) technique, in which the partition coefficient, membrane diffusivity and boundary layer adjacent to the membrane were taken into account. The cumulative amount permeated into the membrane was expressed as a function of absorption time in an exponential equation. Two constants were introduced into the model. Both of them were clearly defined by the physiochemical parameters of the system and were obtained by regression of the experimental data sampled over a limited time. The partition and diffusion coefficients, as well as the thickness of the boundary layer, were calculated from the two constants. The kinetic model adequately described the absorption kinetics of the MCF technique. All of the theoretical predictions were supported by the experimental results. The measured partition coefficients correlated well with the published octanol/water partition coefficient (R(2)=0.91). The thickness of the boundary layer was 5.2 microm in a solution stirred at 400 rpm. An inference of the kinetic model revealed that the contribution of the boundary layer to the absorption kinetics is significant for lipophilic chemicals by a lipophilic membrane. It suggested that the absorption rate of a very lipophilic compound could be controlled by the boundary layer even though the diffusivity of the compound in the membrane is lower than that in the solution. It was demonstrated that the MCF technique could be used to determine the partition, diffusion and permeation coefficients, as well as the thickness of the boundary layer in a lipophilic membrane/water system.     

Membrane-coated fiber array approach for predicting skin permeability of chemical mixtures from different vehicles.

A membrane-coated fiber (MCF) array approach was developed for quantitative assessment of skin absorption from chemical mixtures, which was based on the similarity in the absorption mechanisms of the MCF membrane and the stratum corneum of the skin. A set of probe compounds were used to detect the relative molecular interaction strengths of chemicals with the vehicle and the membranes, which provided a linkage between the skin permeability (log k) and MCF partition coefficients (log KF). A predictive model was established via multiple linear regression analysis of the data matrix of experimentally measured log k value and log KFm values; log k=a0+a1 log KF1+a2 log KF2+...+an log KFm, where m is the number of diverse MCFs. Twenty-five probe compounds and three MCFs (polydimethylsiloxane for lipophilic, polyacrylate for polarizable, and CarboWax for polar interactions) were used to demonstrate the model development processes in the MCF array approach. The skin permeability of the probe compounds was measured with conventional diffusion cell experiments using dermatomed porcine skin. Three predictive models were established for skin permeability prediction from chemical mixtures in water, 50% ethanol, and 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) with R2 values of 93, 91, and 83, respectively. The log k and log KF values were considerably altered by the addition of ethanol or SLS into the dose vehicle; however, their correlations to skin permeability remained strong under various conditions. These results suggested that the experimentally based MCF array approach can be used to predict skin absorption from chemical mixtures in different vehicles or formulations.     

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.     

A microbalance technique for measuring water vapour uptake and release by stratum corneum in vitro

An apparatus was developed for investigating water absorption and desorption patterns in stratum corneum in vitro. To validate this technique, absorption and desorption of water vapour by human abdominal stratum corneum was studied using relative humidity changes of 0–91% and 91–0%. These changes were attained by suspending the test samples in a chamber above a drying agent (Drierite) or a saturated salt solution (stationary system), or air was passed in different proportions through either water or Drierite and then recombined before contacting the stratum corneum (flow system). These two methods produced different absorption and desorption patterns and the stratum corneum samples attained 2–3-fold higher water content levels if the stationary system was used. Changes in the rate of air flow during absorption affected the results obtained an effect not observed during desorption. Initial diffusion coefficients and rate constants for absorption and desorption were calculated. The apparatus should prove useful in fundamental studies of the hydration of the stratum corneum and in applied investigations such as treatment of the corneum with non-volatile agents, for example, moisturizers and penetration enhancers.     

Fate of chemicals in skin after dermal application: does the in vitro skin reservoir affect the estimate of systemic absorption?

Recent international guidelines for the conduct of in vitro skin absorption studies put forward different approaches for addressing the status of chemicals remaining in the stratum corneum and epidermis/dermis at the end of a study. The present study investigated the fate of three chemicals [dihydroxyacetone (DHA), 7-(2H-naphtho[1,2-d]triazol-2-yl)-3-phenylcoumarin (7NTPC), and disperse blue 1 (DB1)] in an in vitro absorption study. In these studies, human and fuzzy rat skin penetration and absorption were determined over 24 or 72 h in flow-through diffusion cells. Skin penetration of these chemicals resulted in relatively low receptor fluid levels but high skin levels. For DHA, penetration studies found approximately 22% of the applied dose remaining in the skin (in both the stratum corneum and viable tissue) as a reservoir after 24 h. Little of the DHA that penetrates into skin is actually available to become systemically absorbed. 7NTPC remaining in the skin after 24 h was approximately 14.7% of the applied dose absorbed. Confocal laser cytometry studies with 7NTPC showed that it is present across skin in mainly the epidermis and dermis with intense fluorescence around hair. For DB1, penetration studies found approximately 10% (ethanol vehicle) and 3% (formulation vehicle) of the applied dose localized in mainly the stratum corneum after 24 h. An extended absorption study (72 h) revealed that little additional DB1 was absorbed into the receptor fluid. Skin levels should not be considered as absorbed material for DHA or DB1, while 7NTPC requires further investigation. These studies illustrate the importance of determining the fate of chemicals remaining in skin, which could significantly affect the estimates of systemically available material to be used in exposure estimates. We recommend that a more conclusive means to determine the fate of skin levels is to perform an extended study as conducted for DB1.     

Supersaturation: enhancement of skin penetration and permeation of a lipophilic drug

Purpose. To increase the dermal delivery of a lipophilic model compound (LAP), and to deduce the underlying mechanism of enhanced absorption. Methods. Penetration of LAP from mixtures of up to four degrees of saturation into the stratum corneum was evaluated using a tape-stripping method; epidermal permeation of the drug was measured in Franz diffusion cells. The relative diffusion and stratum corneum-vehicle partition coefficients of LAP were determined by fitting the results to the appropriate solutions to Fick's second law of diffusion. Results. Both the skin permeation rate and the amount of LAP in the stratum corneum increased linearly with increasing degree of saturation. The apparent diffusivity and its partition coefficient deduced from the penetration experiments were independent of the degree of saturation of the drug in the applied formulation, and consistent with corresponding parameters derived from the permeation experiments. Conclusions. Supersaturation can increase the skin penetration and permeation of lipophilic drugs. The diffusion and partition parameters deduced for LAP indicate that supersaturation acts exclusively via increased thermodynamic activity without apparent effect on the barrier function of the skin per se.     

Physicochemical Aspects of Percutaneous Penetration and Its Enhancement

The classic diffusion model-based interpretation of percutaneous absorption is compared to a simple kinetic analysis. The physicochemical significance and the major deductions of the two approaches are shown to be in general agreement. In particular, the effect of penetrant oil/water partition coefficient on transdermal flux is consistently predicted by the two models. Diffusional and kinetic assessments of skin penetration enhancement are then shown to reveal similar dependencies upon penetrant physical chemistry. It is demonstrated that the requirements for successful promotion of a lipophilic drug's transdermal flux are quite different from those necessary for a hydrophilic penetrant. Finally, in light of published transport data and our increased comprehension of the stratum corneum barrier function, the evidence for (and significance of) different absorption paths across the stratum corneum is considered. In addition, the impact of penetrant size on transport is addressed. It is argued that currently held beliefs concerning (i) a putative polar route through the stratum corneum and (ii) the dependence of flux on molecular weight warrant considerable further attention before their unequivocal acceptance is appropriate.     

Drug permeation across the skin: effect of penetrant hydrophilicity

The hydrophilicity of progesterone, a lipophilic steroid itself, was progressively increased by incorporating one or more hydroxy substituents at different positions on the steroidal skeleton. Effects of these hydrophilic substituents on the permeation of progesterone across the intact skin and stripped skin of the hairless mouse were studied using a hydrodynamically well-calibrated in vitro skin permeation system. The steady-state rate of permeation across the intact skin and stripped skin was found to be approximately proportional to the solubility of drugs in the stratum corneum or in the viable skin, respectively. Furthermore, the solubility of progesterone and its hydroxyl derivatives in the stratum corneum was noted to decrease gradually as the hydrophilicity of the penetrant increased. This finding was similar to that of a previously reported study of drug permeation across the lipophilic silicone membrane. However, the solubility of these progestins in the viable skin was observed to be dependent not only on the penetrant hydrophilicity but also on the position of the OH group on the penetrant molecule. The diffusivity of progesterone and its hydroxyl derivatives across the stratum corneum and viable skin was almost independent of the hydrophilicity of the drugs.     

Skin Structure and Metabolism: Relevance to the Design of Cutaneous Therapeutics

The outer layer of the epidermis or stratum corneum is the major barrier to percutaneous absorption. It has been shown that there are numerous enzyme systems beneath the stratum corneum in the viable epidermis capable of metabolizing drugs. A number of prodrug and soft drug topical therapeutic agents have been designed. After these agents penetrate the stratum corneum, they are metabolized by the cutaneous esterase systems to the desired metabolites.