Percutaneous transport

P. M. Elias, E. R. Cooper, A. Korc, and B. E. Brown. Percutaneous transport in relation to stratum corneum structure and lipid composition. J. Invest. Dermatol. 76 297-301 (1981). 

Nelson, J.S., et al. 1991. Mid-infrared laser ablation of stratum comeum enhances in vitro percutaneous transport of drugs. J Invest Dermatol 97 874. 

To understand how the extracellular lipid lamellae act as a barrier to the percutaneous transport of water and ions, detailed information on its structure and accessibility is required. The AF fluorescence membrane probes have been used to provide information on the dynamics of SC membranes. The following sections describe the findings obtained using this approach. 

The lipid composition of the SC varies between the different regions of the body. A study by Elias et al. demonstrated a quantitative relationship between the rate of percutaneous transport of salicylic acid across the SC at two different body sites (abdomen and leg) and the lipid weight percent at the corresponding sites. The results showed that the lower the lipid content, the higher the penetration rate of salicylic acid, which appeared to be in line with the role of the lipid pathway to the non-polar solute pene-tration.f A more in-depth study by Lampe et al. also found the same variations in lipid weight percent, with face > abdomen > leg > plantar SC in the exact inverse of their known permeability. ... 

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