Ether-water partitioning and permeability through nude mouse skin in vitro. II. Hydrocortisone 21-n-alkyl esters, alkanols and hydrophilic compounds

Abstract

The permeability coefficients obtained by means of an infinite dose diffusion cell system with nude mouse skin in vitro were compared to the ether-water partition coefficients of the following compounds: glucose, urea, glycerol, thiourea, alkanols (methanol to octanol), hydrocortisone and hydrocortisone 21-n-alkyl esters (-acetate to -heptanoate). The permeability coefficients ranged from 1.0 x 10-6 cm/h (glucose) to 0.34 cm/h (hydrocortisone-21-heptanoate). The ether-water partition coefficients ranged between 9.0 x 10-6 (glucose) and 1.4 x 104 (hydrocortisone-21-heptanoate). No general pattern emerged when the permeability coefficient is taken as a function of the ether-water partition coefficient for these compounds. Therefore the skin can not be regarded as a simple lipoidal barrier.