Baseline studies on iontophoretic transport in hairless mouse skin: the effect of applied voltage drop and ph on the iontophoresis of a model weak electrolyte

• Published in: Journal of membrane science 1990-04, Vol.49 (3), p.305-320
• Main Authors: Sims, S.M., Higuchi, W.I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Membrane and intracellular transports; Molecular and cellular biology
• ISSN: 0376-7388; 1873-3123
• DOI: 10.1016/S0376-7388(00)80645-6

A physical model for the iontophoretic transport of a weak electrolyte across hairless mouse skin has been examined. The stratum corneum is modelled as parallel lipoidal and aqueous pore pathways for diffusion and is in series with a porous matrix representing the dermis-epidermis. It was assumed that only the undissociated species could penetrate the lipid phase while both charged and uncharged species could permeate the pore route. The applied electric field is assumed to influence only the charged species in the aqueous pore according to the Nernst-Planck theory. Experiments were done over a wide pH range using a four-electrode potentiostat system to control the voltage drop across the membrane. Butyric acid was chosen as the model weak electrolyte. Glucose was used to independently assess membrane damage and solvent flow effects. Permeability coefficients as a function of pH were determined both for butyric acid and glucose before, during and after iontophoresis. Experimental permeability coefficients semi-quantitatively followed the theoretical predictions.