Flux through silicone and human skin fitted to a series/parallel model

Abstract

Background: Recent reports of the good correlation between maximum flux through human skin in vitro from water, JMHAQ, and maximum flux through silicone from water, JMPAQ, demand that the mechanism of maximum flux across these two apparently quite different membranes be compared to understand the bases of the correlation. Results/discussion: A n = 70 log JMPAQ database and a matched n = 55 log JMHAQ database of molecules were found to fit well to a series/parallel model where three parallel solubility dependent pathways existed: a lipid pathway, an aqueous pathway, and a series pathway of alternating lipid and aqueous phases. Conclusion: The results of this analysis surprisingly suggest that the architecture of the two membranes present similar solubility based pathways through which drugs diffuse.