In vitro percutaneous absorption and stratum corneum binding of alachlor: effect of formulation dilution with water

Evaluation of absorbent materials for use as ad hoc dry decontaminants during mass casualty incidents as part of the UK's Initial Operational Response (IOR)

The UK’s Initial Operational Response (IOR) is a revised process for the medical management of mass casualties potentially contaminated with hazardous materials. A critical element of the IOR is the introduction of immediate, on-scene disrobing and decontamination of casualties to limit the adverse health effects of exposure. Ad hoc cleansing of the skin with dry absorbent materials has previously been identified as a potential means of facilitating emergency decontamination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro oil and water absorbency of a range of materials commonly found in the domestic and clinical environments and to determine the effectiveness of a small, but representative selection of such materials in skin decontamination, using an established ex vivo model. Five contaminants were used in the study: methyl salicylate, parathion, diethyl malonate, phorate and potassium cyanide. In vitro measurements of water and oil absorbency did not correlate with ex vivo measurements of skin decontamination. When measured ex vivo, dry decontamination was consistently more effective than a standard wet decontamination method (“rinse-wipe-rinse”) for removing liquid contaminants. However, dry decontamination was ineffective against particulate contamination. Collectively, these data confirm that absorbent materials such as wound dressings and tissue paper provide an effective, generic capability for emergency removal of liquid contaminants from the skin surface, but that wet decontamination should be used for non-liquid contaminants.

In vitro human skin penetration model for organophosphorus compounds with different physicochemical properties

A flow-through diffusion cell was validated for in vitro human epidermal penetration studies of organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) applied by infinite dosing. By testing OPCs with similar molecular weight but different physicochemical properties, it was shown that hydrophilic and lipophilic properties are major determinants for the penetration rate. Lipophilic OPCs displayed maximum cumulative penetration in the 20-75% agent concentration range whereas the hydrophilic OPCs displayed maximum cumulative penetration at 10 or 20% agent concentration. Low penetration was observed for all agents at 1% agent concentration or when applied as neat agents. The impact of the receptor solution composition was evaluated by comparing the penetration using receptor solutions of different ratios of ethanol and water. For diluted OPCs, a high concentration of ethanol in the receptor solution significantly increased the penetration compared to lower concentrations. When OPCs were applied as neat agents, the composition of the receptor solution only affected the penetration for one of four tested compounds. In conclusion, the flow-through diffusion cell was useful for examining the penetration of OPCs through the epidermal membrane. It was also demonstrated that the penetration rates of OPCs are strongly influenced by dilution in water and the receptor fluid composition.

In vivo percutaneous absorption, skin barrier perturbation, and irritation from JP-8 jet fuel components

JP-8 jet fuel has been reported to cause systemic and dermal toxicities in animal models and humans. There is a great potential for human exposure to JP-8. In this study, we determined percutaneous absorption and dermal toxicity of three components of JP-8 (i.e., xylene, heptane, and hexadecane) in vivo in weanling pigs. In vivo percutaneous absorption results suggest a greater absorption of hexadecane (0.43%) than xylene (0.17%) or heptane (0.14%) of the applied dose after 30 min exposure. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) provides a robust method for assessing damage to the stratum corneum. Heptane showed greater increase in TEWL than the other two chemicals. No significant (p < 0.05) increase in temperature was observed at the chemically treated site than the control site. Heptane showed greater TEWL values and erythema score than other two chemicals (xylene and hexadecane). We did not observe any skin reactions or edema from these chemicals. Erythema was completely resolved after 24 h of the patch removal in case of xylene and hexadecane.

Percutaneous absorption of drugs

The skin is an evolutionary masterpiece of living tissue which is the final control unit for determining the local and systemic availability of any drug which must pass into and through it. In vivo in humans, many factors will affect the absorption of drugs. These include individual biological variation and may be influenced by race. The skin site of the body will also influence percutaneous absorption. Generally, those body parts exposed to the open environment (and to cosmetics, drugs and hazardous toxic substances) are most affected. Treating patients may involve single daily drug treatment or multiple daily administration. Finally, the body will be washed (normal daily process or when there is concern about skin decontamination) and this will influence percutaneous absorption. The vehicle of a drug will affect release of drug to skin. On skin, the interrelationships of this form of administration involve drug concentration, surface area exposed, frequency and time of exposure. These interrelationships determine percutaneous absorption. Accounting for all the drug administered is desirable in controlled studies. The bioavailability of the drug then is assessed in relationship to its efficacy and toxicity in drug development. There are methods, both quantitative and qualitative, in vitro and in vivo, for studying percutaneous absorption of drugs. Animal models are substituted for humans to determine percutaneous absorption. Each of these methods thus becomes a factor in determining percutaneous absorption because they predict absorption in humans. The relevance of these predictions to humans in vivo is of intense research interest. The most relevant determination of percutaneous absorption of a drug in humans is when the drug in its approved formulation is applied in vivo to humans in the intended clinical situation. Deviation from this scenario involves the introduction of variables which may alter percutaneous absorption.

Dermal absorption of the phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D dimethylamine in humans: effect of DEET and anatomic site

Percutaneous absorption of the 14C-ring-labeled phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D-amine (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid dimethylamine) was examined following topical applications of the herbicide to the palm and forearm of human volunteers. The effect of two vehicles (water and acetone) and the mosquito repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on dermal absorption of 2,4-D-amine also was investigated. The total percent dermal absorption was calculated from the mean percent urinary recoveries and was not corrected for nonurinary excretion. The data revealed 14 +/- 4.5% (standard deviation) and 10 +/- 11.5% palmar absorption of 2,4-D-amine applied in water, with and without DEET, respectively, and 7 +/- 6.2% and 13 +/- 5.0% forearm absorption of the herbicide applied in water or acetone, respectively. Soap-and-water skin washes conducted at 24 h posttreatment removed up to 34% of the applied dose. Successive tape strips of skin taken at 24 h posttreatment demonstrated generally decreasing herbicide levels in the outer layers. The data bring into question the complete validity of the rhesus monkey model to predict human dermal absorption.

In vivo percutaneous absorption and skin decontamination of alachlor in rhesus monkey

The objectives of this study were to determine the percutaneous absorption of alachlor relative to formulation dilution with water, and to determine the ability of soap and water, and of water only, to remove alachlor from skin, relative to time. Alachlor is a preemergence herbicide. The in vivo percutaneous absorption of alachlor in rhesus monkeys was 17.3 +/- 3.3, 15.3 +/- 3.9, and 21.4 +/- 14.2% for 24-h skin exposure to Lasso formulation diluted 1:20, 1:40, and 1:80, respectively. In vivo, there was no support for increased alachlor skin absorption with water dilution, as previously reported for in vitro absorption. The average in vivo absorption of 18% applied dose over 24 h (0.75%/h) was similar to the maximum in vitro rate of 0.8%/h using human skin and human plasma as receptor fluid. Dose accountability in vivo was 80.6-95.2%. [14C]Alachlor in Lasso diluted 1:20 with water was placed on rhesus monkeys at concentrations of 23 micrograms/10 microliters/cm2. Skin decontamination at 0 h with soap and water (50% Ivory liquid 1:1 v/v with water) removed 73 +/- 15.8% (n = 4) of the applied dose with the first wash; this increased to a total of 82.3 +/- 14.8% with two additional washes. Decontamination after 1 h removed 87.5 +/- 12.4% with three successive washes. After 3 h decontamination ability decreased, and after 24 h only 51.9 +/- 12.2% could be recovered with three successive washes. Using water only, at 0 h 36.6 +/- 12.3% alachlor was removed with the first wash and the total increased to 56.0 +/- 14.0% with two additional washes. At 24 h the total amount decreased to 28.7 +/- 12.2% for three successive washes. Alachlor as Lasso in field-use rate (11 micrograms/cm2) and undiluted (217 and 300 micrograms/cm2) proportions were left on rhesus monkey skin for 12 h and decontaminated with soap and water (10% Ivory liquid v/v with water). Continual successive washes (6-8 in sequence) recovered 80-90% of the skin-applied alachlor. These results suggest that simple washing with soap and water is appropriate for removing some chemicals from skin. Decontamination with only water was less effective than with soap and water.

Penetration, distribution and kinetics of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in human skin in vitro

The in vitro penetration of 3H-labeled 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) into human cadaver skin was studied at concentrations of 65 and 6.5 ng TCDD per cm2 of skin surface. Vehicles used were acetone to simulate exposure to TCDD as a dry material, and mineral oil to simulate exposure to TCDD in an oily medium. Penetration was performed for 30, 100, 300, and 1000 min in improved Franz cells. Skin was used either intact, or with stripped horny layer. Skin was sectioned along its natural layers and radioactivity determined in epidermis and dermis. TCDD did not readily penetrate into human skin in vitro. The vehicle of exposure to TCDD played an important role in dermal penetration. The rapidly evaporating acetone allowed TCDD to penetrate deeply into the loose surface lamellae of the horny layer, but then appeared to be poorly available for further penetration. Mineral oil as the vehicle, on the other hand, represented a lipophilic compartment which competed with lipophilic constituents of the stratum corneum for TCDD and hence slowed its penetration even more. The stratum corneum acted as a protective barrier, as its removal increased the amount of TCDD absorbed into layers of the skin. Hourly rates of absorption of TCDD per unit area of skin were calculated in two ways: a worst case scenario where TCDD absorbed into any layer of skin including the stratum corneum was used for regression analysis; and a physiological approach where only that amount of TCDD was considered absorbed which had penetrated beyond the epidermis into the region of dermal vascularization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of skin preapplication treatments and postapplication cleansing agents on dermal absorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid dimethylamine by Fischer 344 rats

Various methods of preparing dermal application sites in Fischer 344 rats prior to exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid dimethylamine salt (2,4-D amine) and the effect of various cleansing agents following exposure were examined by measuring recoveries of 14C-labeled 2,4-D amine in skin, postapplication cleansing solution, blood, and urine. The middorsal area of the rat was the site of application for four treatments tested: (1) hair clipping only, (2) hair clipping followed by an epilatory cream, (3) hair clipping plus shaving with an electrical razor, and (4) as in treatment 3 followed by washing with soap and water. A last preparation was the rat's tail thoroughly brushed with soap and water. The results indicated that the tail retained greater than 75% of the material, thus preventing its absorption into the blood stream and subsequent removal by cleansing. With treatment 1 the dense short hair remaining after clipping impaired the absorption of 2,4-D as evidenced by considerably lower blood and urinary levels than treatments 2-4. With preparations 1-4, 45-61% of the dose was removed with the 7-h postapplication cleansing and a further 5-6% with the subsequent 23-h cleansing. In other studies using preparation 3 above, the following cleansing agents were tested: soap and water, water, isopropanol, acetone, and Rad-Con, a foam-producing cleanser. Rad-Con removed more 2,4-D from the skin than other cleansing agents after 7 h of exposure and more than soap and water after 23 h. The percentages of 2,4-D left on the skin following either 7- or 23-h cleansing with Rad-Con were 8-12%, nearly half those following the other cleansing agents. Cleansing agents other than Rad-Con presented little advantage over soap and water. With all cleansing agents, delaying cleansing from 7 to 23 h after exposure resulted in higher blood and urinary levels of 2,4-D measured 24 h after application.