In Vitro Permeation of Drugs Into Porcine Hair Follicles: Is It Quantitatively Equivalent to Permeation Into Human Hair Follicles?

This study investigated the permeability of drugs into porcine hair follicles to determine if it was quantitatively equivalent to human hair follicles. Using a skin sandwich system, researchers tested seven drugs with varying log octanol-water partition coefficients but similar molecular weights. The results demonstrated a parabolic profile, with maximal follicular drug absorption at intermediate log Ko/w values. A strong correlation (r2 = 0.87) was found between porcine and human follicular drug absorption, suggesting that porcine tissue could effectively model human skin permeability for drug absorption into hair follicles. This research provided novel insights into using porcine skin as a surrogate for human skin in this context.