Influence of Lipid Pattern and Epidermal Morphology on Transdermal Permeation Rates in In-Vitro Experiments

This study investigated the influence of epidermal morphology and lipid composition on transdermal drug permeation using in-vitro experiments with skin from cattle, pigs, dogs, and rats. It was found that both the thickness of the stratum corneum and total epidermal lipid content significantly affected the permeation rates of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with a general permeation ranking of pig < dog < cattle < rat. The study concluded that porcine skin is a suitable substitute for human skin in diffusion experiments due to its similar morphological and lipid characteristics, although dog, cattle, and rat skin can also be useful depending on the study's purpose. Contrary to previous reports, no direct influence of specific epidermal lipid fractions on drug permeation was detected.