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Recent work in our laboratory shows that it is possible to reproducibly measure the weight change over time of a piece of porcine skin exposed to a chemical vapor by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), that is, using a microbalance maintained at constant temperature and humidity. Here, we develop a diffusion model by which the TGA skin weight curve can be interpreted. A TGA-specific analytical solution for Fick's second law of diffusion was derived. The solution contains two chemical-dependent parameters; a diffusion coefficient (D) and a skin/air partition coefficient (P). The resulting function was fitted to weight curves from 83 experiments with 4 chemicals; n-butyl acetate, methanol, 2-propanol, and toluene. In most experiments, a single weight function could not adequately describe the shape of the weight curve, therefore up to five parallel compartments, each with its parameter set Di and Pi, were tested. A two-compartment model was adequate for 58% of the experiments according to the Akaike Information Criterion. Dermal penetration of the chemicals was also measured with Franz diffusion cells. The diffusion coefficients obtained by the two methods agreed well. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:4365–4375, 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent work in our laboratory shows that it is possible to measure the minute weight changes of skin during exposure to chemical vapor using the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method. Further, the TGA weight curves can be analyzed with a two-compartment diffusion model, yielding two sets of diffusion and skin:air partition coefficients. In this study, the dermal diffusion of six chemical vapors (n-butanol, cyclohexanone, ethyl benzene, n-hexane, styrene and m-xylene) were studied by the TGA method using neonatal pig skin. The penetration of the six substances was also studied using conventional Franz diffusion cells and neat, liquid chemical. A combined analysis of the data, along with previously published data on four additional substances (n-butyl acetate, methanol, 2-propanol and toluene) suggest a good agreement between the TGA and the Franz cell methods with respect to diffusion coefficients. An interesting observation is that correction of the TGA-derived diffusion coefficients by the octanol:water partition coefficient improves the agreement with the Franz cell-derived coefficients. TGA-data for seven of the substances were further compared with dermal diffusion studies on chemical vapor reported by other investigators. The comparisons show good agreement with respect to permeability as well as skin:air partition coefficients. In conclusion, it appears that good estimates of diffusion coefficients as well as skin:air and permeability coefficients can be derived for volatile chemicals with the TGA technique. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Potential health hazards of dermal exposure, variability in reported dermal absorption rates and potential losses from the skin by evaporation indicate a need for a simple, inexpensive and standardized procedure to measure dermal absorption and desorption of chemical substances. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility to measure dermal absorption and desorption of volatile chemicals using a new gravimetric technique, namely thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and trypsinated stratum corneum from pig. Changes in skin weight were readily detected before, during and after exposure to vapours of water, 2-propanol, methanol and toluene. The shape and height of the weight curves differed between the four chemicals, reflecting differences in diffusivity and partial pressure and skin:air partitioning, respectively. As the skin weight is highly sensitive to the partial pressure of volatile chemicals, including water, this technique requires carefully controlled conditions with respect to air flow, temperature, chemical vapour generation and humidity. This new technique may help in the assessment of dermal uptake of volatile chemicals. Only a small piece of skin is needed and skin integrity is not necessary, facilitating the use of human samples. The high resolution weight–time curves obtained may also help to elucidate the characteristics of absorption, desorption and diffusion of chemicals in skin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]