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[14C]Testosterone, [14C]hydrocortisone, and [14C]benzoic acid were applied to skin of the rhesus monkey and man, and percutaneous absorption was quantitated by measuring urinary excretion of 14C. In the rhesus, the concentration of testosterone was increased from 4 to 4000 mug/cm2 in 5 steps. The efficiency of absorption decreased from 18.4 +/- 9.5% to 1.4 +/- 0.8%. However, the total compound absorbed (per cm2 area) always increased, from a low of 0.7mug to 56 mug. In man, testosterone penetration was also dose dependent and very similar to that in rhesus. Increasing the dose of hydrocortisone 10-fold (4 to 40 mug/cm2) resulted in a decrease in efficiency of absorption in man (1.6 +/- 1.4% to 0.6 +/- 0.3%) and rhesus (2.9 +/- 0.8% to 2.1 +/- 0.6%). The total compound absorbed, however, increased manyfold in both species. As benzoic acid concentrations were increased in man from 3 to 2000 mug/cm2, the percent absorption decreased, from 37.0 +/- 16.3% to 14.4 +/- 3.8%. Benzoic acid absorbed increased from 1.1 mug to 288 mug (per cm2 area), representing almost a 300-fold increase in absorption. Values in the rhesus were similar.

Percutaneous penetration of the vasodilator methyl nicotinate (methyl 3-pyridinecarboxylate) has been monitored in vivo in humans with the noninvasive techniques of laser Doppler velocimetry and photopulse plethysmography. These optical methods use different technologies to generate a voltage output which is related to perfusion of the cutaneous microcirculation. The procedures are therefore sensitive to the pharmacologic stimulus and duration of local vasodilation. Following topical application of methyl nicotinate, excellent correlation was found between the response of both methods and the visual observation of erythema. Lower drug concentrations delayed the onset and magnitude of the response and shortened the time period for which elevated microperfusion was observed. These techniques appear to provide a useful noninvasive assessment of the time course of drug behavior in the region of skin to which topical application is made.

This study compares percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone after short and long-term administration. The experimental design was to first apply 14C-hydrocortisone. This was followed by long-term administration of nonradioactive hydrocortisone. Then 14C-hydrocortisone was applied again when urinary excretion of radioactivity from the first application reached minimum detectable levels. Short- (first 14C-hydrocortisone application) and long-term (second 14C-hydrocortisone application) penetrations were compared. The level of absorption of hydrocortisone significantly increased during long-term administration, whether applied in an acetone vehicle or in a 0.9% emulsion ointment base (Eucerin). A placebo study in which only an acetone vehicle was applied for a long period followed by 14C-hydrocortisone application showed no enhanced penetration. It is suggested that long-term application of hydrocortisone alters the penetration barrier, resulting in enhanced penetration. The relevance of this long-term corticosteroid use in man is possibly of great importance.

The objectives of this study were to determine the dermal absorption, systemic elimination, and dermal wash efficiency for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). 14C-Labeled 42% PCB and 14C-labeled 54% PCB were topically and parenterally administered to rhesus monkeys and guinea pigs. Dermal absorption, determined by 14C urinary excretion, was extensive. In guinea pigs, 33% of the applied 14C-labeled 42% PCB dose and 56% of the 14C-labeled 54% PCB dose were absorbed. In rhesus monkeys, 15-34% of the labeled 42% PCB was dermally absorbed, depending on the magnitude of the applied dose. 14C-labeled 42% PCB applied to guinea pig skin was immediately washed with water and acetone. Only 59% of the applied dose was removed from the skin. A post-24-h washing removed only 1% of applied labeled 42% PCB and 20% of applied labeled 54% PCB. Postcontamination washing cannot be assumed to remove all contaminated PCB from skin. The body elimination of 14C was continuous and slow, with elimination half-lives on the order of 2-3 d in the guinea pig and 4-7 d in the monkey. Only 50-65% of an intramuscular dose could be accounted for in urine and feces for up to 28 d excretion. The elimination half-lives following topical administration were not much greater than that following intramuscular administration. This suggests that PCBs are rapidly and extensively absorbed through the skin, and that they are then probably generally distributed throughout the body, and then slowly eliminated.

The percutaneous absorption of two cosmetic fragrance materials, safrole and cinnamyl anthranilate, as well as of cinnamic alcohol and cinnamic acid, has been measured at occluded and non-occluded application sites. Absorption values were determined in the rhesus monkey in vivo. Absorption through human skin was measured by using excised skin in diffusion cells. Because of the insolubility in water of safrole and cinnamyl anthranilate, a nonionic surfactant solution (6% oleth 20) was used in the receptor chamber of the diffusion cell in order to facilitate the partitioning of the compounds from the skin into the receptor fluid. The relative volatility of the compounds was determined in order to aid in the interpretation of the absorption results. The greatest difference between in vivo and in vitro absorption values occurred with safrole, which was the least well absorbed and the most volatile compound. Cinnamic acid absorption through non-occluded human skin (17.8 +/- 4.9%, mean +/- SEM) was significantly lower than through monkey skin (38.6 +/- 8.3%). The values for absorption through human and monkey skin did not differ significantly for cinnamyl anthranilate (24.0 +/- 5.1% v. 26.1 +/- 2.3%) or cinnamic alcohol (33.9 +/- 7.3% v. 25.4 +/- 4.4%). Occlusion of the skin resulted in greater permeation of all of the compounds; a significant difference in permeability between the two types of skin occurred only with safrole. The fragrances were absorbed well, but their volatility must be considered in a toxicity evaluation. There was reasonable agreement between the values obtained from the studies of the human skin in vitro and the monkey skin in vivo.

Human autopsy skin was sliced into three sections: an outer epidermis-rich layer, a middle dermis layer, and an inner dermis and subcutaneous fat layer. Each skin slice was bathed in malathion solutions over a 100-fold concentration range of 0.02-3.0 microM/g skin for 48 h at 37 degrees C. Malathion uptake approximated 50% for each skin layer over the total concentration range. Skin capacity for malathion is thus large. Single and double compartment dialysis was used to determine free and bound malathion. Isotherm calculations gave a partition coefficient intercept for epidermis-rich and dermis tissues with aqueous buffer of 2.72 and 2.74, respectively. That of the inner layer of skin was less at 1.70. When malathion was dialyzed against simulated plasma, the binding decreased 2-fold. Since the least partition coefficient (less bound malathion) was in the inner layer of skin, and since malathion has a preference for plasma over water, the two (inner skin and plasma) may combine to create the sink conditions necessary for malathion percutaneous absorption into the body.

Benzene levels in human breath and in ambient air were compared in the urban area of San Francisco (SF) and in a more remote coastal pristine setting of Stinson Beach, Calif. (SB). Benzene analysis was done by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Ambient benzene levels were sevenfold higher in SF (2.6 +/- 1.3 ppb, n = 25) than SB (0.38 +/- 0.39 ppb, n = 21). In SF, benzene in smokers' breath (6.8 +/- 3.0 ppb) was greater than in nonsmokers' breath (2.5 +/- 0.8 ppb) and smokers' ambient air (3.3 +/- 0.8 ppb). In SB the same pattern was observed: benzene in smokers' breath was higher than in nonsmokers' breath and ambient air. Benzene in SF nonsmokers' breath was greater than in SB nonsmokers' breath. Marijuana-only smokers had benzene breath levels between those of smokers and nonsmokers. There was little correlation between benzene in breath and number of cigarettes smoked, or with other benzene exposures such as diet. Of special interest was the finding that benzene in breath of SF nonsmokers (2.5 +/- 0.8 ppb) was greater than that in nonsmokers ambient air (1.4 +/- 0.1 ppb). The same was true in SB, where benzene in nonsmokers breath was greater than ambient air (1.8 +/- 0.2 ppb versus 1.0 +/- 0.1 ppb on d 1 and 1.3 +/- 0.3 ppb versus 0.23 +/- 0.18 ppb on d 2). This suggests an additional source of benzene other than outdoor ambient air.

The probability of successful lactation and breastfeeding can be maximized by professional lactation management consultant services such as those provided by the San Diego Lactation Program. There are four distinct service components of the program: prenatal guidance; skilled immediate postpartum assistance; a telephone consultation service; and evaluation of lactation progress and problem solving in a special lactation clinic. To insure the best care for the mother-infant couple, these services must be provided by health care professionals with "hands-on" backgrounds in one of the perinatal specialties (M.D. or R.N.) as well as knowledge and skills in the specific area of lactation. Teaching hospital-based lactation programs such as the San Diego model can offer both consultant services and provide a much needed learning opportunity in lactation and breastfeeding management for such health professionals.

Percutaneous absorption of testosterone was determined in newborn rhesus monkeys, an animal model which is relevant to man. Mean percentage of absorptions of 4 and 40 microng/cm2 in the newborn were, respectively, 22.5 +/- 2.2 (SD) and 6.8 +/- 2.1. Statistical comparisons (Student's t-test) of these results with those obtained with adults show no significant difference (P greater than 0.05) in skin penetration of testosternoe in newborn and adult rhesus monkeys. In the newborn, the efficiency of absorption (percentage) decreased when the topical dose was increased 10-fold. However, the total compound absorbed per cm2 area of skin actually increased from 0.9 to 2.7 microng. With one other newborn rhesus, a topical dose of 40 microng/cm2 was applied to the ventral forearm and the area was occluded for 24 hr. Percutaneous absorption was 14.7%, a value twice that from nonoccluded absorption. Systemic absorption from a topical dose becomes critical in the newborn because the ratio of surface area (cm2) to body weight (kilograms) in the newborn is 3 times that in the adult. Given equal application area of skin per newborn and adult, the systemic absorption in the newborn becomes 3 times that of the adult when based on kilograms body weight. With a different ratio of skin surfact to body weight, the therapeutic ratio probably is lower in the newborn than in the adult when the compound is applied topically.

The pharmacokinetics of orally administered aqueous 3H-beta-methyldigoxin solutions were studied at two dose levels, 0.3 and 0.6 mg, in healthy human subjects. The drug and its metabolites were specifically assayed in biological fluids and compared with results after intravenous doses to the same subjects. No significant dose dependency was observed. The apparent half-life of absorption was 16+/-6 min (SEM). Digoxin was the only metabolite observed in the plasma and comprised 28.6+/-3.7% of the dose in the urine. 3H-beta-Methyldigoxin, renally excreted unchanged, comprised 25.7+/-1.7% (SEM). Water-soluble metabolites in the urine comprised 9.0+/-1.8%. Fecal and urinary excretion accounted for 85% of the dose at 144 hr. The oral absorption of unchanged 3H-beta-methyldigoxin from solution was 59+/-6% by area under the curve methods and 60+/-4% by renal excretion. A total of 73% of the dose in the solution was absorbed as beta-methyldigoxin and digoxin. First-pass metabolism prior to absorption was largely prehepatic and assignable to GI degradation; 21.9+/-2.8% was degraded with 12.8+/-4.0% to digoxin and 9.1+/-4.0% to water-soluble metabolites. From 14 to 18% of the administered oral dose did not reach the systemic circulation. Analog computer fitting of plasma and urine levels of drug and digoxin was consistent with the first-pass premise with a delayed absorption of GI-generated digoxin and other metabolites. There were no significant differences between the oral absorption of a tablet formulation and the solution. Orally administered beta-methyldigoxin solution delivered 97% cardioactivity as itself and digoxin with respect to an equivalent amount of intravenously administered digoxin. This value contrasts to the 140% delivered by intravenously administered beta-methyldigoxin on the premise of pharmacodynamic equivalence of systemically appearing digoxin and beta-methyl-digoxin. Literature reports on the oral bioavailability of solutions and solid dosage forms of digoxin were critically reviewed, but no reliable comparison of the extent and reproducibility of oral absorption of cardioactive agents from administered digoxin or beta-methyldigoxin could be made from the widely variable digoxin studies with nonspecific assays.

The development of topical drug products requires testing for skin toxicology reactions. A variety of patch test systems are available with which chemicals are applied to skin. The purpose of this study was to determine the skin absorption of paraphenylenediamine (PPDA) from a variety of such systems. [14C]-PPDA (1% pet., USP) was placed in a variety of patch test systems at a concentration normalized to equal surface area (2 mg/mm2). Skin absorption was determined in the guinea pig by urinary excretion of 14C. There was a six-fold difference in the range of skin absorption (p less than 0.02). In decreasing order, % skin absorption from the systems were Hill Top Chamber (53.4 +/- 20.6) greater than Teflon Control patch (48.6 +/- 9.3) greater than Small Finn Chamber with paper disc insert (34.1 +/- 19.8) greater than Small Finn Chamber (29.8 +/- 9.0) greater than Large Finn Chamber (23.1 +/- 7.3) greater than AL-Test Chamber (8.0 +/- 0.8). Thus, the choice of patch system could produce a false negative error if the system inhibits skin absorption, with a subsequent skin toxicology reaction.