The effect of vehicle on the diffusion of salicylic acid through hairless mouse skin.

The solubilities of salicylic acid in, and the fluxes through, hairless mouse skin from isopropyl myristate, 1-octanol, 1-propanol, propylene glycol, and formamide have been determined experimentally. Values for permeability coefficients (Kp) corresponding to the respective fluxes were determined from: flux/solubility = Kp. These values were then compared with values for the respective partition coefficients (P) which were calculated from the known solubility parameters for the vehicles (delta v), salicylic acid (delta i), and skin (delta s). Two different delta i values were used to calculate theoretical P values, one based on the peak solubility method and the other based on calculation from group contributions (11 and 14.4 (cal/cm3)1/2, respectively). There was good correlation between the values for theoretical log P - 1.42 and experimental log Kp for the delivery of salicylic acid from vehicles exhibiting solubility parameters in the range of delta v = 10-18 (cal/cm3)1/2, when delta i was assumed to be 14.4 (cal/cm3)1/2. There was also a good correlation between the values for theoretical log P - 2.09 and experimental log Kp for vehicles exhibiting solubility parameters in the range of delta v = 7.6-10 (cal/cm3)1/2, when delta i was assumed to be 11 (cal/cm3)1/2. Two different delta i values were used because salicylic acid apparently behaves like a polar molecule in polar vehicles and a nonpolar molecule in nonpolar vehicles. Qualitatively, fluxes and permeability coefficients were found to be inversely dependent on drug solubility in the vehicles, with a minimum that corresponded approximately to the point where delta v = delta i, and the minimum within the theoretical P curve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)