Capillary permeability in cutaneous tissue.

Capillary permeability in cutaneous tissue was determined by the single injection, external counting method. A rabbit abdominal skin preparation was developed. After local vasodilatation, 5 mul (400 muCi) 51Cr-EDTA was administered intraarterially by a special bolus injection technique, and the response curve was recorded by external registration. The capillary diffusion capacity (the permeability-surface area product) for 51Cr-EDTA amounted to 3.7 ml/100 g-min at a capillary extraction of 0.59 and a plasma flow of 4.8 ml/100 g-min. The permeability coefficient for 51Cr-EDTA in cutaneous tissue was calculated to 0.9-10-5 cm/s assuming a capillary surface area of 70 cm2/g.