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Electrochemical determination of oxygen permeability of isolated stratum corneum membranes
Author(s) -
Wilson Alicia L.,
Emons Hendrik,
Heineman William R.,
Pickens William L.,
Hoath Steven B.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
electroanalysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1521-4109
pISSN - 1040-0397
DOI - 10.1002/elan.1140050803
Subject(s) - stratum corneum , membrane , permeability (electromagnetism) , oxygen , chemistry , electrolyte , electrode , oxygen permeability , biophysics , electrochemistry , clark electrode , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , biochemistry , organic chemistry , biology , genetics
Abstract The mammalian stratum corneum is a thin, highly organized polymeric membrane which is relatively impermeable to water but permeable to some gases including oxygen. Isolated stratum corneum membranes from perinatal Sprague‐Dawley rats were mounted under electrodes used to determine the rate of diffusion of oxygen through the membrane. These membranes were consistently found to be permeable to oxygen, which could be quantitatively determined at a gold electrode at −0.6 V (vs. a Ag/AgCl electrode). The stratum corneum membrane was found to be anisotropic, with greater oxygen permeability when the gas diffused toward the electrolyte from the side of the membrane which would be oriented toward the exterior of the animal than when it diffused in the opposite direction. There is also evidence of anatomic site heterogeneity in the permeability of the membranes.