Proposed human stratum corneum water domain in chemical absorption

Compounds with varying physical and chemical properties may have different affinities to the stratum corneum (SC) and/or its intercellular lipids, keratin protein, and possible water domains. To better understand the mechanism of percutaneous absorption, we utilized 21 carbon‐14 labeled chemicals, with wide hydrophilicity (log P = −0.05 to 6.17), and quantified their absorption/adsorption properties for a short incubation time (15 min) with regards to intact SC membrane, delipidized SC membrane and SC lipid. A facile method was developed for SC/lipid absorption, providing a more equivalent procedure and comparable data. SC lipid absorption of chemical solutes positively correlated with the octanol/water partition coefficient (log P) . Differences between the percent dose of chemical absorption to intact SC and the total percent dose contributed by the protein and lipid domains suggest the possibility and significance of a water domain. Absorption rate experiments showed a longer lag time for intact SC than for delipidized SC or SC lipid, suggesting that the water domain may delay chemical binding to protein and lipid domains, and may be a factor in the resistance of many chemicals to current decontamination methods. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.