Theoretical analysis of the effect of cutaneous metabolism on skin permeation of parabens based on a two-layer skin diffusion/metabolism model

The effect of cutaneous metabolism on the skin penetration of drugs was analyzed based on a two-layer skin diffusion/metabolism model. In vitro permeation studies of propylparaben and butylparaben with or without an esterase inhibitor, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), were performed. Pretreatment of the skin with DFP prolonged the lag time for the penetration of intact parabens. Additionally, DFP significantly decreased the total flux of butylparaben, but not that of propylparaben. Model analysis of the penetration profiles revealed that DFP inhibits the cutaneous metabolism without affecting any other processes. To comprehensively understand the relationships among lipophilicity, metabolic rate, and skin permeation of drugs, simulation studies were performed with newly derived equations concerning the permeability coefficient and the lag time for the penetration of both intact and metabolite forms. The analysis revealed that the lag time for the penetration of both intact and metabolite forms becomes shorter with increasing metabolic rate. As the metabolic rate of the drug increases, skin penetration of the intact form decreases whereas that of the metabolite increases. The total flux of intact and metabolite forms increases with increasing metabolic rate, being more obvious for highly lipophilic drugs. This indicates that the permeation of lipophilic compounds such as butylparaben is more highly affected by cutaneous metabolism in the viable layer because these compounds easily penetrate the stratum corneum layer. Consequently, the balance between the permeability of drug across the stratum corneum and the dermis has been implicated to impose a significant influence on the percutaneous absorption of drugs subjected to cutaneous metabolism.