Absolute concentrations of dithranol and triacetyl-dithranol in the skin layers after local treatment: in vivo investigations with four different types of pharmaceutical vehicles.

The pharmacokinetics of dithranol (anthralin) and its triacetate were investigated by employing a method which determines the quantity of the drug that penetrated into single layers of the human skin in vivo. For this purpose, tritium-labeled dithranol or triacetyl-dithranol was incorporated into four different ointments. The ointments were applied to the skin and biopsies were taken after 10, 30, 100, and 1000 min. The horny layer was removed before biopsy by Scotch tape stripping. The biopsies were sliced horizontally and the tritium determined in each sample. Dithranol as well as its triacetate penetrated best from more hydropholic ointments (Vaseline and aqueous wool-wax-alcohol ointment). From hydrophilic ointments (polyethylene glycol ointment and aqueous hydrophilic cream), only poor penetration was observed. Dithranol penetrated in far greater amounts than its triacetate, and the two compounds revealed fundamentally different penetration kinetics in epidermis and dermis. The data indicate that the triacetate was not split into its parent compound, dithranol, in substantial quantity, as the data obtained show the criteria of two independent substances.