[Evaluation of the permeability of corticosteroid in hairless mouse and hairless micropig skin from admixture of commercially available corticosteroid ointments and/or creams].

Yucatan hairless micropig (YHMP) skin has been shown to have histology and physiologic properties similar to human skin. To assess the relationship between the permeability of corticosteroid ointments and five types of commonly used admixtures of corticosteroid through hairless mice (HM) or YHMP skin and the clinical effects in humans, we conduct by in vitro experiments using HM and YHMP skin. The permeability of corticosteroid in admixtures with urea or heparinoid ointments across HM or YHMP skin was 1.5-4-fold greater than that of corticosteroid ointments alone. HM skin was found to have faster permeability than YHMP skin, but otherwise was similar to YHMP skin. These experiments demonstrated a close relationship between the permeability of HM or YHMP skin and vasoconstrictor activity in humans. These results suggest that the in vitro permeability of corticosteroid measurements across HM skin could be a useful, rapid, and easy method for assessing the vasoconstrictor activity of topical corticosteroids and the admixtures of commercially available ointments and/or creams in humans.