Skin density in the hairless rat. Evidence of regional differences.

Skin densities of different regional sites have been determined in the hairless rat. The following regional sites have been considered: abdominal, dorsal, foreleg, rearleg, pectoral, neck (ventral and dorsal) and scrotal. Skin density values were determined by means of an hydrostatic balance. The dorsal regional site and the neck dorsal show the highest density values (1.076 and 1.070 respectively). The scrotal regional site shows the lowest density value 1.041. The abdominal density mean value (1.054) was not different from the foreleg, rearleg, pectoral and neck (ventral) regional sites. The knowledge of these density values will be useful to estimate skin/vehicle partition coefficients.