Sergio Nacht

Percutaneous Absorption, Blood Levels, and Urinary Excretion of Resorcinol Applied Topically in Humans

The absorption and metabolic disposition of 2% resort mot applied topically in a hydroalcoholic vehicle was determined in three human subjects. The drug penetrated the skin at a rate of 0.37μg/cm2/hour. After 2 weeks of bid application of 800 mg resorcinol to about 30% of body surface each subject, an average of 1.64% of the dosage was being excreted in 24‐hour urine specimens as the glucuronide or as the sulfate conjugate. There was no resorcinol in blood drawn at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4, nor were there any abnormalities w thyroid function or blood chemistries at weeks, 2, 3, and 4. Resorcinol (2%) appears safe for topical use in humans.

The composition of the skin surface lipids of the gerbil

The skin surface lipids of the gerbil were found to consist sterol esters (10%), wax diesters (36.3%), triacylglycerol (26.1%), free fatty alcohols (8.8%), free fatty acids (5.4%), cholesterol (8.4%) and polar lipids (5%). The wax diesters, identified as Type II, were made up of saturated 1,2-diols with odd carbon number, esterified with two molecules of unsubstituted fatty acids with even carbon number. Both the triacylglycerols and the free fatty acid fractions had saturated and unsaturated components. The free and esterified sterols were all cholesterol. The sterol esters contained saturated monoenoic and dienoic fatty acids, with both straight- and branched-chain components. The fatty alcohols were all straight-chain in structure, mostly of even carbon number. Comparison of these results with those previously reported for other species, indicates that the gerbil skin surface lipids are unique in that they contain diacyl alkane diols and fatty alcohols, both of which consist exclusively of saturated components.