Microautoradiography of 14C-salicylic acid in the skin of guinea-pig

The concentration of salicylic acid in guinea-pig skin was examined by microautoradiography. The retention of salicylic acid in the stratum corneum was observed. It was considered that the rate of transfer of the drug into the stratum corneum was small and that the stratum corneum became the barrier for permeability of the skin. The distribution of salicylic acid in other parts of the skin was uniform and no retention of the drug in any special parts was observed. The plasma level showed less percutaneous absorption of the drug when it was applied as liquid paraffin solution than when it was applied as an aqueous solution. The amount of salicylic acid absorbed from damaged skin was extremely large and, in this case, disappearance of the drug from the skin was fast. (author)