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1927526 
Journal Article 
Evaluation of the nude rat as a model: Effects of short-term freezing and alkyl chain length on the permeabilities of n-alkanols and water 
Del Terzo, S; Behl, CR; Nash, RA; Bellantone, NH; Malick, AW 
1986 
0 
Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists
ISSN: 0037-9832 
37 
5 
297-307 
Laboratory skin permeation studies, using animal models, provide a convenient means for initial screening of new drug formulations for topical\/transdermal application. Various animal models have been proposed for these types of studies; however, each model has one or more shortcomings. In our laboratories we are investigating the use of the nude rat as a possible model system. This non-furry animal species has a sparse hair distribution, making it a potentially useful model for assessing percutaneous absorption of dermatological preparations. The data indicate that the nude rat skin permeability profile and the lipid partitioning sensitivity (π-value), determined by using water and n-alkanols as test permeants, are mechanistically comparable to those of human skin. It can be concluded that the nude rat is a suitable model for skin permeation studies and that it should provide data which are correlatable with human data. Furthermore, its size is large enough to allow both in vitro and in situ\/in vivo experimentation. Data are also presented indicating that nude rat skin may be frozen for up to one month without significantly altering its permeability profile. The ability to use frozen skin in the laboratory is more efficient (skin readily available), and more economical (reduced housing and procurement costs). Furthermore, skin variables such as age and gender can be better controlled.