In vivo percutaneous absorption studies of volatile solvents in hairless mice. I. Description of a skin-depot.

A stainless-steel skin-depot is discussed that may be used during short-term studies to measure directly percutaneous absorption of radiolabeled, volatile chemicals through the skin of unanesthetized, unrestrained hairless mice. The skin-depot is glued to the backs of the mice using cyanoacrylate glue. The top portion of the depot contains activated charcoal (or other sorbent) to capture for analysis the portion of the test chemical which normally evaporates from the treatment site. This allows the use of metabolism cages for the capture of expired breath, as well as urine and feces. Thus, dermal absorption of the test chemical can be summed directly from the radioactivity found in excreta (urine and feces), the animal carcass (including the skin treatment site) and expired breath.