Uptake and release of bilirubin by skin.

1. Skin epithelium of albino rat, mouse and guinea pig was shown to accumulate bilirubin from a medium containing free or bound bilirubin. 2. The K(m) values for bound bilirubin were 2.22x10(-3), 1.33x10(-3) and 9.5x10(-4)m for rat, mouse and guinea pig respectively and the corresponding K(m) values for free bilirubin were 5.2x10(-4), 4.0x10(-4), 1.8x10(-4)m; the V(max.) values of bound and free bilirubin were unchanged. 3. The uptake showed saturation kinetics. Bound bilirubin was released together with serum proteins. Free bilirubin bound to skin was not released into the medium. 4. Freezing and thawing of skin epithelium did not cause any significant lowering of the uptake of bilirubin but heat-denatured skin epidermis took up only 50% of the bound bilirubin or free bilirubin taken up by control unheated skin epithelium. 5. The uptake of free and bound bilirubin was prevented by HgCl(2) but not by sodium arsenate, NaCN, NaF, cycloheximide, 2,4-dinitrophenol or iodoacetate. 6. Most of the free bilirubin was bound to the lipids or lipoprotein fraction of skin epithelium and could be extracted by solvents. 7. Rat skin showed the highest accumulation and efflux of bilirubin.