Dermal absorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the blood‐perfused pig ear

Abstract

Urinary 1-OH-pyrene, a metabolite of pyrene, is a sensitive biological marker for dermal absorption of pyrene in man. In order to determine whether this metabolite is a reliable biomarker of cutaneous absorption of other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the blood-perfused pig ear model was used to compare the dermal absorption flux of pyrene with nine other PAHs after coal tar application. Cumulative absorption of PAHs into the perfusion blood, 200 min after application of an overdose of coal tar, ranged between 830 pmol cm-2 for phenanthrene to less than 4 pmol cm-2 for benzo[b]fluoroanthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[ah]anthracene and indeno[123-cd]pyrene. The results of this study show that when pyrene is used as a marker compound for PAH absorption through pig skin, the cumulative absorption of PAHs with a lower molecular weight will be underestimated: fluorene, tenfold; phenanthrene, 12-fold; anthracene and fluoranthene, ca. twofold. The percutaneous absorption of PAHs with a higher molecular weight than pyrene will be overestimated: e.g. benzo[a]pyrene, sevenfold; indeno [123-cd]pyrene, ca. 100-fold. It is likely that this conclusion is also valid for dermal PAH absorption in man.

The Pig as an Experimental Animal Model of Percutaneous Permeation in Man: Qualitative and Quantitative Observations – An Overview

“…Although some information on regional variation of percutaneous absorption in animal is available, little is known about this in the pig. Most of the percutaneous permeation studies conducted in pigs were performed on their back [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] some others on the ear [49][50][51][52][53] and few on the flank [54,55] or the abdomen [56]. However, no explanation was given why a certain site was chosen for a given study.…”

“…The pig was selected because of its size and because its skin was found to be functionally and structurally similar to that of man. Another model is based on the isolated pig ear, which can be obtained at the abattoir and perfused with oxygenated blood from the same pig [50,51]. There are two major advantages of the perfused pig ear model over in vitro models.…”

Tar and Pitch

“…250 (fluorene, phenanthrene) to 24 (pyrene) and to less than 3 pmol cm À2 h À1 (benzofluoranthenes, benzo[a]pyrene) [92].…”

Automated solid-phase extraction method for measuring urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in human biomonitoring using isotope-dilution gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry

“…Exposure is primarily through inhaling polluted air or tobacco smoke, and through ingesting contaminated and processed food and water [1]. Some studies also indicate that dermal exposure may be a major exposure pathway of some PAHs in occupational exposure settings [2,3].…”