On the correlation between single-frequency impedance measurements and human skin permeability to water

The objective of this study was to quantitatively compare measurements of tritiated water permeability with impedance determined at either 100 or 1000 Hz using an LCR databridge on the same pieces of skin. A previously published expression based on a simple circuit of a parallel resistor and constant phase element (CPE) was used to relate (RPARA) measured at different frequencies to the DC resistance (RskinA) and the steady-state skin permeability of tritiated water (kp). Using this analysis, kp and (RPARA) data from three laboratories were shown to be consistent with each other, and kp and (RskinA) estimated from (RPARA) were linearly correlated. Compared with urea and mannitol, which are known to permeate skin through a polar pathway, the value of kp for water was found to be about two times larger than expected for transport through only the polar pathway, suggesting an approximately equal contribution from the lipophilic pathway. Equations relating kp to (RPARA) and (RskinA) were used to compare on a consistent basis proposed tests for identifying and excluding damaged skin from chemical absorption studies. The criterion of 20 kΩ cm2 for (RskinA) corresponds to a tritiated water permeability of 3.2 × 10−3 cm/h, which should exclude damaged skin without screening undamaged but higher permeability skin samples from study.

► DC skin resistance can be predicted from impedance measured at a frequency ⩽ 1000 Hz. ► Water permeability is predicted from skin impedance measured at ⩽ 1000 Hz. ► Water flux is larger than expected for transport through only the polar pathway. ► Frequency dependent impedance criteria for identifying acceptable skin are given. ► Skin impedance at different frequencies can be compared using the model provided.