Mechanism of Urea Effect on Percutaneous Absorption of Clonidine

The urea effect on skin permeation of clonidine was investigated to reduce a log time and to increase a permeability. ICR mouse skin and human skin were used and were assumed to be a two-layer membrane consisted of stratum corneum and viable epidermis. The urea acted as a skin denaturant and humectant in the whole epidermis. Also it enhanced the skin permeability of clonidine about 3.5 times. On the other hand, it enhanced the skin permeability by acting as a humectant in the viable epidermis. But the urea effect on the whole epidermis was shown to be greater than that on the viable epidermis. Therefore, it was found that the effect of urea was greater on the stratum corneum than the viable epidermis. Variation of enhancing effect according to the concentration of urea was not found in the range of 1% to 20%.