Abstract
We have used a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) to identify the routes of iontophoretic flux of ionic species (Fe 2+ and Fe 3+) across excised hairless mouse skin. SECM has been used both in the imaging mode, where large two-dimensional areas (∼1 mm 2) are surveyed to identify regions of high ionic flux, and in the quantitative single trace mode, where flux profiles over a fixed feature are repeatedly measured along one dimension. SECM images indicate that a significant portion of ion flux occurs through shunt pathways in the skin. Images reveal that the spatial density of shunt pathways is greater than that of hair follicles, by up to an order of magnitude, indicating that hair follicles represent a minor contribution to shunt pathways in the skin. A quantitative comparison of the relative fluxes of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ through a single pore indicates that Fe 2+ is transported at a significantly larger rate than Fe 3+. These data represent, to our knowledge, the first direct, chemical-specific identification of transport pathways in skin.
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