Influence of pH on the permeability of p-toluidine and aminopyrine through shed snake skin as a model membrane.

The influence of pH on the permeability of p-toluidine (pKa, 5.3) and aminopyrine (pKa, 5.0) through shed snake skin as a model membrane was studied. The pH was adjusted to several values, and the solubility of the drugs in each donor was measured. Flux rates and permeability coefficients were calculated from the steady-state penetration portions. The flux rates of p-toluidine decreased as the pH value in the donor solution increased. On the other hand, the flux rates of aminopyrine were constant at any pH value. The permeability coefficients of each drug increased as the pH value in the donor solution increased. The partition coefficients (octanol/buffer) of each drug were dependent on the molecular fraction of un-ionized species. From these results, it is suggested that ionized species of p-toluidine transports through shed snake skin, but the ionized species of aminopyrine does not.