Stratum corneum of frog skin: inferences for studies of Na entry and transport pool.

Pieces of isolated stratum corneum from frog skins were studied. Preliminary data showed that approximately 56% of the total sodium of split skins was associated with the stratum corneum. In more detailed studies, the sodium space estimated with 22Na and the volume of tissue water were identical, averaging 0.95 mul/cm2. Thus, the stratum corneum contained approximately 0.11 mueq Na+/cm2. Similar determinations of the sucrose, mannitol, and inulin spaces of the stratum corneum gave mean values of 0.84, 2.21, and 1.84 mul/cm2, respectively. Surprisingly, the mannitol and inulin spaces were observed to be at least twice as large as the space occupied by the tissue water, and this can be interpreted to mean that mannitol and inulin bind in appreciable amounts and thus are unsuitable markers of the sodium space. Whereas the kinetics of sodium uptake and washout could be described simply, similar studies for sucrose, mannitol, and inulin were more complex and consistent with appreciable binding of the substances to the stratum corneum.