Studies on the Permeability of the Oral Mucosa

2. Permeability of Alcohol

¹ Department of Oral Physiology, Dental School, Osaka University, Kitaku, Osaka, Japan

The permeability of alcohols across the sublingual oral mucosa of a deeply anesthetized dog was investigated. Dihydric alcohols (5 or 10 per cent)—that is, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and tetramethylene glycol—penetrated the sublingual mucosa. Acetylcholine dissolved in these dihydric alcohols induced an action potential of tongue muscle as the local effect of Ach that was transferred by the solvent. In the case of C_1^-, C_2^-, and C_3^- in which monohydric alcohols (5 or 10 per cent) or erythritol was used as a solvent for Ach, they did not induce the action potential from the tongue muscle when they were applied on the tongue surface.