Transport of steroids in poly(etherurethane) and poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) membranes

The permeability of polymer membranes to steroids was studied as a function of both permeant and membrane properties, using nine steroids and copolymer membranes prepared from poly(etherurethanes) and poly(ethylene vinyl acetates). Permeabilities, diffusion coefficients, and solubilities of the steroids in the membranes were determined in sorption—desorption and permeation experiments. Steroids with higher melting points permeated more slowly. This relationship originated from the lower diffusivities and solubilities of higher-melting steroids in the polymer phase; the effect of solubility changes was predominant. Reducing the polyether content of poly(etherurethane)merebranes ten-fold decreased their permeability to androstenedione by four orders of magnitude (from 10^?10 to 10^?14 g steroid/cm-sec at 37°C), due largely to diffusivity decreases. In contrast, reducing the vinyl acetate content of poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) membranes from 40% to 9% produced only modest changes in bath steroid solubility and diffusion coefficient. The permeability to androstenedione within this series of copolymer membranes ranged between 10^?11 and 10^?12 g steroid/cm-sec at 37°C.