Permeability of latex and polyvinyl chloride gloves to fluorouracil and methotrexate

The permeability of latex surgical and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) examination gloves to fluorouracil and methotrexate was studied using a radiotracer method. Drug-tracer solutions for both drugs were prepared by combining tritiated fluorouracil or methotrexate with fluorouracil or methotrexate injection, respectively. Drug-free solutions were also prepared to be as similar as possible to the vehicles of the commercial injections. Each half of a total of 40 equilibrium-dialysis cells (20 for each glove type) was filled with either the drug-tracer solution or the drug-free solution. The cell halves were then sealed with glove membranes cut from each type of glove and fastened together so that the drug-tracer and drug-free solutions of each respective drug were opposite one another. Samples were collected after 5 to 45 minutes from each dialysis-cell well and analyzed for drug using liquid scintillation counting techniques. Microgram levels of both drugs were detected in the drug-free dialysis wells for both glove types at each sampling time. Except for the methotrexate drug-labeled well sealed with the PVC glove membrane, the amount of drug in the dialysis wells was significantly different at different sampling times. The variability in results using gloves from different lots was also significantly different for both types of gloves. Overall, latex gloves were significantly less permeable than PVC gloves to fluorouracil, and PVC gloves were significantly less permeable to methotrexate than latex gloves. The latex and PVC gloves used in this study both exhibit time-dependent permeability to fluorouracil and methotrexate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)