Table II.

Influence of Puncture Protocol on the Number of Microorganisms Found on the Stratum Corneum or in the Viable Tissue of Neonate Porcine Skin on the Number of Microorganisms Completely Traversing the Skin to the Receptor Fluid in the Receiver Compartments of the Franz Cells and the Numbers of Microorganisms Removed on Hypodermic Needles or Microneedle Arrays and Comparison of these Numbers with the Number of Microorganisms Found on Unpunctured Stratum Corneums. Means ± S.D., n=3

		Total viable count of microorganisms (cfu) found in: (% of original count on control stratum corneum)			Number of microorganisms adherent to hypodermic needle or MN array on removal (cfu) (% of original count on control stratum corneum)
Treatment	Microorganism	Stratum corneum	Viable tissue	Receptor fluid
Control	C. albicans	1.5±0.1×107	ND	ND	NA
	P. aeruginosa	7.0±2.8×107	ND	ND	NA
	S. epidermidis	3.7±0.6×107	ND	ND	NA
Hypodermic Needle	C. albicans	5.8±1.4×106 (38.67%)	9.7±2.2×104 (0.65%)	7.2±0.6×106 (48.00%)	1.00±0.03×103 (0.01%)
	P. aeruginosa	3.1±2.7×107 (44.29%)	ND	ND	4.6±0.9×103 (0.01%)
	S. epidermidis	2.2±0.5×107 (59.46%)	3.1±0.9×105 (0.84%)	1.3±0.6×106 (3.51%)	4.3±0.7×103 (0.01%)
MN Punctured  & Left	C. albicans	4.2±0.9×106 (28.00%)	5.3±1.1×105 (3.50%)	ND	4.1±0.3×104 (0.27%)
	P. aeruginosa	4.9±4.8×107 (70.00%)	ND	ND	4.7±0.5×104 (0.07%)
	S. epidermidis	1.2±0.2×107 (32.43%)	6.9±1.3×105 (1.87%)	ND	6.0±0.5×104 (0.16%)
MN Punctured  & Removed	C. albicans	4.8±0.1×106 (32.00%)	3.2±0.9×105 (2.13%)	ND	2.9±0.2×104 (0.19%)
	P. aeruginosa	5.3±1.6×107 (75.71%)	ND	ND	2.8±0.4×104 (0.04%)
	S. epidermidis	2.2±0.3×107 (59.46%)	4.1±1.3×105 (1.11%)	ND	2.9±0.6×104 (0.08%)

NA=Not applicable.

ND=No microorganisms detectable. P. aeruginosa did not take up the radiolabel to the same extent as the other microorganisms, thus compromising experiments using it.