Epidermis properties

Collagen fibers are long and thick in the middle dermis but become increasingly fine toward the outer epidermis as well as toward the inner hypodermis. Apart from this structural characteristic, which is common to all animals, the skin of each species has a different and unique morphology that significantly affects its properties (Calnan and Haines 1991). 

It is possible to identify various factors that confer on chemicals the ability to induce skin sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis. These include the capacity to gain access to the viable epidermis across the stratum corneum, to associate stably with host proteins, to provoke a certain degree of proinflammatory cytokine production by skin cells, and to be recognized by specific T lymphocytes. The effectiveness with which these requirements are met, and possibly other properties of the chemical that influence the vigor of induced immune responses, together with the extent of exposure, will dictate the degree to which sensitization is achieved. 

The cause of phenol s corrosive properties does not relate to its ability to form solvated protons (as indicated by the value of Ka) but its ability to penetrate the skin and disrupt the chemical processes occurring within the epidermis, to painful effect. 

If the substances have passed the stratum comeum, they also generally diffuse into the living part of the epidermis, reach the circulation, and then have systemic effects depending on the amount absorbed. Because these are often constituents of formulations, one generally expects them to have little direct influence on skin penetration. However, their amphiphilic properties allow them to form new systems with the body s constituents and even to change the physical state of water in the skin. By this means, a pathway is cleared for other hydrophilic substances to gain entry into the general circulation. 

The skin barrier properties and effect of hand hygiene practices are known to be important in protecting the body. The average adult has a skin area of about 1.75 m2. The superficial part of the skin, the epidermis, has five layers. The stratum corneum, the outermost layer, is composed of flattened dead cells (comeocytes or squames) attached to each other to form a tough, homy layer of keratin mixed with several lipids, which help maintain the hydration, pliability, and barrier effectiveness of the skin. This part of skin has been compared to a wall of bricks (comeocytes) and mortar (lipids) and serves as the primary protective barrier. Approximately 15 layers make up the stratum corneum, which is completely replaced every 2 weeks a new layer is formed almost daily. From healthy skin, approximately 107 particles are disseminated into the air each day, and 10% of these skin squames contain viable bacteria. This is a source of major dirt inside the house and contributes to many interactions. 

Drugs that are used to treat hyperkeratosis, a thickening of the stratum corneum, are called keratolytics. Examples of these agents are salicylic acid, urea, lactic acid, and colloidal or precipitated sulfur. The precise mechanisms by which these agents treat hyperkeratosis are not known. Presumably, a common property is the ability to denature keratin, the major structural protein of the epidermis. Other beneficial effects vary among the different drugs. All of them have antimicrobial or... 

The most superficial layer of skin is the stratum comeum (SC), which consists of terminally differentiated keratinocytes (comeocytes) that originate from actively proliferating keratinocytes in lower epidermis (basale, spinosum, and granulosum cells), and contain a lamellar lipid layer secreted from lamellar bodies (Fig. 7a). Flydration of the SC is an important determinant of skin appearance and physical properties, and depends on a number of factors including the external humidity, and its structure, lipid/protein composition, barrier properties, and concentration of water-retaining osmolytes (natural moisturizing factors, NMFs) including free amino acids, ions, and other small solutes. 

The main obstacle to percntaneous penetration of water and xenobiotics is the onter-most membrane of the epidermis. This is called the stratum comeum. All entry of substances through the stratum comeum occurs by passive diffusion across several cell layers. The locus of entry varies, depending on the chemical properties of xenobiotics. Polar substances are believed to penetrate cell membranes through the protein filaments nonpolar ones enter through the hpid matrix. Hydration of the stratnm comenm increases its permeability for polar substances. Electrolytes enter mainly in a nonionized form, and thus the pH of the solution applied to the skin affects permeabUity. Many hpophdic substances, such as carbon tetrachloride and organophosphate insecticides, readily penetrate the stratum comeum. Pretreatment of the skin with solvents, snch as dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, ethanol, hexane, acetone, and, in particular, a mixture of chloroform and methanol, increases permeability of the skin (Loomis, 1978). 

Microscopically, the skin is a multilayered organ composed of many histological layers. It is generally subdivided into three layers the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis [1]. The uppermost nonviable layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, has been demonstrated to constitute the principal barrier to percutaneous penetration [2,3]. The excellent barrier properties of the stratum corneum can be ascribed to its unique structure and composition. The viable epidermis is situated beneath the stratum corneum and responsible for the generation of the stratum corneum. The dermis is directly adjacent to the epidermis and composed of a matrix of connective tissue, which renders the skin its elasticity and resistance to deformation. The blood vessels that are present in the dermis provide the skin with nutrients and oxygen [1]. The hypodermis or subcutaneous fat tissue is the lowermost layer of the skin. It supports the dermis and epidermis and provides thermal isolation and mechanical protection of the body. 

The role of the liquid applied barrier dressing is to provide a biocompatible protective coating over the tissue for the purpose of protecting it from bacteria and environmental contamination. From a physical and dynamic point of view, the barrier coating must include proper stress-strain physical properties for reasons shown in Fig. 2.2. The skin (epidermis and dermis) and subcutaneous soft tissue are not smooth and stretch and retract (stress-strain) as the body moves to lift an arm or leg, for example. The barrier must experience the same stress-strain and flexing phenomena and remain adhered to the tissue, otherwise the barrier would disbond... 

The Standard Test Method for Strength Properties of Tissue Adhesive in T-Peel by Tension Loading, ASTM F 2256-03, was not employed for testing barrier dressings only porcine tissue was available in 15 cm strips that possessed thick hair on the epidermis side and a thick fat layer on the underside that was not conducive to testing. Removal of the fat layer to isolate the dermis will be necessary before testing by the T-Peel method. 

Chemical PEs have recently been studied for increasing transdermal delivery of ASOs or other polar macromolecules [35]. Chemically induced transdermal penetration results from a transient reduction in the barrier properties of the stratum corneum. The reduction may be attributed to a variety of factors such as the opening of intercellular junctions due to hydration [36], solubilization of the stratum corneum [37, 38], or increased lipid bilayer fluidization [39, 40]. Combining various surfactants and co-solvents can be used to achieve skin penetration, purportedly resulting in therapeutically relevant concentrations of ASO in the viable epidermis and dermis [41]. In summary, it appears feasible to deliver ASO to the skin using a number of different delivery techniques and formulations. 

Results from in vitro experiments, catalytic properties, and tissue localization are all compatible with the role of SCCE in the degradation of intercellular cohesive structures in the stratum corneum as part of the events leading to remodeling of the tissue and eventually to desquamation. Increased expression of SCCE in the epidermis of transgenic mice leads to impaired barrier function with increased transepidermal water loss. The transgenic animals have a thickened epidermis and a marked hyperkeratosis, possibly reflecting compensatory reactions.47-48 There are also other proteases... 

The effect of a surfactant on skin depends on the type of surfactant as described earlier. Wilhelm et al. demonstrated the irritation potential of anionic surfactants.21 They evaluated the effects of sodium salts of n-alkyl sulfates with variable carbon chain length on TEWL and found that a C12 analog gave a maximum response. They suggested that the mechanisms responsible for the hydration of SC are related to the irritation properties of the surfactants. Leveque et al. also suggested22 that the hyperhydration of SC is consecutive to the inflammation process. They demonstrated that the increase of TEWL was induced by SDS without removal of SC lipids. SDS might influence not only SC barrier function, but also the nucleated layer of epidermis and dermal system associated with inflammation.23 Recently, no correlation was found between the level of epidermal hyperplasia and TEWL increase on the SDS-irritated skin.23 Further work would be needed to determine the effects of surfactants on skin. 

Katagiri, C., Sato, J., Nomura, J., and Denda, M. (2003) Changes in environmental humidity affect the water-holding property of the stratum corneum and its free amino acid content, and the expression of filaggrin in the epidermis of hairless mice. J. Dermatol. Sci. 31 29-35. 

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