Feasibility of rapid quantitation of stratum corneum lipid content by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Jui-Chen Tsai,Ching-Yu Lin,Yu-Li Lo,Hamm-Ming Sheu,Jui-Che Lin

doi:10.1155/2004/401015

Jui-Chen Tsai, Ching-Yu Lin + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2004/401015

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Abstract

The permeability barrier of skin resides in the stratum corneum, and its properties are mediated by a series of lipid multilayers, enriched in ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids, segregated within the stratum corneum (SC) interstices. SC lipid content is usually determined by gravimetric methods in conjunction with high performance thin layer chromatography, but these methods are time‒consuming and involve hazardous solvents. The objective of the present study was to develop a method of measuring SC lipid content by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) that is fast and requires no solvents. The IR spectra of isolated porcine SC sheets were recorded using a FTIR spectrometer. SC lipid content was determined by gravimetric methods using chloroform–methanol extraction. The peak area of both the CH2symmetric (2850 cm−1) and asymmetric (2920 cm−1) stretching bands in the IR spectra of progressively solvent‒extracted porcine SC sheets decreased with increasing amount of SC lipids removed. When spectral analysis was performed by curve‒fitting using GRAMS/32 software between 3000 to 2800 cm−1, peak area ratios of CH2to CH3asymmetric stretching bands in the IR spectra of 46 isolated porcine SC samples were correlated to SC lipid content (R2=0.90), with the standard error of measurement of 1.91%. The study demonstrated the feasibility of using FTIR technique to rapidly and accurately measure SC lipid content.

Highlights

Stratum corneum (SC), the outermost layer of the skin, serves as a barrier to both water loss and to penetration of exogenous substances [1,2]
Various studies have indicated that SC lipid content is defective in certain physiologic and pathologic states that are accompanied by compromised barrier function, such as due to essential fatty acid deficiency, psoriasis, ichthyoses, atopic dermatitis, UV irradiation, topical corticosteroid treatment and for the premature newborn, etc. [4,5,6,7,8,9]
Tsai et al / Feasibility of rapid quantitation of stratum corneum lipid content determined by gravimetric measurement and high performance thin layer chromatography following organic solvent extractions [8,10]

Summary

Introduction

Stratum corneum (SC), the outermost layer of the skin, serves as a barrier to both water loss and to penetration of exogenous substances [1,2] Such barrier properties are mediated by a series of lipid multilayers, enriched in ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids, segregated within the SC interstices [3]. Tsai et al / Feasibility of rapid quantitation of stratum corneum lipid content determined by gravimetric measurement and high performance thin layer chromatography following organic solvent extractions [8,10]. These procedures are time-consuming, are rather tedious to carry out, and involve hazardous solvents

Objectives

Methods

Results