Abstract
Proper skin barrier function is paramount for our survival, and, suffering injury, there is an acute need to restore the lost barrier and prevent development of a chronic wound. We hypothesize that rapid wound closure is more important than immediate perfection of the barrier, whereas specific treatment may facilitate perfection. The aim of the current project was therefore to evaluate the quality of restored tissue down to the molecular level. We used Göttingen minipigs with a multi-technique approach correlating wound healing progression in vivo over three weeks, monitored by classical methods (e.g., histology, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), pH) and subsequent physicochemical characterization of barrier recovery (i.e., small and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (SWAXD), polarization transfer solid-state NMR (PTssNMR), dynamic vapor sorption (DVS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)), providing a unique insight into molecular aspects of healing. We conclude that although acute wounds sealed within two weeks as expected, molecular investigation of stratum corneum (SC) revealed a poorly developed keratin organization and deviations in lipid lamellae formation. A higher lipid fluidity was also observed in regenerated tissue. This may have been due to incomplete lipid conversion during barrier recovery as glycosphingolipids, normally not present in SC, were indicated by infrared FTIR spectroscopy. Evidently, a molecular approach to skin barrier recovery could be a valuable tool in future development of products targeting wound healing.
Highlights
Skin is one of the largest organs in terrestrial life, comprising an essential barrier towards the external harsh environment and being paramount for our survival
A comparative analysis in terms of skin barrier recovery at the molecular level concerning stratum corneum (SC) molecular dynamics, lipid composition, and lipid–protein structural organization was made with the long-term aim of obtaining a better understanding of the mechanism behind wound healing and how it can be affected to promote and perfectionate tissue recovery
We present the data obtained in vivo in real time during wound healing progression, and the data obtained on ex vivo post-healing excised tissue are described
Summary
Skin is one of the largest organs in terrestrial life, comprising an essential barrier towards the external harsh environment and being paramount for our survival It has numerous vital functions, where perhaps the most important is to maintain body homeostasis, and among others preventing excessive water loss [1,2,3]. Formation of the barrier begins deepest layer of the epidermis where keratinocytes in SB proliferate and gradually migrate through SS and SG [6,7]. During their migration, the cells flatten, anucleate, and adopt the typical size and shape of corneocytes when they reach SC, and they are expelled valuable support for future considerations in the development ofthe new supplements that from the skin surface by desquamation
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