Sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol effectively induces epidermal ornithine decarboxylase but only weak hyperplasia in mouse skin.

Abstract

The abilities of sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol (sn-1,2-DDG) to induce epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and epidermal hyperplasia were tested using SENCAR, DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice. Following a single application of 5000 nmol of sn-1,2-DDG, ODC activity reached a maximum at 4 h after treatment with a peak activity of 6.03 nmol CO2/mg protein/60 min in C57BL/6, 1.50 in SENCAR and 0.73 in DBA/2, respectively. The time course and magnitude for induction of ODC activity after multiple treatments was very similar to that after a single application in these three mouse lines. Interestingly, the induced ODC activity in C57BL/6 was always higher than that in SENCAR and DBA/2 mouse epidermis regardless of the treatment protocol. Induction of hyperplasia and dark basal keratinocytes (DCs) and changes in the labeling index (LI) of basal keratinocytes in DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice following treatment with sn-1,2-DDG were investigated. Multiple treatments (twice weekly for 2 weeks) of 5000 nmol sn-1,2-DDG did not induce substantial increases in epidermal thickness or DCs 24 or 48 h after the last treatment. In contrast, TPA induced a marked increase in epidermal thickness in DBA/2 rather than C57BL/6 and a considerably higher induction of DCs in DBA/2 (37.3 +/- 2.2%) than in C57BL/6 (9.6 +/- 2.5%) 48 h after the last treatment. The LIs after topical application of sn-1,2-DDG were elevated at 24 h, but returned to basal levels by 48 h in both strains, whereas TPA treatment significantly elevated the LI in both strains at 48 h after the last application. In addition, the effects of various doses and frequencies of application of sn-1,2-DDG were investigated using SENCAR mice. High doses (20,000 nmol) or more frequent applications (5000 nmol once daily for 7 days) of sn-1,2-DDG still produced only weak hyperplasia. These results suggest that the induction of epidermal ODC activity can be dissociated from the induction of epidermal hyperplasia and may provide an explanation for the lack of complete promoting activity presently observed with membrane permeable diacylglycerol derivatives.