Skin Barrier Function Evaluated by Transepidermal Water Loss and Vascular Response to Percutaneous Absorption of Methyl Nicotinate

Lee, Jeong Woo; Jun, Jae Bok; Kim, Do Won; Chung, Sang Lip

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The measurement of transepidermal water loss(TEWL) is widely used in evaluating the stratum corneum barrier function. It is also possible to evaluate the penetration of substances into the skin as an additional parameter of the straturn corneum barrier function.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study is to investigate ihe relationship between TEWL and the percutaneous absorptic n of methyl nicotinate(MN) in the normal and acute perturbative state of the epidermal barrier. METHOD: Vascular response 10 MN penetration were rneasured by both laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and visual erythema oii the forearms of 30 healthy volunteers. Stratum corneum of the ar ea of 2x10cm on the volar for earm was removed by repeated tape stripping when TEWL reached 12-30g/rnh measured with Evaporimeter. The left forearm received no treatrnent as a control site. Each time the profile of the vascular response to MN penetration was analysed using the following parameters:the 1ag-time between MN application and initial response(T0), the time between MN application and maximal response(T(max)), and the rnaximal response(LDF), the time between MN application and initial visual erythema(VT0), and the time between MN application and maxirnum visual erythema(VT(max)).
RESULTS
The data showed a negative correlation between TEWL and T0(r=-12.89, p<0.001), TEWL and Tmax=(r=-14.87, p<0.001), and TEWL and VT0(r= -3.99, p<0.001), TEWL and VTmax(r = -9.29, p<0.001). And there was a positive correlation between VT0 and T0(r=1.19, p<0.001), and between VTmax and Tmax(r=1.05, p<0.001). However, there was no detectable correlation between TEWL and LDFmax(p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Vascular response to percutaneous absorption of MN measured by LDF as well as TEWL is a useful non-invasiv method for objective evaluation of the stratum corneum barrier function. In addition, visual erythema induced by topical vasodilators such as MN is also a good method for skin barrier function assessment.