Effects of UVA (320-400 nm) on the barrier characteristics of the skin

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1523-1747.ep12471711· OSTI ID:5768103

McAuliffe, D J; Blank, I H ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (USA)

The stratum corneum serves as the major barrier to the entrance of most molecules into the skin. In the studies presented here, the effects of UVA radiation (320-400 nm) on the barrier capacity of human stratum corneum were examined. Penetration of a homologous series of primary alcohols through unirradiated (control) and UVA-irradiated (test) human epidermis was determined in vitro. Permeability constants, kp, were calculated. Mean ratios of permeability constants for UVA-irradiated and unirradiated epidermis (mean kp test)/(mean kp control) ranged from 2.3 to 3.0 for methanol and from 2.2 to 2.5 for ethanol. These mean ratios were determined using different pieces of epidermis from the same piece of skin for test and control samples. When kp control and kp test were determined on the same piece of epidermis on successive days, the ratios (kp test/kp control) were similar to the mean ratios determined on different pieces of epidermis. For other primary alcohols, propanol, butanol, hexanol, and heptanol, UVA radiation did not alter their permeability constants significantly. Partition coefficients, Km, were determined for ethanol and heptanol using UVA-irradiated and unirradiated stratum corneum. For ethanol, irradiation resulted in a 1.5 to 2.6 times increase in Km. For heptanol, irradiation caused no change in Km. These results demonstrate that the barrier capacity of stratum corneum for small, polar, primary alcohols is diminished (permeability increases) and for higher molecular weight less polar alcohols, is unaffected by small doses of UVA radiation. This increased permeability of small polar alcohols through human skin may be due to enhanced partitioning into UVA-irradiated stratum corneum, which was not apparent for a higher molecular weight less polar alcohol.

• OSTI ID: 5768103
• Journal Information: Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA) Vol. 96:5; ISSN 0022-202X; ISSN JIDEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
ALCOHOLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EPIDERMIS
EPITHELIUM
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MAN
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERMEABILITY
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SKIN
SKIN ABSORPTION
TISSUES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES