title: Ultrastructural localization and chemical binding of silver ions in human organotypic skin cultures.
abstract: Organotypic cultures of human breast skin incubated with silver bandage or treated with silver sulfadiazine accumulated silver in epithelial cells and in macrophages, fibroblasts and collagen fibrils and fibres of underlying connective tissue. Ultrastructurally, the accumulated silver was found in lysosome-like vesicles of the different cells and evenly spread along collagen structures. Apoptotic nuclei were present but few. Autometallographic amplification of 2D-PAGE gels revealed that glutathione S-transferase and glutathion detoxify silver ions in the epidermal cell by binding them in silver-sulphur nanocrystals. Thus, the cytotoxic effect of silver ions seems to be muted by silver ions by being: (1) taken up by undamaged cells, neutralised by glutathione (GSH) and accumulated in lysosomal vesicles, (2) bound extracellularly to SH-groups of the collagen fibres.
authors.affiliation: Wound & Skin Care, Cell Group, Coloplast, Bakkegaardsvej 406A, 3050, Humlebaek, Denmark. dkskn@coloplast.com
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ifversen
authors.forename: Gorm
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Danscher
mesh_terms: D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent; D012834:Silver; D003094:Collagen; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine