title: A proton NMR study on the hydration of normal versus psoriatic stratum corneum: linking distinguishable reservoirs to anatomical structures.
abstract: The NMR behaviour of normal and psoriatic stratum corneum (SC) was investigated as a function of hydration with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of the role of water in the SC structure. Time domain NMR techniques were employed to identify the signal from water and that from nonaqueous components of the SC, such as lipids and proteins. The signals were investigated as a function of water content. The free induction decay was separated into mobile signal (from water and mobile lipids) and solid signal (from protein and 'solid' lipids). Spin-spin relaxation (T(2)) measurements further separated the mobile domains within the SC. The results suggested that, when water is added to dry SC, it first enters the corneocytes; then, at a hydration of 0.24-0.33 g H(2)O/g SC (normal SC) or 0.12-0.24 g H(2)O/g SC (psoriatic SC), water begins to accumulate in hydrated lipid regions. Water was found to exchange between these two domains on the time scale of a few hundred milliseconds. When compared with normal SC, psoriatic SC had a looser corneocyte structure, a larger mobile lipid component at low hydration and a smaller capacity for corneocyte water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. claule@physics.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laule
authors.forename: Sumia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Charmaine L L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: Irene M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Vavasour
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitson
authors.forename: Alex L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: MacKay
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011522:Protons; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D013113:Spin Labels; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D013113:Spin Labels; D014867:Water