title: Improvement by sodium dl-α-tocopheryl-6-O-phosphate treatment of moisture-retaining ability in stratum corneum through increased ceramide levels.
abstract: Sodium dl-α-tocopheryl-6-O-phosphate (1), a water-soluble derivative of vitamin E (dl-α-tocopherol, 2), exhibits protective effects against various type of skin damage. As reported herein, we found that topical application of 1 improves hygroscopicity and water holding capacity in the stratum corneum of hairless mice in vivo by increasing the ceramide content. In normal human epidermal keratinocytes, treatment with 1 increases ceramide levels and enhances gene expression of serine palmitoyltransferase, which catalyzes the first step of ceramide synthesis in vitro. In addition, 1 increases gene expressions of differentiation markers (transglutaminase 1, cytokeratin 10, involucrin and loricrin), and intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. These results suggest that 1 could be an excellent agent for improving skin moisture-retention by enhancing ceramide synthesis through the induction of differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002518:Ceramides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051049:Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D051049:Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D002118:Calcium