title: Application of glucosylceramide-based liposomes increased the ceramide content in a three-dimensional cultured skin epidermis.
abstract: Ceramide is an intercellular lipid of the stratum corneum and is one of the most important components of the epidermal permeability barrier. Glucosylceramide (GlcCer), a ceramide precursor, was applied to three-dimensional skin culture to regulate ceramide. GlcCer/dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) = 4/4 (molar ratio and GlcCer/DMPC/dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) = 4/4/1(molar ratio) liposomes were prepared by the thin-layer method. The particle diameters of GlcCer/DMPC and GlcCer/DMPC/DMPG liposomes were 124.0 ± 0.6 and 119.3 ± 18.9 nm, and the zeta potentials were 1.3 ± 0.3 and -19.9 ± 0.3 mV, respectively. Stability of these GlcCer liposomes was measured by transmission light scattering. Transmission light scattering of neutrally charged GlcCer (GlcCer/DMPC) liposomes increased in a time dependent manner. In contrast, negatively charged GlcCer (GlcCer/DMPC/DMPG) liposomes were not changed. β-Glucocerebrosidase activity was measured in a cultured human skin model. Results confirmed that the cultured human skin model has β-glucocerebrosidase activity. GlcCer/DMPC/DMPG liposomes were applied to the three-dimensional cultured human skin model, and ceramide NS, NP, AS, and AP were extracted from it. The various extracted ceramides were separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and quantified by a densitometer. The amount of ceramide AS only in the cultured skin model was significantly higher with the application of GlcCer-based liposomes than that of the nonapplication group, and was also dose dependent. Thus, GlcCer-based liposomes are useful for enriching the ceramide AS levels in a three-dimensional cultured skin model.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Sakado, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokudome
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism*; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005962:Glucosylceramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005963:Glucosylceramides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D010316:Particle Size; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000737:chemistry; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D005963:Glucosylceramides; D008081:Liposomes; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; C002773:dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol; D005962:Glucosylceramidase; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine