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Al-Rekabi Z, Rawlings AV, Lucas RA, Raj N, Clifford CA. Characterizing the nanomechanical properties of microcomedones after treatment with sodium salicylate ex vivo using atomic force microscopy. Int J Cosmet Sci 2021; 43:610-618. [PMID: 34338343 DOI: 10.1111/ics.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The treatment of acne presents a major clinical and dermatological challenge. Investigating the nanomechanical properties of the microcomedone precursor lesions using atomic force microscopy (AFM) may prove beneficial in understanding their softening, dissolution and prevention. Although the exact biochemical mechanism of NaSal on microcomedones is not fully understood at present, it appears to exhibit a significant exfoliation effect on the skin via corneodesmosome dissolution. METHODS Therefore, to support this exploration, sodium salicylate (NaSal), a common ingredient employed in skin care products, is applied ex vivo to microcomedones,collected by nose strip adhesive tape, and their nanomechanical properties are assessed using AFM. Although the exact biochemical mechanism of NaSal on microcomedones is not fully understood at present, it appears to exhibit a significant exfoliation effect on the skin via corneodesmosome dissolution. RESULTS Herein, our findings demonstrate that when microcomedones are treated with 2% NaSal, samples appeared significantly more compliant ('softer') ((1.3 ± 0.62) MPa) when compared to their pre-treated measurements ((7.2 ± 3.6) MPa; p = 0.038). Furthermore, elastic modulus maps showed that after 2% NaSal treatment, areas in the microcomedone appeared softer and swollen in some, but not in all areas, further proving the valuable impact of 2% NaSal solution in altering the biomechanical properties and morphologies in microcomedones. CONCLUSION Our results are the first of their kind to provide qualitative and quantitative mechanobiological evidence that 2% NaSal decreases the elastic modulus of microcomedones. Therefore, this study provides evidence that NaSal can be beneficial as an active ingredient in topical treatments aimed at targeting microcomedones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Al-Rekabi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK
| | | | | | - Nidhin Raj
- GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Weybridge, UK
| | - Charles A Clifford
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK
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Évora AS, Adams MJ, Johnson SA, Zhang Z. Corneocytes: Relationship between Structural and Biomechanical Properties. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2021; 34:146-161. [PMID: 33780956 DOI: 10.1159/000513054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skin is the interface between an organism and the external environment, and hence the stratum corneum (SC) is the first to withstand mechanical insults that, in certain conditions, may lead to integrity loss and the development of pressure ulcers. The SC comprises corneocytes, which are vital elements to its barrier function. These cells are differentiated dead keratinocytes, without organelles, composed of a cornified envelope and a keratin-filled interior, and connected by corneodesmosomes (CDs). SUMMARY The current review focusses on the relationship between the morphological, structural, and topographical features of corneocytes and their mechanical properties, to understand how they assist the SC in maintaining skin integrity and in responding to mechanical insults. Key Messages: Corneocytes create distinct regions in the SC: the inner SC is characterized by immature cells with a fragile cornified envelope and a uniform distribution of CDs; the upper SC has resilient cornified envelopes and a honeycomb distribution of CDs, with a greater surface area and a smaller thickness than cells from the inner layer. The literature indicates that this upward maturation process is one of the most important steps in the mechanical resistance and barrier function of the SC. The morphology of these cells is dependent on the body site: the surface area in non-exposed skin is about 1,000-1,200 μm2, while for exposed skin, for example, the cheek and forehead, is about 700-800 μm2. Corneocytes are stiff cells compared to other cellular types, for example, the Young's modulus of muscle and fibroblast cells is typically a few kPa, while that of corneocytes is reported to be about hundreds of MPa. Moreover, these skin cells have 2 distinct mechanical regions: the cornified envelope (100-250 MPa) and the keratin matrix (250-500 MPa).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S Évora
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Adams
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon A Johnson
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Zhibing Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Soriano JL, Calpena AC, Rodríguez-Lagunas MJ, Domènech Ò, Bozal-de Febrer N, Garduño-Ramírez ML, Clares B. Endogenous Antioxidant Cocktail Loaded Hydrogel for Topical Wound Healing of Burns. Pharmaceutics 2020; 13:pharmaceutics13010008. [PMID: 33375069 PMCID: PMC7822007 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this work is the study of the skin wound healing efficacy of an antioxidant cocktail consisting of vitamins A, D, E and the endogenous pineal hormone melatonin (MLT), with all of these loaded into a thermosensitive hydrogel delivery system. The resulting formulation was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The antioxidant efficacy and microbiological activity against Gram positive and Gram negative strains were also assayed. The skin healing efficacy was tested using an in vivo model which included histological evaluation. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy was employed to evaluate the wound healing efficacy of rat skin burns through the determination of its elasticity at the nanoscale using force spectroscopy analysis. The resulting hydrogel exhibited sol state at low temperature and turned into a gel at 30 ± 0.2 °C. The hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail showed higher scavenging activity than the hydrogel containing vitamins or MLT, separately. The formulation showed optimal antimicrobial activity. It was comparable to a commercial reference. It was also evidenced that the hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail exhibited the strongest healing process in the skin burns of rats, similar to the assayed commercial reference containing silver sulfadiazine. Histological studies confirmed the observed results. Finally, atomic force microscopy demonstrated a similar distribution of Young's modulus values between burned skin treated with the commercial reference and burned skin treated with hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail, and all these with healthy skin. The use of an antioxidant cocktail of vitamins and MLT might be a promising treatment for skin wounds for future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Soriano
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Ana C. Calpena
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.C.C.); (B.C.); Tel.: +34-934-024-560 (A.C.C.); +34-958-246-664 (B.C.)
| | - María J. Rodríguez-Lagunas
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA-UB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Òscar Domènech
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Bozal-de Febrer
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 27-31 Joan XXIII Ave., 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - María L. Garduño-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad No. 1001, Col Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Mexico;
| | - Beatriz Clares
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Biosanitary Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), 18012 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.C.C.); (B.C.); Tel.: +34-934-024-560 (A.C.C.); +34-958-246-664 (B.C.)
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Mogha P, Srivastava A, Kumar S, Das S, Kureel S, Dwivedi A, Karulkar A, Jain N, Sawant A, Nayak C, Majumder A, Purwar R. Hydrogel scaffold with substrate elasticity mimicking physiological-niche promotes proliferation of functional keratinocytes. RSC Adv 2019; 9:10174-10183. [PMID: 31304009 PMCID: PMC6592153 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00781d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
High numbers of autologous human primary keratinocytes (HPKs) are required for patients with burns, wounds and for gene therapy of skin disorders. Although freshly isolated HPKs exhibit a robust regenerative capacity, traditional methodology fails to provide a sufficient number of cells. Here we demonstrated a well characterized, non-cytotoxic and inert hydrogel as a substrate that mimics skin elasticity, which can accelerate proliferation and generate higher numbers of HPKs compared to existing tissue culture plastic (TCP) dishes. More importantly, this novel method was independent of feeder layer or any exogenous pharmaceutical drug. The HPKs from the hydrogel-substrate were functional as demonstrated by wound-healing assay, and the expression of IFN-γ-responsive genes (CXCL10, HLADR). Importantly, gene delivery efficiency by a lentiviral based delivery system was significantly higher in HPKs cultured on hydrogels compared with TCP. In conclusion, our study provides the first evidence that cell-material mechanical interaction is enough to provide a rapid expansion of functional keratinocytes that might be used as autologous grafts for skin disorders. High numbers of autologous human primary keratinocytes (HPKs) are required for patients with burns, wounds and for gene therapy of skin disorders.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Mogha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Ankita Srivastava
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Sushant Kumar
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Sreya Das
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Sanjay Kureel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Alka Dwivedi
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Atharva Karulkar
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Nikita Jain
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Abhijeet Sawant
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Topiwala National Medical College & B. Y. L. Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400008, India
| | - Chitra Nayak
- Department of Dermatology, B. Y. L Nair Ch. Hospital & T. N. Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400008, India
| | - Abhijit Majumder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
| | - Rahul Purwar
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India.
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High-resolution high-speed dynamic mechanical spectroscopy of cells and other soft materials with the help of atomic force microscopy. Sci Rep 2015. [PMID: 26218346 PMCID: PMC4649865 DOI: 10.1038/srep12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS), which allows measuring frequency-dependent viscoelastic properties, is important to study soft materials, tissues, biomaterials, polymers. However, the existing DMS techniques (nanoindentation) have limited resolution when used on soft materials, preventing them from being used to study mechanics at the nanoscale. The nanoindenters are not capable of measuring cells, nanointerfaces of composite materials. Here we present a highly accurate DMS modality, which is a combination of three different methods: quantitative nanoindentation (nanoDMA), gentle force and fast response of atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform (FT) spectroscopy. This new spectroscopy (which we suggest to call FT-nanoDMA) is fast and sensitive enough to allow DMS imaging of nanointerfaces, single cells, while attaining about 100x improvements on polymers in both spatial (to 10–70 nm) and temporal resolution (to 0.7s/pixel) compared to the current art. Multiple frequencies are measured simultaneously. The use of 10 frequencies are demonstrated here (up to 300 Hz which is a rather relevant range for biological materials and polymers, in both ambient conditions and liquid). The method is quantitatively verified on known polymers and demonstrated on cells and polymers blends. Analysis shows that FT-nanoDMA is highly quantitative. The FT-nanoDMA spectroscopy can easily be implemented in the existing AFMs.
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