A Lipid Mixture Enriched by Ceramide NP with Fatty Acids of Diverse Chain Lengths Contributes to Restore the Skin Barrier Function Impaired by Topical Corticosteroid

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The stratum corneum (SC) is a skin barrier that consists of corneocytes, intercellular lipids, and corneodesmosomes. Ceramides are composed of sphingoid bases linked with various types of fatty acids (FAs), and they are an essential constituent of SC intercellular lipids. Among their subtypes, ceramide NP with a phytosphingosine base is especially important. Most of the previous studies on barrier recovery have focused on a specific ceramide with a single chain FA, not with diverse chain lengths. Skin barrier function is impaired by various factors, including topical corticosteroid. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> We evaluated whether a lipid mixture enriched by ceramide NP with FAs of diverse chain lengths (CER [NP]*) can restore the skin barrier function impaired by topical corticosteroid. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Twenty-seven healthy adult male volunteers were recruited. Topical corticosteroid was applied on both volar forearms of volunteers. Then, the test cream containing a lipid mixture with CER (NP)* was applied on the left forearm, and a vehicle cream without a lipid mixture was applied on the right forearm of each subject. The functional parameters of the skin barrier were compared before and after the treatment. Epidermal differentiation markers, hyaluronic acid synthase 3 (HAS3), cytokine levels, and the lipid profiles in the SC were analyzed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The functional parameters of the skin barrier, such as barrier recovery rate, SC integrity, and SC hydration were significantly improved in the test cream-applied site compared to the vehicle cream-applied sites. Filaggrin and HAS3 levels were significantly higher in the sites applied with the test cream. Interleukin (IL)-1α levels were also significantly increased in these sites. IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13 levels were significantly decreased in the test cream-applied sites. Lipid analyses showed that C18, C20, and total ceramide NP levels significantly increased in the sites where the test cream was applied. Also, C16, C18, C20, C24, and total ceramide NP levels were significantly elevated in the test cream-applied sites after acute barrier disruption. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our results demonstrate that a lipid mixture enriched by CER (NP)* could recover the barrier function impaired by topical corticosteroid.

Ceramide NPs derived from natural oils of Korean traditional plants enhance skin barrier functions and stimulate expressions of genes for epidermal homeostasis

“…al. published an article concerning epidermal barrier functions of ceramide NP having various lengths of fatty acids 41 . The results were consistent with ours with respect of stimulating barrier recovery rate and strengthening SC integrity.…”

“…al. published an article concerning epidermal barrier functions of ceramide NP having various lengths of fatty acids 41.…”

Side‐by‐Side Comparative Study of a Moisturizer and Topical Tacrolimus for Treating Mild to Moderate Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Single‐Blinded Clinical Trial

“…Most previous research study on skin barrier recovery has been conducted on a particular ceramide with a singlechain FA. However, interest in diverse chain lengths has increased recently [37,38]. Te use of a lipid mixture enriched with ceramide NP and FAs of diverse chain lengths improved the recovery rate of the damaged SC and enhanced skin hydration better than a single C18ceramide NP [37,38].…”

Association of Epidermal Biophysical Properties with Obesity and Its Implications

“…The proportion of ceramide 3 in the stratum corneum was 7% lower in individuals with obesity than in normal controls [22]. Accordingly, topical applications of a ceramide 3-containing product lowered TEWL [31, 32]. Moreover, BMI correlated negatively with the content of epidermal fatty acids (Pearson r = −0.629, p < 0.01) and cholesterol (Pearson r = −0.607, p < 0.01) in individuals with BMI of 20–35 [33], and both compounds are crucial for epidermal permeability barrier function [34–36].…”

“…Previous studies demonstrated that stratum corneum hydration levels correlated negatively with TNF-α levels in the stratum corneum, while TNF-α levels were higher in individuals with obesity than those without obesity [22]. Moreover, individuals with obesity had lower levels of ceramide 3 in the stratum corneum compared to the normal-weight controls [22], while topical treatments of the skin with ceramide 3-containing products increased stratum corneum hydration levels [31, 32], suggesting reduced ceramide 3 content could account for the low stratum corneum hydration in individuals with obesity. In addition, aquaporin-3, a glycerol transporter, regulates stratum corneum hydration.…”