The penetration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species across the stratum corneum

Abstract

The penetration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) across the stratum corneum (SC) is a necessary and crucial process in many skin-related plasma medical applications. To gain more insights into this penetration behavior, we combined experimental measurements of the permeability of dry and moist SC layers with computer simulations of model lipid membranes. We measured the permeation of relatively stable molecules, which are typically generated by plasma, namely H 2 O 2 , NO 3 − , and NO 2 −. Furthermore, we calculated the permeation free energy profiles of the major plasma-generated RONS and their derivatives (i.e., H 2 O 2 , OH, HO 2 , O 2 , O 3 , NO, NO 2 , N 2 O 4 , HNO 2 , HNO 3 , NO 2 − , and NO 3 −) across native and oxidized SC lipid bilayers, to understand the mechanisms of RONS permeation across the SC. Our results indicate that hydrophobic RONS (i.e., NO, NO 2 , O 2 , O 3 , and N 2 O 4) can translocate more easily across the SC lipid bilayer than hydrophilic RONS (i.e., H 2 O 2 , OH, HO 2 , HNO 2 , and HNO 3) and ions (i.e., NO 2 − and NO 3 −) that experience much higher permeation barriers. The permeability of RONS through the SC skin lipids is enhanced when the skin is moist and the lipids are oxidized. These findings may help to understand the underlying mechanisms of plasma interaction with a biomaterial and to optimize the environmental parameters in practice in plasma medical applications.

Carotenoids in Human Skin In Vivo: Antioxidant and Photo-Protectant Role against External and Internal Stressors

“…Most of the oxygen that is consumed by cellular mitochondria in the multistep processes of oxidative phosphorylation is converted into water, while a small fraction can diffuse out of the respiratory chain as ROS and RNS. ROS and RNS are able to permeate stratum corneum (SC) [ 10 ].…”

Sustainable Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Activated Carbon using Plasma Technology

“…[31,50] These RONS are capable of displaying strong oxidative properties, which could lead to a cancer risk in human tissues when utilizing the plasma for a long time period. [112] However, the existing lifetime of these radical species is very short. Since these reactive species bare an unstable/odd electron structure, they convert to neutral species by paring with other species within nano to milli seconds (1 0 À 9 to 10 À 3 s).…”

Plasma-assisted agriculture: history, presence, and prospects—a review

“…This indicates that the plasma treatment of seed surfaces triggers a reaction in the seed bulk, further confirming the ability of RONS (in synergy with EM field, photons, etc.) to penetrate organic living matter [334]. Moreover, it possibly triggers a chain of extended biochemical reactions.…”