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Journal ArticleDOI

The skin: an indispensable barrier

Ehrhardt Proksch, +2 more
- 01 Dec 2008 - 
- Vol. 17, Iss: 12, pp 1063-1072
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TLDR
Changes in epidermal differentiation and lipid composition lead to a disturbed skin barrier, which allows the entry of environmental allergens, immunological reaction and inflammation in atopic dermatitis.
Abstract
The skin forms an effective barrier between the organism and the environment preventing invasion of pathogens and fending off chemical and physical assaults, as well as the unregulated loss of water and solutes In this review we provide an overview of several components of the physical barrier, explaining how barrier function is regulated and altered in dermatoses The physical barrier is mainly localized in the stratum corneum (SC) and consists of protein-enriched cells (corneocytes with cornified envelope and cytoskeletal elements, as well as corneodesmosomes) and lipid-enriched intercellular domains The nucleated epidermis also contributes to the barrier through tight, gap and adherens junctions, as well as through desmosomes and cytoskeletal elements During epidermal differentiation lipids are synthesized in the keratinocytes and extruded into the extracellular domains, where they form extracellular lipid-enriched layers The cornified cell envelope, a tough protein/lipid polymer structure, resides below the cytoplasmic membrane on the exterior of the corneocytes Ceramides A and B are covalently bound to cornified envelope proteins and form the backbone for the subsequent addition of free ceramides, free fatty acids and cholesterol in the SC Filaggrin is cross-linked to the cornified envelope and aggregates keratin filaments into macrofibrils Formation and maintenance of barrier function is influenced by cytokines, 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate and calcium Changes in epidermal differentiation and lipid composition lead to a disturbed skin barrier, which allows the entry of environmental allergens, immunological reaction and inflammation in atopic dermatitis A disturbed skin barrier is important for the pathogenesis of contact dermatitis, ichthyosis, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

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Multiphoton microscopy. a powerful tool in skin research and topical drug delivery science

TL;DR: A brief introduction to the technology is given, accompanied by examples of how the technique can be implemented within the field of skin research, and some future challenges of the technology are discussed, including label-free imaging, multimodal techniques, and quantitative imaging.
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Distribution of polyethylene glycol coated quantum dots in mice skin

TL;DR: The results obtained showed that the diffusion of QD in the dermis is limited by basement membrane and dense connective tissue fibres, which resulted in negligible QD penetration into the epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat glands, nerves and blood vessels.
Journal ArticleDOI

Enzymes involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to eicosanoids in the skin of atopic dogs.

TL;DR: Enzymes involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to eicosanoids in the skin of atopic dogs are studied.
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Minimally-invasive transepidermal potentiometry with microneedle salt bridge

TL;DR: It is shown that the device integrating two electrodes into a single compact probe was useful to evaluate the local barrier functions and their mapping on a skin and could be a personal diagnostic tool in the fields of medicine and cosmetics in future.
Journal Article

Induction of Oxidative Stress in Skin and Lung of Infected BALB/C Mice with Iranian Strain of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER).

TL;DR: The skin is more sensitive to the effects of L. major infection on oxidative stress induction compared to the lung, and the elevated DNA fragmentation may be related with increased oxidative stress.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

The cornified envelope: a model of cell death in the skin

TL;DR: New insights into the molecular mechanisms and the physiological endpoints of cornification are increasing the understanding of the pathological defects of this unique form of programmed cell death, which is associated with barrier malfunctions and ichthyosis.
Journal ArticleDOI

Claudin-based tight junctions are crucial for the mammalian epidermal barrier a lesson from claudin-1–deficient mice

TL;DR: Findings provide the first evidence that continuous claudin-based TJs occur in the epidermis and that these TJs are crucial for the barrier function of the mammalian skin.
Journal ArticleDOI

Claudins and epithelial paracellular transport.

TL;DR: Information is reviewed on the structure, function, and transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of the claudin family as well as of their evolutionarily distant relatives called the PMP22/EMP/MP20/claudin, or pfam00822, superfamily.
Journal ArticleDOI

Barrier Function of the Skin: “La Raison d'Être” of the Epidermis

TL;DR: More sophisticated understanding of epidermal barrier function will lead to more rational therapy of a host of skin conditions in which the barrier is impaired, current work has focused on developing a more physiologic mix of lipids for topical application to skin.
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Trending Questions (1)
How do skin be a physical barrier ?

The skin forms a physical barrier through components such as protein-enriched cells, lipid-enriched intercellular domains, and tight junctions, preventing the invasion of pathogens and the loss of water and solutes.