Abstract
The effect of vitamin E on the modulation of keratinocytes was studied in rats. A 1% lauroylsarcosine (LS) ointment caused skin erythema with keratinocyte-damage. A 30% vitamin E ointment markedly alleviated this erythema and protected keratinocytes from cell damage. Vitamin E (100 μg/ml) was also effective on LS (7.5 μg/ml)-induced proliferative reduction of cultured keratinocytes. On the other hand, ointment containing superoxide dismutase (SOD) (99, 000 U/g) decreased the LS-induced erythema, suggesting that superoxide anion (02-) produced from keratinocytes play an important role in the skin irritation. Indeed, LS induced 02- production from cultured keratinocytes. The 02- was significantly reduced by vitamin E and SOD, although vitamin E had no effects on 02- production in a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system, unlike the effect observed with SOD. These results indicate that vitamin E is an inhibitor of keratinocyte-modulation.
