2019 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 35-42
Lipids and lipoqualities are important for skin barrier function. In previous reports, repeated irritation by sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) was found to reduce epidermal barrier function and epidermal water content. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) can reveal not only the identity and localization of lipids in organs but also the distribution of administered drugs. Here, we attempted to visualize the distribution of SLS and changes in lipid composition in the epidermis of the skin. Initially, we histologically examined micro damage of the skin using trypan blue in the foot-pad of mice treated with SLS. Subsequently, we assessed the invasion of SLS and the effect of SLS on the lipid composition of the skin using IMS. We found that, relative to the foot-pad of mice treated with saline, the foot-pad of mice treated with SLS exhibited a significant change in m/z 817.71 associated with sphingomyelin despite the fact that no noticeable damage was observed in the layer structure dyed with trypan blue. Furthermore, we proved the penetration of SLS to the epidermis and dermis. The results suggest that SLS penetrates the skin tissue and alters the lipid composition on the skin surface.
