Interactions between a skin penetration enhancer and the main components of human stratum corneum lipids: Isothermal titration calorimetry study

Abstract

The study employed isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) technique to investigate the interactions between a skin penetration enhancer, laurocapram, and three representatives of the human stratum corneum (SC) intercellular lipids, i.e., ceramide-3, cholesterol and behenic acid. Experiments were performed using a TAM2277 (Thermometric AB, Sweden) calorimeter. Results showed that, firstly, two laurocapram molecules were bound to one ceramide-3 molecule in propylene glycol solution. The binding was enthalpy-driven and system entropy decreased after binding. Secondly, the binding ratio between cholesterol and laurocapram molecule was one to one. It was mainly an entropy-driven process, suggesting the ordered cholesterol molecules in SC lamella were disturbed by the introduction of laurocapram. Hydrogen bonding might be the main force of the binding. The three different interaction modes showed that the chemical enhancers selectively interacted with the components of SC lipids so that the SC can still retain its barrier function. © 2006 Akadémiai Kiadó.