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Depilatory chemical thioglycolate affects hair cuticle and cortex, degrades epidermal cornified envelopes and induces proliferation and differentiation responses in keratinocytes

Duit, Rebecca; Hawkins, Tim J.; Määttä, Arto

Depilatory chemical thioglycolate affects hair cuticle and cortex, degrades epidermal cornified envelopes and induces proliferation and differentiation responses in keratinocytes Thumbnail


Authors

Rebecca Duit



Abstract

Thioglycolate is a potent depilatory agent. In addition, it has been proposed to be useful as a penetration enhancer for transepidermal drug delivery. However, the effects on hair structure and stress responses it elicits in epidermal keratinocytes have not been fully characterized. We have used label‐free confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging supported by electron microscopy to demonstrate how thioglycolate damages hair cuticle cells by generating breakages along the endocuticle and leading to swelling of cortex cells. Maleimide staining of free SH‐groups and a decrease in the average fluorescence lifetime of endogenous fluorophores demonstrate a specific change in protein structure in both hair cuticle and cortex. We found that the thioglycolate damages cornified envelopes isolated from the stratum corneum of the epidermis. However, thioglycolate‐treated epidermal equivalent cultures recover within 48 hours, which highlights the reversibility of the damage. HaCaT keratinocytes respond to thioglycolate by increased proliferation, onset of differentiation and expression of the chaperone protein Hsp 70, but not Hsp 27. Up‐regulation of involucrin can be blocked by an application of c‐Jun N–terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, but the up‐regulation of Hsp 70 takes place regardless of the presence of the JNK inhibitor.

Citation

Duit, R., Hawkins, T. J., & Määttä, A. (2019). Depilatory chemical thioglycolate affects hair cuticle and cortex, degrades epidermal cornified envelopes and induces proliferation and differentiation responses in keratinocytes. Experimental Dermatology, 28(1), 76-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13838

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 5, 2018
Online Publication Date Nov 11, 2018
Publication Date Jan 31, 2019
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2018
Publicly Available Date Nov 11, 2019
Journal Experimental Dermatology
Print ISSN 0906-6705
Electronic ISSN 1600-0625
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 28
Issue 1
Pages 76-79
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13838

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Accepted Journal Article (546 Kb)
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Copyright Statement
This is the accepted version of the following article: Duit, Rebecca, Hawkins, Tim J. & Määttä, Arto (2019). Depilatory chemical thioglycolate affects hair cuticle and cortex, degrades epidermal cornified envelopes and induces proliferation and differentiation responses in keratinocytes. Experimental Dermatology 28(1): 76-79 which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13838. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.





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