Broad specificity alkaline proteases efficiently reduce the visual scaling associated with soap-induced xerosis.

In xerotic skin, the proteolysis of desmosomes is reduced leading to the accumulation of corneocytes on the surface of the skin. The effect of proteases applied topically to soap-induced xerotic skin was evaluated using a five-point visual scale. The visual scaling associated with soap-induced xerosis could be ameliorated by the topical application of exogenous protease. Bovine pancreatic chymotrypsin, papain, and a bacterial protease from Bacillus licheniformis were all capable of facilitating the reduction in visual scaling in a short time. Alcalase and Optimase, both broad specificity alkaline bacterial proteases, were the most weight-efficient at delivering this clinical effect. The reduction in scaling could be achieved either by occluded application of an aqueous enzyme solution or by a two-step unoccluded application first of an aqueous enzyme solution followed by a commercial moisturizer. Morphological and immunological analysis of bacterial enzyme-treated skin revealed that topically applied protease specifically induced the degradation of the desmosomes thereby promoting desquamation. These results indicate that topical application of protease can significantly and rapidly reduce the visual scaling associated with soap-induced xerosis by promoting desmosome degradation within the corneocyte clumps.

Nanoscale imaging of molecular adsorption.

In situ atomic force microscope observations were made of the adsorption of anions (1- or 2-) of the organic diacid 5-benzoyl-4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzenesulfonic acid from aqueous solution onto the (0001) surface of hydrotalcite (HT), a layered clay. This adsorption process is believed to mimic the ion-exchange reactions that occur within the layers of HT and other layered clays. Atomic force microscope images of the (0001) surfaces of HT, acquired in aqueous solutions, reveal an ordered structure with respect to magnesium and aluminum atoms. In the presence of the anions, atomic force microscopy indicates pH-dependent adsorption onto the formally cationic HT surface. The anion coverage is governed by electroneutrality and steric interactions between the bulky anions within the adsorbed layer, whereas the orientation of the anions with respect to the HT surface is dictated by coulombic interactions and hydrogen bonding between the anion's sulfonate moiety and clay hydroxyl triads. These observations reveal that the reversible adsorption of molecular species can be examined directly by in situ atomic force microscopy, providing details of surface stoichiometry and adlayer symmetry on the local, molecular level.