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Irritating effects of sodium lauryl sulfate on human primary keratinocytes at subtoxic levels of exposure
Author(s) -
Choi Hyeongwon,
Shin Min Kyung,
Ahn Hey Jin,
Lee Tae Ryong,
Son Youngsook,
Kim Kyung Sook
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.23143
Subject(s) - keratinocyte , chemistry , biophysics , toxicity , irritation , in vitro , viability assay , in vivo , pulmonary surfactant , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , immunology , biology , organic chemistry
Chemical agents that can potentially cause skin irritation are typically tested in animal models or in vitro assays of cell viability or cytokine expression. However, these methods do not always provide translatable results and are not sufficiently sensitive for subtoxicity detection. Here, we introduce the mechanical properties of keratinocytes as novel endpoints for the safety assessment of chemical agents at the subtoxicity level. Human primary keratinocytes were treated with various concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and their biological properties (proliferation, membrane integrity, inflammatory response, and morphology) were observed. Their biomechanical and geometrical parameters (stiffness and surface roughness) were also investigated by atomic force microscopy. Keratinocyte morphophysiological changes and inflammatory responses were significant at ≥25 μM SLS. The keratinocytes became less stiff due to changes in the distribution of F‐actin filaments and α‐tubulin; these changes were significant even at lower doses of SLS (≤10 μM). The morphophysiological changes of keratinocytes were clearly seen at a relatively high dose of SLS, while the mechanical properties of keratinocytes responded linearly to SLS at lower doses. Therefore, changes in mechanical properties can be used as new endpoints for in vitro toxicity testing with keratinocytes.