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Solubilization of model stratum corneum liposomes by quaternary ammonium surfactants
Author(s) -
Maza A.,
Coderch L.,
Lopez O.,
Gonzalez P.,
Baucells J.,
Parra J. L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of surfactants and detergents
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.349
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1558-9293
pISSN - 1097-3958
DOI - 10.1007/s11743-998-0047-x
Subject(s) - chemistry , pulmonary surfactant , liposome , critical micelle concentration , micelle , chromatography , stratum corneum , phosphatidylcholine , bilayer , alkyl , ammonium , lipid bilayer , aqueous solution , membrane , organic chemistry , phospholipid , biochemistry , medicine , pathology
The solubilizing interactions of a series of quaternary ammonium surfactants [alkyl chain lengths C‐12 (DoTAB), C‐14 (TeTAB), and C‐16 (HeTAB)] with liposomes formed by a mixture of lipids modeling the stratum corneum (SC) lipid composition (40% ceramides, 25% cholesterol, 25% palmitic acid, and 10% of cholesteryl sulfate) were investigated. Surfactant/lipid molar ratios ( Re ) and bilayer/aqueous phase partition coefficients ( K ) were determined by monitoring changes in static light scattering of the system during solubilization. Free surfactant concentration was always similar to the critical micelle concentration (CMC). A general assumption for phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes suggests that the free surfactant concentration must reach CMC for solubilization to occur. This assumption can be applied to SC liposomes in this study, and indicates that liposome solubilization was mainly driven by mixed micelle formation. The Re and K parameters fell as the surfactant alkyl chain length decreased or CMC increased. Thus, a higher CMC corrsponds to an increased ability of these surfactants to saturate or solubilize SC liposomes and to a lower degree of partitioning into liposomes or affinity with these bilayer structures. The overall balance of these opposing tendencies shows that TeTAB had the highest effectiveness with respect to the saturation and solubilization of SC structures in terms of total surfactant needed to produce these effects. Different trends in surfactant interaction with SC liposomes were observed when comparing Re and K parameters with those for PC liposomes. Because SC liposomes were more resistant to the surfactant action, the affinity of surfactants with these bilayer structures was higher in all cases.