Effects of topical application of aqueous solutions of hexoses on epidermal permeability barrier recovery rate after barrier disruption

Previous studies have suggested that hexose molecules influence the stability of phospholipid bilayers. Therefore, the effects of topical application of all 12 stereoisomers of dextro-hexose on the epidermal barrier recovery rate after barrier disruption were evaluated. Immediately after tape stripping, 0.1 m aqueous solution of each hexose was applied on hairless mouse skin. Among the eight dextro-aldohexoses, topical application of altose, idose, mannose and talose accelerated the barrier recovery, while allose, galactose, glucose and gulose had no effect. Among the four dextro-ketohexoses, psicose, fructose, sorbose and tagatose all accelerated the barrier recovery. As the effects of hexoses on the barrier recovery rate appeared within 1 h, the mechanism is unlikely to be genomic. Instead, these hexoses may influence phase transition of the lipid bilayers of lamellar bodies and cell membrane, a crucial step in epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis.