Systematic characterization of the barrier function of diverse models of damaged human skin.

Background: The skin barrier plays a crucial role in protecting our body against external agents. Disruption of this barrier's function leads to increased susceptibility to infections and dermatological diseases. Damaged skin can be due to the use of detergents, sunburn or excessive scratching.

Visualisation of penetration of topical antifungal drug substances through mycosis-infected nails by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry imaging.

Background: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a mass spectrometry-based technique, which can be applied for compound-specific imaging of pharmaceuticals in tissues samples. MALDI-MSI technology is widely used to visualise penetration and distribution profile through different tissues but has never been used with nail tissue.

Objectives: This study used MALDI-MSI technology to visualise distribution profile and penetration into ex vivo human mycosis-infected toenails of three antifungal active ingredients amorolfine, ciclopirox and naftifine contained in topical onychomycosis nail treatment preparations, marketed as Loceryl , Ciclopoli and Exoderil .

New metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of thiocolchicoside and its active metabolite in healthy humans.

Thiocolchicoside (TCC) has been prescribed for several years as a muscle relaxant drug, but its pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and metabolism still remain largely unknown. Therefore, we re-investigated its metabolism and PK, and we assessed the muscle relaxant properties of its metabolites. After oral administration of 8 mg (a therapeutic dose) of 14C-labelled TCC to healthy volunteers, we found no detectable TCC in plasma, urine or faeces.

Human hepatic cell uptake of resveratrol: involvement of both passive diffusion and carrier-mediated process.

This work reports significant advances on the transport in hepatic cells of resveratrol, a natural polyphenol with potent protective properties. First, we describe a new simple technique to qualitatively follow resveratrol cell uptake and intracellular distribution, based on resveratrol fluorescent properties. Second, the time-course study and the quantification of (3)H-labelled resveratrol uptake have been performed using human hepatic derived cells (HepG2 tumor cells) and hepatocytes.

Subliminal Fas stimulation increases the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen and bromobenzene in mice.

The hepatotoxicity of several drugs is increased by mild viral infections. During such infections, death receptor ligands are expressed at low levels, and most parenchymal cells survive. We tested the hypothesis that subliminal death receptor stimulation may aggravate the hepatotoxicity of drugs, which are transformed by cytochrome P-450 cytochrome P-450 into glutathione-depleting reactive metabolites.