The Irritant Effects of Pharmaceutically Applied Surfactants

Abstract

Dermal or transdermal medication may lead to irritant contact dermatitis. However, little information is available on the irritant effect of surfactants which are applied in topical formulations. Our aim was to examine the irritant effect of the most frequent compounds in topical products. A murine model was applied. The following compounds were examined: sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), polyethoxylated (40EO) hydrogenated castor oil and sucrose laurate. SLS led to severe erythema, increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and induced necrosis and accumulation of neutrophylic granulocytes and lymphocytes. Exposure to sucrose laurate resulted in an elevation of TEWL, but histology did not reveal impairment of the skin structure. Application of polyethoxylated (40EO) hydrogenated castor oil was not accompanied by tissue damage. Special attention should be paid to the irritant effect of SLS. Polyethoxylated (40EO) hydrogenated castor oil seems to be a non-irritant agent and sucrose laurate is also a promising candidate for application in topical preparations.

Anti‐irritant and anti‐inflammatory effects of glycerol and xylitol in sodium lauryl sulphate‐induced acute irritation

“…According to the available literature data, application of SLS induces T cell‐dominated inflammatory response in mouse oral mucosa . In line with these results, our previous study has also demonstrated that exposure to SLS can lead to lymphocyte accumulation in the skin of SKH‐1 mice . This study provides evidence that the applied polyols are able to reduce the number of lymphocytes at the irritation site.…”

Development and Characterization of a Biocompatible Soybean Oil-Based Microemulsion for the Delivery of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

“…Interest in using nonionic surfactants associated with a cosurfactant is growing in ME composition, mainly because of the high stability, low toxicity, and biodegradability of these compounds. Polyoxyethylenglycerol (PEG)-40 hydrogenated castor oil is a nonionic surfactant for pharmaceutical use 21,22 that provides adequate conditions to stabilize w/o ME when used in surfactant mixtures. 12,23,24 The effect of ME on drug delivery has been well described in the literature and reveals a favorable influence on the modification of the bioavailability of many drugs, such as the antimicrobial activity of glycerol monolaurate by using o/w ME; 5 tween-based MEs has been developed for the delivery of a fixeddose combination of three first-line antitubercular drugs; 11 and other MEs have been produced for the solubilization of many drugs such as azithromicin, 25 chloramphenicol, 4 and several water-soluble peptides of different molecular structures, sizes, and charges in w/o MEs containing long-or medium-chain triglycerides.…”

<p>Protective effects of glycerol and xylitol in keratinocytes exposed to hyperosmotic stress</p>

“…Osmotic challenge influences cellular viability in an osmolarity- and time-dependent manner 4–7. Such effect is also characteristic of ICD: severe irritation of the skin (24 hrs exposure to SLS) can induce tissue necrosis in vivo27 but milder irritant challenges do not lead to necrosis 28. In our experiments, 24 hrs exposure to 450 and 500 mOsm sorbitol did not influence cellular viability and cytotoxicity, but 600 mOsm resulted in a significant decrease in viability as compared to untreated control cells.…”