Ceramides and Lipids

Many published accounts of the composition of lipids from human stratum corneum have been complicated by the almost inevitable presence of sebaceous lipids as well as exogenous contaminants. When stratum corneum samples are obtained from excised skin, there is almost always massive contamination with subcutaneous triglycerides as well as fatty acids derived from the subcutaneous fat. In addition precautions must be taken to avoid contamination with environmental contaminants such as alkanes and cosmetic components. As a result of these complications, much work has been done with pig skin as a model (1-6). Young pigs, if properly housed and tended, can be kept clean, and the sebaceous glands are not active. By direct heat separation of epidermis from an intact carcass, it is possible to avoid subcutaneous fat. In terms of general structure, composition, and permeability barrier function, the pig appears to provide a good model for humans. An alternative approach is to use the contents of epidermal cysts (7, 8). This material represents exfoliated stratum corneum lipid that is free of sebaceous and environmental contaminants. If the contents are carefully expressed from the capsule, a contaminant-free sample of stratum corneum lipid can be obtained. Cholesterol sulfate is partially hydrolyzed during the desquamation process; however, this is only a minor stratum corneum component. In either the pig or cyst model, the major lipid components are ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids, which represent approximately 45%, 27%, and 12% of the total lipid, respectively (9). Other minor components include cholesterol sulfate and cholesterol esters. The fatty acids in either model are predominantly straight-chain saturated species ranging from either 14 (cyst) or 16 (pig) carbons through 28 carbons in length with the 22 and 24 carbon species being the most abundant. The main focus in the rest of this chapter will be on the stratum corneum ceramides.