Ultraviolet light degrades the mechanical and structural properties of human stratum corneum

Abstract

Prolonged exposure of human skin to sunlight causes photodamage, which induces the early onset of wrinkles and increased tissue fragility. While solar ultraviolet (UV) light is considered to have the most damaging effect, the UV range that is most harmful remains a topic of significant debate. In this study, we take a first step towards elucidating biomechanical photoageing effects by quantifying how exposure to different UV ranges and dosages impacts the mechanical and structural properties of human stratum corneum (SC), the most superficial skin layer. Mechanical testing reveals that irradiation of isolated human SC to UVA (365 nm), UVB (302 nm), or UVC (265 nm) light with dosages of up to 4000 J/cm2 notably alters the elastic modulus, fracture stress, fracture strain, and work of fracture. For equivalent incident dosages, UVC degrades SC the greatest. However, upon discounting reflected and transmitted components of the incident light, a generalized scaling law relating the photonic energy absorbed by the SC to the energy cost of tissue fracture emerges. This relationship indicates that no one UV range is more damaging than another. Rather, the magnitude of absorbed UV energy governs the degradation of tissue mechanical integrity. Subsequent structural studies are performed to elucidate the cause of this mechanical degradation. UV absorption scales with the spatial dispersion of desmoglein 1 (Dsg 1), a component of corneocyte cell-cell junctions, away from intercellular sites. Combining both scaling laws, we establish a mechanical-structural model capable of predicting UV induced tissue mechanical integrity from Dsg 1 dispersion.\n\nStatement of SignificancePhotoageing from the sun can produce early onset of skin wrinkles and an increase in tissue fragility that heightens the risk of rupture. While solar ultraviolet (UV) light is considered to have the most damaging effect, the UV range that is most harmful remains a topic of significant debate. In this study, we elucidate photoageing effects by quantifying how exposure to different UV ranges and dosages impacts the mechanical and structural properties of human stratum corneum (SC), the most superficial skin layer. Results establish a mechanical-structural model that relates the amount of UV energy absorbed by the tissue, irrespective of UV range, to the energy cost of tissue fracture and spatial dispersion of desmoglein 1.