Influence of the level of cholesteryl sulfate in the solubilization of stratum corneum lipid liposomes by sodium dodecyl sulfate

 The role played by cholesteryl sulfate (Chol-sulf) in the solubilization of liposomes modeling the stratum corneum (SC) lipids by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was studied. We determined the surfactant-to-lipid molar ratios and the bilayer/aqueous phase surfactant partition coefficients of this interaction by varying the proportion of Chol-sulf, the relative proportions of the others lipids remaining constant. These parameters were determined by monitoring the changes in the static light scattering of the system during solubilization. The fact that the free surfactant concentration was always similar to its critical micelle concentration indicates that the liposome solubilization was mainly ruled by the formation of mixed micelles. The SDS ability to saturate and solubilize SC liposomes decreased as the proportion of Chol-sulf in the bilayers increased until a minimum was reached for a Chol-sulf proportion of about 15%. Inversely, the SDS partitioning into liposomes (or affinity with these bilayers) increased as the proportion of Chol-sulf increased until a maximum was reached at similar Chol-sulf proportions (10–15%). Hence, in these Chol-sulf proportions (similar to that existing in the intercellular lipids, which was 10%) the ability of SDS molecules to interact with liposomes exhibits a minimum despite their enhanced partitioning into liposomes. These effects may be related to the reported dependencies of the level of Chol-sulf on the abnormalities in the skin barrier function and on the SC intercellular cohesion. Received: 12 October 1999 Accepted: 20 January 2000