New Insights in the Skin Protective Activity of a Dexpanthenol Containing Formula (BEPANTHEN^®) in a Diaper Rash-Like Model

Abstract

Background: Dexpanthenol containing formula (BEPANTHEN ® ), formulated as a water in oil preparation, is currently widely marketed as a diaper care product aiming to protect baby’s buttocks and repair diaper dermatitis. Dexpanthenol is a well-known moisturizer with barrier-improving properties and the oily phase of the water in oil preparation forms a lipophilic film on the skin surface that isolates the skin from irritants (feces and urine). Prolonged contact with irritants triggers a local inflammation cascade responsible for the cutaneous erythema. To further investigate the protective properties of skin barrier preparations, we took advantage of an ex vivo model of healthy human skin discs especially designed to evaluate protective and/or repairing effects of topical preparations recommended for baby’s buttocks through the measurement of interleukin-1 alpha release (a cytokine considered as the Primum movens of the skin inflammatory reaction), following the application of different irritants. Methods: Healthy human skin discs have been incubated in the absence (control) or in the presence of two irritants, i.e. a “urine like + urease” preparation and sodium dodecyl sulfate, and in the presence of three ointments, one containing dexpanthenol, but not the other two. At the end of the incubation period, interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 α ) was quantified in the explants culture media. Results: “Urine like + urease” preparation (ULU) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) both increased IL-1 α production of skin explants by 181.1% (p < 0.001) and 88.3% (p < 0.001), respectively. The dexpanthenol containing formula significantly inhibited the ULU- and the SDS-induced IL-1 α release by 67.42% (p < 0.001) and 46.55% (p < 0.001), respectively. Under the same experimental conditions, one of the formulas without dexpanthenol significantly inhibited the ULU-induced IL-1 α release by 45.94% (p < 0.01) but not the SDS-induced one, and the other tested formulation displayed no significant effect on the IL-1 α production regardless of the irritant applied. Moreover, the effect of the dexpanthenol containing formula on the ULU-induced IL-1 α release was significantly higher than the effect of the other formula; a difference of 19.6 % (p < 0.05) was observed. Conclusion: Dexpanthenol containing formula (BEPANTHEN ® ) provides good protection of baby’s buttocks against irritants. Its protective effect seems to be superior compared with other products, which did not contain this ingredient. Moreover, the results obtained in the present study suggest that dexpanthenol displays per se a real IL-1 α production inhibitory effect. This work, however, consists of preliminary studies and additional investigations involving more formulas and end-points such as the quantification of other pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines and/or resolvins for example, are needed to better understand the cutaneous protective effect of dexpanthenol.