# STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF POLAR LIPIDS IN HUMAN SKIN

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 1988 · $189,270

## Abstract

The ultimate objectives are to discover the role of lipids in epidermal
structure and function and to determine to what extent any of the common
disorders of keratinization in human skin can be attributed to faulty
epidermal lipid metabolism.

Certain linoleate-rich lipids of mammalian epidermis have been shown to
have unique structures that have been postulated as having specific roles
in assembly of the lipid bilayers present in epidermal lamellar granules
and in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum.  The mechanism of
this assembly will be investigated by studying the effects of these lipids
on synthetic lipid bilayers in vitro.  Effects on the morphology of the
bilayers will be examined by electron microscopy and by nuclear magnetic
resonance spectroscopy.  These effects will be compared with those produced
by specific polar lipids obtained from essential fatty acid deficient pigs,
by certain novel polar lipids from avian and reptilian skin, and by
synthetic analogs of the epidermal polar lipids.

Changes in epidermal lipid linoleate content that we have shown to
accompany post-natal development in mammals provide an opportunity to
correlate linoleate level with epidermal function and ultrastructural
morphology in grossly normal skin.  Acylceramide and acylglucosylceramide
will be isolated from the epidermis of pigs of known age and examined for
the composition of their esterified fatty acids.  Water permeability of
epidermis of the same animals will be measured in vivo and skin specimens
will be examined for ultrastructural morphology and proliferation rate.
Other young pigs will be raised on diets containing specific fatty acid
compositions to determine whether the natural epidermal linoleate content
results from availability of this essential fatty acid or from inherent
control of the linoleate content in the epidermal polar lipids.  Topical
application of specific triglycerides will determine to what extent the
epidermal polar lipid composition can be influenced by this route.

Pathways of polar epidermal lipid metabolism will be investigated in
primary keratinocyte cultures maintained under conditions adjusted to allow
normal lipid metabolism.  Radiolabelled precursors of the polar lipids,
including linoleate, glucose, serine and acetate, will be used to identify
the metabolic pathways.  Cultures of keratinocytes will be subjected to
essential fatty acid deficiency, to high levels of specific fatty acids,
and to synthetic retinoids, to eludicate their lipid metabolism.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3156286
- **Project number:** 5R01AR032374-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Z1H9VJS8NG16
- **Principal Investigator:** DONALD T DOWNING
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $189,270
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-12-01 → 1991-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3156286

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3156286, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF POLAR LIPIDS IN HUMAN SKIN (5R01AR032374-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3156286. Licensed CC0.

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