Interaction of Low Voltage Microplasma Discharge with Stratum Corneum

Number of transdermal patches is growing ever year. However, not every drug is possible deliver through the skin effectively. This creates pressure on searching a new method able to deliver drugs transdermal pathway. One of such methods is treatment of the skin by device producing plasma affecting barrier function of the skin. In our study, permeability of sodium fluorescein through the most upper part of the skin, stratum corneum was demonstrated. Permeability of stratum corneum was enhanced by argon microplasma treatment or air microplasma treatment. Lipid oxidation inside stratum corneum was proved by presence of lipid peroxides using fluorescent dye LiperFluo by performing a frozen section of the full thickness skin. FTIR measurement showed correlation between lipid disordered structures in lipid matrix of stratum corneum and presence of lipid peroxides.