[Development of a Breathable Protective Ointment for Moisture-associated Skin Damage].

In this symposium, we present a novel breathable protective ointment (BPO) formulation developed at the University of Shizuoka for the prevention of moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) intended for use in healthcare settings. MASD occurs when moisture is in constant contact with the skin for prolonged periods of time, causing degradation of the skin barrier. Exposure to physical or chemical stimuli in addition to moisture may lead to different types of moisture-associated dermatitis such as incontinence-associated or periwound dermatitis. Another type of moisture-associated dermatitis, diaper dermatitis, is treated with protective ointments such as white petrolatum and zinc ointment. These ointments protect the skin from irritants but also block insensible dermal perspiration, which promotes further skin maceration. Therefore, we have developed a BPO formulation from white petrolatum and calcium carbonate, which serve as a protectant and pore-forming agent, respectively. In vitro water-proof tests confirmed the skin-protective properties of the BPO, and moisture-permeation tests indicated its breathability. Moreover, the BPO protected the skin from irritants without the loss of skin hydration in rats. Our next step involves the trial of BPO in infants with diaper dermatitis. In the future, this BPO could be used as an ointment base for active pharmaceutical ingredients used to prevent MASD.

Development of phospholipid nanoparticles encapsulating 3-O-cetyl ascorbic acid and tocopherol acetate (TA-Cassome) for improving their skin accumulation.

Phospholipid nanoparticles (PNs) encapsulating vitamin C and E derivatives, 3-O-cetyl ascorbic acid (CA) and tocopherol acetate (TA), respectively, were examined using the film rehydration and extrusion method. PN formulations (TA-Cassome) were prepared by mixing CA, soya phosphatidylcholine (Soya PC), sodium cholate, and TA at a molar ratio of 20/80/5/6. Glycerol (GL) or diglycerol (DG) were also added to improve the skin accumulation of CA and TA. Three TA-Cassome formulations were evaluated using a dynamic light scattering (DLS), NMR, TEM, skin accumulation test for CA and TA, and small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) analysis. TA-Cassome formulations (150 nm) were stable for two weeks and they encapsulated 1.8 mg/mL of TA. TEM and SAXD analysis revealed that the nanoparticles formed a spherical multilayer structure. 1H and 31P NMR indicated that GL and DG enhanced the proton mobility of choline groups of soya PC molecules located on the membrane surface of TA-Cassome. Accumulation of CA and TA in the dermis was increased by adding GL and DG. SAXD analysis revealed that GL and DG promoted the formation of new lamellar structures on the stratum corneum, which contributed to improving the skin accumulation of CA and TA.

Pretreatment for ovarian endometrial cyst before in vitro fertilization.

Assisted reproductive technology is a widely accepted treatment for infertile women with endometriosis. The presence of an ovarian endometrial cyst reduces the quality of oocytes, while surgical resection of endometrioma may reduce the ovarian reserve for ovarian stimulation by exogenous gonadotropins. To determine what pretreatment should be performed for ovarian endometrial cyst before IVF-ET, we analyzed IVF outcomes with or without pretreatment in patients with endometrioma. Infertile women with endometrioma who underwent IVF-ET were divided into 3 groups, including patients who had received laparotomy or laparoscopy, patients for whom the endometrioma content had been aspirated and treated with or without alcohol fixation, and patients who did not undergo pretreatment. The number of retrieved oocytes, rate of mature oocytes, and fertilization rate were compared among groups. The results showed that pretreatment for endometrioma reduces the number of retrieved oocytes. Although oocyte quality as a rate of mature oocytes was not affected by the presence of an ovarian endometrial cyst, the fertilization rate was improved by cyst aspiration. We propose that surgical pretreatment is not necessary for ovarian endometrial cyst before IVF-ET, but cyst aspiration may be beneficial after several failed attempts of IVF.