Single-Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling

123 / 155

Single-Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling Poster Abstracts
118
40-POS Board 20
Irritating Effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on Human Primary Keratinocytes at Sub-Toxic
Level Exposure
Kyung Sook Kim1,1,1, Hyeongwon Choi3,3,3, Min Kyung Shin2,2,2.
1Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Seoul, South Korea, 2Kyung Hee Unoversity, Seoul, South
Korea, 3Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Chemical agents that can potentially cause skin irritation are tested in vivo in an animal and in
vitro by cell viability or cytokine expression. These methods do not always provide translatable
results and are not sensitive enough to sub-toxicity detection. In this work, we introduce the
mechanical properties of keratinocytes as novel endpoints for safety assessment of chemical
agents in sub-toxicity level. Human primary keratinocytes were treated with various
concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). The response of keratinocytes to SLS was
investigated by both biological and biomechanical methods. Cell proliferation, membrane
integrity, inflammatory response, and cell morphology were observed using biological methods.
Changes in stiffness and surface roughness as biomechanical parameters were investigated by
atomic force microscopy. Morphophysiological changes were clearly seen at a relatively high
dose of SLS (≥ 25 μM), while the mechanical properties of keratinocytes responded linearly to
SLS at lower doses (≤ 10 μM).