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. 2002 Feb 1;538(Pt 3):985-94.
doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2001.013067.

The cutaneous uptake of atmospheric oxygen contributes significantly to the oxygen supply of human dermis and epidermis

M Stücker  1 , A Struk, P Altmeyer, M Herde, H Baumgärtl, D W Lübbers
Affiliations

The cutaneous uptake of atmospheric oxygen contributes significantly to the oxygen supply of human dermis and epidermis

M Stücker et al. J Physiol. .

Abstract

It has been known since 1851 that atmospheric oxygen is taken up by the human epidermis. The contribution to total respiration is negligible. Until now the significance for the local oxygen supply of the skin has remained unknown. With a newly developed sensor, the oxygen fluxoptode, it has become possible to make local measurements of the transcutaneous oxygen flux (tcJ(O2)). In this study the sensor was calibrated so that absolute values of tcJ(O2) could be reported. At rest, tcJ(O2) was determined on normal, humidified skin on the volar forearm of 20 volunteers of different age groups. In order to evaluate the contribution of the blood flow to the oxygen supply of the skin, tcJ(O2) was recorded at the end of a 5 min suprasystolic occlusion of the forearm. At normal skin surface partial oxygen pressure (163 +/- 9 Torr), tcJ(O2) was 0.53 +/- 0.27 ml O2 min(-1) x m(-2). A 5 min interruption of blood flow resulted in an increase of 9.5 +/- 6.3 % in tcJ(O2). The value of tcJ(O2) was unaffected by the age of the subject. Published data on the oxygen diffusion properties of skin and simulations of intracutaneous profiles of oxygen partial pressure indicated that under these conditions, the upper skin layers to a depth of of 0.25-0.40 mm are almost exclusively supplied by external oxygen, whereas the oxygen transport of the blood has a minor influence. As a consequence, a malfunction in capillary oxygen transport cannot be the initiator of the development of superficial skin defects such as those observed in chronic venous incompetence and peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Oxygen partial pressure (PO2) measured by a needle electrode inserted perpendicularly into the skin
The depth z of the electrode is given in μm (skin surface at 0 μm). The skin surface was covered by a water film, resulting in a reduced skin surface PO2 (ssPO2) of 78 Torr. The PO2 profile has a distinct minimum at a depth of approximately 100 μm, roughly at the level of the dermo-epidermal junction (according to Baumgärtl et al. 1987). The needle puncture probably resulted in a local hyperemia. Under more physiological conditions, it is expected that the minimum would occur at a greater depth.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Cross section of the oxygen fluxoptode (according to Holst, 1994)
The oxygen flux through the diffusion barrier induces a pressure gradient, ΔPO2. The PO2 in the highly oxygen-permeable indicator membrane is measured with an optical oxygen indicator adsorbed onto silica gel particles. The external PO2 can be varied to adjust the ssPO2 close to the atmospheric value (‘normobaric conditions’).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Case example of a measurement of the transcutaneous oxygen flux (tcJO2; 24-year-old female volunteer, no. 6)
The normal atmospheric PO2 was recorded between 0 and 400 s. At A, the oxygen fluxoptode was applied to the volar forearm. ssPO2 reached a steady level at B, indicating a ΔPO2 of 85 Torr (equilibration time). Between points B and C, the external PO2 was increased to 314 Torr to adjust the ssPO2 to ‘normal atmospheric conditions’. In the time interval D, a suprasystolic occlusion was carried out, resulting in an increase in ΔPO2: ΔPO2 during occlusion (ΔPO2,oc) = 3.3 Torr. ΔPO2,oc was determined by subtraction of a linear baseline (dotted line).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Comparison of the tcJO2 (33 OC, humidified skin) under normal (right) and reduced (left) ssPO2 (n = 20)
A 5 min suprasystolic occlusion resulted in only a small increase (shaded area).
Figure 5
Figure 5. Change of skin humidity during the investigations (n = 20)
The skin humidity is given in arbitrary units (a.u.). An increase of humidity in the measurement area resulted from the stripping procedure and from the sealing of the skin surface by the oxygen fluxoptode. Measurements in the reference area showed a parallel increase of the humidity of untreated skin.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Theoretical estimation of the intracutaneous PO2 profile
The PO2 minimum at 51 Torr (trace A) and at 0 Torr (trace B: suprasystolic occlusion) are shown. Below a critical PO2 of about 3 Torr, mitochondrial activity is reduced (Wilson, 1979). Skin surface at x = 0; sc: stratum corneum; ed: viable epidermis; sp: stratum papillare; sr: stratum reticulare. The area on the right side of the dotted line is supplied by blood. Temperature: 32 °C; oxygen permeabilities: 3.7 × 10−7 ml O2 m−1 min−1 Torr−1 (stratum corneum) and 1.3 × 10−6 ml O2 m−1 min−1 Torr−1 (viable layers); oxygen consumption = 1990 ml O2 m−3 min−1 (viable epidermis) and 1470 ml O2 m−3 min−1 (dermal tissue). • = 3 Torr.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Penetration depth of atmospheric oxygen in the skin: different estimations
Histological section of healthy skin from the volar forearm (male subject, 64 years old) with different estimates of the thickness, T, of the skin layer that is supplied from the atmosphere. (Normal ssPO2, humid skin, skin temperature 33 °C). A: T = 188 μm. Extrapolation from data obtained from invasive experiments with PO2 needle electrodes (Baumgärtl et al. 1987). B: T = 266–375 μm. Estimation using the tcJO2 values determined in this study. C: T = 403 μm and D: T = 423 μm. Estimation of T using published data for the oxygen diffusion properties and oxygen consumption in skin tissue, assuming an intradermal PO2 of 51 Torr (C, normal conditions) and of 0 Torr (D, ischaemia).
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