Application of Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to the Study of Skin Hydration

The solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique of carbon-13 cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) has been successfully used to obtain high-resolution spectra of whole-thickness, hairy rat skin and to characterize the influence of hydration on the efficiency of cross-polarization and the proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T1ρH). Spectra obtained with hydrated samples, which were obtained with 50% more accumulations, had comparable signal-to-noise ratio relative to spectra obtained with dried skin, indicating a disordering effect with the presence of water. The integrated area of spectra of low-shifted peaks rose more rapidly with increasing contact time relative to the high-shifted peaks for both hydrated and dried skin. In addition, the carbonyl intensity of the hydrated skin relative to dried skin reached a maximum at shorter times, reflecting an efficient relaxation mechanism of the protons. The shift of the peak maximum to shorter mixing times quantitatively reflects the interaction of the protons of water with the carbonyl moiety.