Cholesterol ointment suppressed hapten-induced dermatitis by inducing 11B-HSD1

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Changes in the stratum corneum extracellular matrix impair epidermal barrier function and may cause dermatoses in atopic dermatitis patients and elderly people. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of exogenous cholesterol application on skin barrier function and cutaneous inflammation. Hapten-stimulated mice were treated with topical cholesterol. The effect of topical cholesterol application on an oxazolone (OXA)-induced hypersensitivity reaction was evaluated. Topical application of cholesterol efficiently decreased transepidermal water loss in areas of barrier-disrupted skin and ameliorated OXA-induced cutaneous hypersensitivity. These favourable effects may have resulted from sustained expression of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11B-HSD1) in the cholesterol-treated skin. As 11B-HSD1 is known to produce active cortisol, topical cholesterol may attenuate contact hypersensitivity by normalizing secretion of hormonally active cortisol from the skin.