Abstract

A method for isolating mouse skin cells by enzymatic digestion with trypsin was developed. Cell populations of 33% viability could be further separated by metrizamide and Percoll gradient centrifugations into three fractions enriched in different cell types. in one fraction 80% of the cells were sebaceous, in the second fraction 50% of the cells were basal and the third fraction consisted predominantly of differentiated keratinocytes. Different cell types were characterized by electron microscopy, light microscopy, staining and enzyme activities. Measurement of benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and GSH-S-transferase activities in different cell types from control mice and mice topically treated with beta-naphthoflavone showed that different cell populations metabolized foreign compounds at different rates. The sebaceous cells were the most active xenobiotic-metabolizing cells. beta-Naphthoflavone increased relative enzyme activities of the original cell population and basal cell-enriched fraction more than that of the already highly active sebaceous cell population.