ESI-MS study of the mechanism of glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu(II) complex transport through model membrane of stratum corneum.
Mazurowska. Lena L; Mojski. Mirosław M
Key Findings
- GHK‑Cu is the main copper carrier that can move through a model stratum corneum membrane.
- Permeability of copper complexes increases as the formulation pH rises.
- Only GHK, GHK‑Cu, and (GHK)₂‑Cu successfully migrated through the membrane; other ligands did not.
- ESI‑MS confirmed the structures of the copper complexes formed at different pH levels.
Practical Outcomes
- When formulating topical GHK‑Cu products for skin health, aim for a mildly alkaline pH (within skin‑friendly limits) to boost penetration. Use the peptide itself or its copper‑bound forms rather than unrelated copper salts. This insight helps optimize creams or serums for better delivery of the anti‑aging benefits of GHK‑Cu.
Summary
The study shows that the copper‑binding peptide GHK‑Cu can pass through a skin‑like membrane, and its ability to do so gets better at higher pH. Only the plain GHK peptide and its copper complexes (GHK‑Cu and a dimeric form) were able to cross, while other copper‑ligand combos could not.
Abstract
In mammalian organisms copper can be found mainly in the form of complex with specific tripeptide, GHK-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-Cu(II)). GHK-Cu is the basic form in which copper is transported in tissues and permeates through cell membranes. The penetration ability of GHK-Cu through the stratum corneum and its role in copper ions transport process is the key issue for its cosmetic and pharmaceutical activity. The permeability phenomenon was studied by use in vitro model system-Flynn diffusion cell with the liposome membrane. The earlier studies on the influence of different ligands on the migration rate of copper ions through model membrane provide evidence for hampering role of ligands structure and pH of formulations in this process. Structures of copper complexes formed in solutions of different pH media were evaluated by use of ESI-MS. The permeability coefficients of copper complexes increase with increasing pH. It was proved that only tripeptide GHK and its complexes with copper: GHK-Cu and (GHK)(2)-Cu are able to migrate through membrane model of stratum corneum.
Study Information
pubmed
2006
2006-12-22T00:00:00.000Z
10.1016/j.talanta.2006.11.034
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