Inhibitory Effect of Topical Maize Glucosylceramide on Skin Photoaging in UVA-irradiated Hairless Mice

We investigated the effect of topical application of the glucosylceramide prepared from maize on photoaged mice. Six-week-old hairless female mice were swabbed on the back with glucosylceramide solution or vehicle, following UVA irradiation for 9 weeks. Wrinkle formation was evaluated at 3, 6, and 9 weeks by skin replica analysis by using a three-dimensional (3-D) imaging system. Moreover, epidermal thickness was analyzed at the end of the experiment. Topical application of glucosylceramide significantly reduced UVA-induced wrinkle formation in the skin as well as epidermal hypertrophy. These results suggest that topical glucosylceramide has an inhibitory effect on UVA-induced photoaging.