The impact of topical antiseptics on skin microcirculation

Antiseptics are commonly used in clinical practice to disinfect tissue and to avoid infections. However, topical antiseptics are assumed to have an influence on skin microcirculation, per se. Thus, the aim of the study was to analyse the influence of topically applied antiseptics on the microcirculation of intact skin in vivo.

The investigation was carried out on ears of male hairless mice (SKH-1hr, n = 25). The influence of four antiseptics was examined. Sodium chloride 0.9% served as control. An alcohol-based solution with a mixture of ethanol, 2-propanol and purified water (Softasept), an antiseptic with octenidine dihydrochloride and phenoxyethanol as the main active agents (Octenisept), as well as hexamethylenbiguanide (Lavasept) and 70% ethanol were tested. Intravital fluorescence microscopy in combination with intravenous injection of the fluorescence dyes FITC-Dextran as plasma marker and Rhodamine 6G (leukocyte staining) allowed a quantitative analysis of standard microcirculatory parameters (vessel diameter, functional capillary density, red blood cell velocity, FITC-leakage and leukocyte endothelium interaction). Recordings of the microcirculation in several regions of interest (ROI) were made prior to application and after 10 min exposure time and 60 min after the baseline data. Data were evaluated off-line with aid of computer assisted analysis.

The diameter of arterioles decreased after the treatment with the alcoholic solutions. The other two antiseptics (Octenisept and Lavasept) caused a significant increase. Functional capillary density (FCD) was significantly reduced after application of ethanol and Softasept. There was no reduction of FCD following application of Octenisept. After treatment with ethanol and Softasept there was a significant decrease in red blood cell velocity (RBCV). The use of Lavasept revealed a decrease of FCD and RBCV. In the Octenisept treated group RBCV shows a mild increase after 10 minutes. The application of ethanol, Softasept and Lavasept was characterized by a significant increase of leukocyte endothelium interaction (LEI). After treatment with saline and Octenisept LEI remained constant. All used antiseptics except of Octenisept caused a significant leakage of FITC-Dextran.

The antiseptics used in this study all showed an influence on skin microcirculation. As expected, our findings show that the alcoholic solutions are most aggressive to skin microcirculation.