Effect of glutathione depletion on sunburn cell formation in the hairless mouse

Cutaneous protection against ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation damage by endogenous glutathione (GSH) was evaluated in the epidermis of the hairless mouse by measuring the influence of GSH depletion on sunburn cell (SBC) formation. Cellular GSH exerts antioxidant effects and recent studies have suggested a role for oxygen radicals in the production of SBC. Hairless mice (Skh/h 1) received oral treatment with buthionine S,R-sulfoximine (BSO), an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, to deplete cutaneous GSH; 4 d later their ears were exposed to UVB radiation. BSO treatment significantly reduced GSH levels in the epidermis to 10-15% of control levels. Twenty-four hours after UVB exposure, SBC counts in the ears of animals with and without BSO treatment were measured, and those exposed to UVB were found to have increased. Greater numbers of SBC were found in the ears of BSO-treated mice exposed to 15 or 20 mJ/cm2 UVB, than in non-BSO-treated mice exposed to the same UVB doses. At higher UVB doses, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. The results show that endogenous GSH provides the epidermis with measurable protection against injury by low or moderate UVB doses.