Topical corticosteroids delay the proliferative response to sellotape stripping

Tape stripping of normal human skin results in a hyperproliferative response brought about by a recruitment of resting (G0) cells. The effect of diprosone and hydrocortisone on this response was studied by flow cytometric techniques. Both corticosteroids were found to delay the appearance of the cohort of recruited cells in the S-phase, the more potent antipsoriatic (diprosone) giving the greatest delay. These data indicate that corticosteroids cause a temporary block in late G1 or an inhibition of the recruitment process itself. The model may serve for the evaluation of (future) antipsoriatic drugs.