Effects of arginine glutamate (RE:pair) on wound healing and skin elasticity improvement after CO2 laser irradiation.

BACKGROUND: Glutamic acid is known to be effective for keratinocyte proliferation, but its dermatological application is limited due to its poor solubility in water and various solvents. AIM: Here, the efficacy of the arginine glutamate ion pair (named as RE:pair) for recovering damaged skin and improving skin elasticity was investigated through the analysis of keratinocyte proliferation and collagen synthesis. METHODS: Following the structural analysis of RE:pair using spectroscopic methods, a scratch assay, and Pro-Collagen I ELISA, skin tissue changes in wound-induced artificial skin, changes in wound area after laser wound induction, and the sensory evaluation of skin improvement were investigated. RESULTS: As a result of scratch assay, wound recovery of 94.55% ± 9.57% was confirmed at 10 ppm RE:pair treatment. When evaluation of expression efficacy of procollagen type I, it was found that the expression rate was increased by 32.47% ± 5.62% compared with the control group. Further, the upregulation of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and filaggrin expression in the damage-induced artificial skin was verified. Clinically, the improvement was subjectively verified in terms of the reduction of the wound area, the restoration of the barrier, the improvement of skin elasticity, and through the sensory experience of skin improvement. CONCLUSION: RE:pair shows a greater therapeutic effect than the individual effects of its constituent amino acids and those of the simple mixtures of these compounds. RE:pair exerts its therapeutic action by promoting the proliferation of keratinocytes and enhancing collagen synthesis in fibroblasts. Accordingly, it can be used throughout the cosmetic industry as an effective amino acid wound healing and skin elasticity improving material.