Polyamine levels in normal human skin. A comparative study of pure epidermis, pure dermis, and suction blister fluid.

The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine were detected and measured in both free and total forms in man in pure epidermis, pure dermis, suction blister fluid, blood, and 24-h urines. The technique employed for polyamine measurement consisted in liquid chromatography by ion exchange using an automatic amino acid analyzer and a fluorescence detection system. Polyamine concentrations were found to vary significantly between the dermis and the epidermis, both quantitatively and qualitatively: spermidine and spermine levels were much higher in the epidermis than in the dermis, and putrescine&spermidine and spermidine/spermine ratios were much lower in the epidermis. These differences reflect the known differences in cellularity, proliferative activity, and differentiation between these two cutaneous regions. The high spermidine and spermine concentrations in the epidermis suggest that these substances play a special role in this tissue.