Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting For Simultaneous Monitoring Of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles And NAD(P)H In Intact And Barrier-Disrupted Volunteer Skin

Purpose There is a lack of relevant, non-animal alternatives for assessing exposure and toxicity of nanoparticle-containing cosmetics, e.g. sunscreens. Our goal was to evaluate timecorrelated single photon counting (TCSPC) for simultaneous monitoring of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) and the metabolic state of volunteer skin. Methods We separated the fluorescence lifetime signatures of endogenous fluorophore signals (i.e. nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, NAD(P)H and keratin) and the ZnO-NP signal using advanced TCSPC to simultaneously determine ZnO-NP penetration profiles and NAD(P)H changes in subjects with altered barrier function, including tape-stripped skin and in psoriasis or atopic dermatitis lesions. Results We detected no ZnO-NP penetration into viable human skin in any group. ZnO-NP signal was significantly increased (p