Characterization of dry skin associating with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a KK-Ay/TaJcl mouse model

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) induces various dermatological conditions that can affect patient quality of life, including increased susceptibility to skin infections and dry skin. While the mechanisms that underlie the causes of dry skin in type 1?DM have been widely studied, how type 2?DM elicits similar effects is unclear. The purpose of this study was therefore to evaluate skin barrier and hydration function using a KK-A^y/TaJcl mouse model of type 2?DM.

Materials and methods: KK-A^y/TaJcl and control mice were housed separately for 4 weeks and then body weight, water intake, urine production, and blood glucose levels were measured. Skin barrier function was estimated by assessing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and hydration levels of the stratum corneum. The expression levels of various skin biochemical factors were also examined by western blot, including type 1 collagen, mast cell tryptase, hyaluronic acid binding protein (HABP), and fibroblast protein S100A4.

Results: Compared to control mice, there was a marked increase in body weight, water intake, urine production, and blood glucose levels in the KK-A^y/TaJcl mice over the length of the experiment. Hydration levels in the stratum corneum were lower in KK-A^y/TaJcl mice compared to control mice, although TEWL was not significantly different between groups. We also found that hyaluronic acid binding protein expression was higher in KK-A^y/TaJcl mice, although other biochemical factors were the same.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that hyaluronic acid associates with the dry skin caused by type 2?DM. This contributes to understanding this phenomenon and may lead to better treatment options for patients in the future.