Skin health management focused on skin repair – benefits of sphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans and nucleotides

The presentation will deal with the importance of the skin barrier and how it can be optimized following the use of sphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans and nucleotides. The benefits of these ingredients and their scientific evidence, as well as their efficacy and safety when administered to companion animals with skin conditions, will be explained based on several peer-reviewed publications.

• In vitro evaluation of a glycosaminoglycan matrix especially rich in hyaluronic acid shows enhanced proliferation and migration of fibroblasts and migration of keratinocytes, as well as increased elastin production and skin hydrating capacity.
• A sphingomyelin-rich lipid extract has been shown to increase the levels of ceramides and the number of lamellar bodies in the stratum corneum of the skin, and to enhance the expression of filaggrin and antimicrobial peptides.
• The use of a such sphingomyelin-rich lipid extract, alone of in combination with the hyaluronic acid-rich glycosaminoglycan matrix, has been tested in dogs and provided several clinical benefits, especially in canine atopic dermatitis.
• Dietary nucleotides modulate the immune response and, if added to a formulation containing omega-3 fatty acids and glycosaminoglycans, the final composition has a positive impact on dermal fibroblasts’ migration and proliferation and improves clinical signs in atopic dogs.
• Using sphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans and nucleotides can contribute to the evidence-based multimodal management of skin conditions in companion animals.