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The aim of this study is to elucidate the effect of keratinase on epidermis of rat skin. Twenty-five male Sprague-Dolly rats were used. The hair on the back were removed and 2 x 2cm area was marked. The rats were divided five groups; 1) Control group(Co), 2) Cleansing gel group(Cl), 3) Cleansing gel+keratinase group, 4) Exfoliant gel group(Ex), and 5) Exfoliant gel+ keratinase group(Ex+K). The solutions were applied to the back area twice a day for five days. On fifth day, the skins were harvested, fixed and prepared for histologic sections. The thickness of keratin layer, living epidermis, dermis, and cell layer number of living epidermis were measured. In the group containing keratinase(Cl+K, Ex+K), the thickness of keratin layer and living layer were thinner than other groups. However, there were no significant differences of the cell layer number of living epidermis and thickness of the dermis among the five groups. We think the keratinase may have the effect thinning the keratin layer as well as the thickness of living epidermis, without effecting the living cell and dermal component. The keratinase containing soap may be of benefit to remove the excess keratin layers in human.
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