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Study · In vitro (cells) · 2016

2 results

Selected Biomarkers Revealed Potential Skin Toxicity Caused by Certain Copper Compounds.

Li H, Toh PZ, Tan JY, Zin MT, Lee CY, Li B, Leolukman M, Bao H, Kang L

Scientific reports28 Nov 2016Cited by 30 (Europe PMC)

PMID27892491 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5124859 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/srep37664 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-27892491
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Summary

Copper is an essential mineral and plays important roles in skin growth and activity. Copper delivery through skin can provide beneficial effects but its potential to induce skin irritation reactions is often overlooked. Data on dermal toxicity caused by copper compounds is scant. Some recognized in vitro skin toxicity methods are unsuitable for all metal compounds. Here, we employ a keratinocyte-based model and evaluated the skin irritation potential of copper compounds at cellular, genomic and proteomic levels. We determined cell viability and cytotoxicity by using tetrazolium reduction assay and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, performed real-time PCR and protein quantification to assess the expression of biomarkers after treating cells with copper peptide (GHK-Cu), copper chloride (CuCl2) and copper acetate (Cu(OAc)2). These copper compounds exhibited different irritancy potentials at the same treatment concentrations. GHK-Cu was not cytotoxic and did not induce any significant change in the expression levels of various skin irritation-related biomarkers. IL-1α and IL-8, HSPA1A and FOSL1 were significantly upregulated following 24-h treatment with CuCl2 and Cu(OAc)2 at 58 and 580 μM without concomitant inhibition in cell viability. GHK-Cu has a low potential of inducing skin irritation and therefore provides a safer alternative for the delivery of copper through skin.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01LabIn vitro (cells)Safety outcome

    In a keratinocyte-based model, GHK‑Cu was not cytotoxic.

    In plain wordsIn cells, GHK‑Cu did not damage skin cells.

    Peptide
    GHK-Cu
    Outcome
    No significant changeCytotoxicity
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    keratinocyte-based skin irritation model
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    GHK-Cu was not cytotoxic and did not induce any significant change in the expression levels of various skin irritation-related biomarkers.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Here, we employ a keratinocyte-based model and evaluated the skin irritation potential of copper compounds at cellular, genomic and proteomic levels.
    Summary · context
    We determined cell viability and cytotoxicity by using tetrazolium reduction assay and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, performed real-time PCR and protein quantification to assess the expression of biomarkers after treating cells with copper peptide (GHK-Cu), copper chloride (CuCl2) and copper acetate (Cu(OAc)2).
  2. 02LabIn vitro (cells)Safety outcome

    In a keratinocyte-based model, GHK‑Cu did not significantly change expression of skin irritation-related biomarkers.

    In plain wordsIn cells, GHK‑Cu did not change skin irritation markers significantly.

    Peptide
    GHK-Cu
    Outcome
    No significant changeSkin irritation biomarker expression
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    keratinocyte-based skin irritation model
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    GHK-Cu was not cytotoxic and did not induce any significant change in the expression levels of various skin irritation-related biomarkers.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Here, we employ a keratinocyte-based model and evaluated the skin irritation potential of copper compounds at cellular, genomic and proteomic levels.
    Summary · context
    We determined cell viability and cytotoxicity by using tetrazolium reduction assay and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, performed real-time PCR and protein quantification to assess the expression of biomarkers after treating cells with copper peptide (GHK-Cu), copper chloride (CuCl2) and copper acetate (Cu(OAc)2).

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 3Current

    9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 2

    9 Oct 2026, 03:03 UTC

    Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC

  3. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:56 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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