Formation of fatty acid esterified vitamin D3 in rat skin by exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

The formation of fatty acid esters of vitamin D3 was demonstrated in rat skin exposed to artificial ultraviolet rays by using multi-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This result indicated that the fatty acid esters of 7-dehydrocholesterol in rat skin (at least 80% of 7-dehydrocholesterol in rat skin is esterified) is also isomerized into vitamin D3 ester in vivo. The initial percentage of the esterified form was 84.3% and this did not significantly change up to the time when about half of the skin total vitamin D3 disappeared (2 days). Consequently, it was speculated that the vitamin D3 ester was delivered into the blood circulation from skin without having been hydrolyzed. This was supported by the presence of vitamin D3 ester in rat plasma exposed to ultraviolet radiation. In addition, in connection with the study of the restriction of vitamin D3 synthesis, distribution of total vitamin D3 in rat skin exposed to ultraviolet irradiation in vivo was compared with that in isolated skin exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The dermal layer of the isolated skin contained about 4 times more total vitamin D3 than that of in vivo skin. This finding suggests not only that ultraviolet rays could not penetrate deeply into the in vivo skin, but that the restriction of cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 observed in vivo may arise from this reduced penetration of ultraviolet rays.