Boulais N, Misery L, et al.
European journal of dermatology : EJD. Date of publication 2008 Mar 1;volume 18(2):119-27.
1. Eur J Dermatol. 2008 Mar-Apr;18(2):119-27. doi: 10.1684/ejd.2008.0348.
The epidermis: a sensory tissue.
Boulais N(1), Misery L.
Author information:
(1)Laboratory of Skin Neurobiology, Unit of Compared and Integrative Physiology
(EA 3879), University of Western Brittany, Brest, France.
The skin is an efficient barrier which protects our bodies from the external
environment but it is also an important site for the perception of various
stimuli. Sensory neurones of the peripheral nervous system send many primary
afferent fibres to the skin. They pass through the dermis and penetrate the
basement membrane to innervate epidermal cells or remain as free endings. Nerve
fibres are clearly involved in somatosensation. However, they are not always so
numerous, for example in distal parts of the limbs, and some kinds of sensors can
be at a distance of hundreds of micrometers from each other. The skin can detect
patterns at a very fine and smaller scale, which suggests that nerve terminals
are helped by epidermal sensors. All epidermal cells (keratinocytes, melanocytes,
Langerhans cells and Merkel cells) express sensor proteins and neuropeptides
regulating the neuro-immuno-cutaneous system. Hence, they must play a part in the
epidermal sensory system. This review will consider the epidermal components of
this forefront sensory system and the stimulations they perceive. The epidermis
can be considered a true sensory tissue where sensor proteins and neurone-like
properties enable epidermal cells to participate in the skin surface perception
through interactions with nerve fibres.
DOI: 10.1684/ejd.2008.0348
PMID: 18424369 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
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