Histochemical staining of sunburn cells for sulphhydryl and disulphide groups: a time course study.

Ultraviolet light (UV)-exposed rabbit skin was stained with a fluorescent thiol reagent or haematoxylin and eosin to investigate a time relationship between histochemical stainings for sulphhydryl (-SH) and disulphide (S-S) groups and sunburn cell (SBC) production. SBCs appeared by 8 h after irradiation, increased and showed a peak at 48 h, then declined to zero by 96 h. SBCs showing -SH staining increased to a maximum of 41--59% at 24--48 h and declined to 26--45% by 72 h, whereas S-S-stained SBCs were only a few at 8--24 h and then increased up to 65--85% by 72 h. The results seem to indicate that S-S linkage may occur in the process of SBC production.