Evaluation of the Activity of a Pharmacological "Anticellulitis" Product vs. a Reference Product on the Market

All the measures were performed in standard conditions at level of the thigh (III superior, III middle and inferior), thanks to a specific electro-optical system.

Ultrasonographic measurement of adipose panniculum thickness (mm) was performed at level of the external thigh (III superior) through the instrument Body Metrix™ BX 2000 (Genex).

Skin elasticity was measured through the instrument Dermal Torque Meter (Dia-Stron Ltd., UK). This instrument is based on the principle of the torsion given to the skin surface by a probe made of two circles that adhere to the skin through shaped adhesive tapes. The instrument measures the torsion angle (θ) during the mechanical stimulus ("torque on") and after it has ceased ("torque off"). For each of the considered curves it was measured the cutaneous rotational ratio relative to defined measured times, obtaining the parameters listed below:

Ue: immediate extensibility ("torque on" at 0.2 sec.) Uf: final extensibility ("torque on" at 9 sec.) Uv: viscoelasticity Ur: immediate elastic recovery ("torque off" at 0.2 sec.)

Tissue dielectric constant of deep skin layers misures non-invasively the dielectric constant of the subcutaneous fat; it is a dimensionless physical quantity and it is directly proportional to the water content in the measured tissue. The used probe corresponds to an effective measurement depth of 5 mm; the measure were performed at level of the external thigh (III superior).

The measurement of the skin erythema at level of the internal area of the knee was performed by the use of an optical densitometer (X-RITE 404) allowing to quantify, on a logarithmic scale, total reflected optical density (visual=V) and the values of primary subtractive colours of reflected light: cyan(=C), magenta(=M) and yellow(=Y). Calculation of erythema index was done as follows: E.I.=logRmagenta-logRcyan, where R represents the reflectance.

Contact thermography permits visualizing, through colors, the temperatures of the areas being examined by using encapsulated liquid crystals plates; it allows to detect information about cutaneous microcirculation in normal conditions, after functional stimuli or vasoactive treatments: skin temperature grows in case of vasodilatation, increase of blood vessels, increase local metabolism and reduced in case of vasoconstriction, pathological decrease of blood vessels, decrease of local metabolism, oedema and increase of adipose tissue. A characteristic thermography aspect of legs' oedematous - fibrosclerotic lipodystrophy is represented by the typical leopard skin with large hypothermic zones. Panniculopatia evaluation follows next classification:

0 = uniform hyperthermal image

• = shaded spots thermal image (hyperthermal images)
• = leopard spots (numerous hyperthermal images)
• = hypothermal black holes
• = uniform hypothermal image

Performed at level of the III superior, of the III middle and inferior of the thigh:

• cellulitis visual aspect (according to a reference photographic scale) no cellulitis 0 slight dimpling on skin surface 1 dimpling and skin depressions 2 dimpling and depressed striations 3 nodules and depressed striations 4
• cellulitis aspect to pinching ( according to a reference photographic scale) no cellulitis 0 slight dimpling on skin surface 1 dimpling and skin depressions 2 dimpling and depressed striations 3 nodules and depressed striations 4
• pain at pinching absent 0 slight 1 medium 2 consistent 3 very consistent 4
• firmness (internal thigh) very poor 0 poor 1 medium 2 good 3 very good 4
• smoothness very poor 0 poor 1 medium 2 good 3 very good 4