Age-related disruption of autophagy in dermal fibroblasts modulates extracellular matrix components.

Autophagy is an intracellular degradative system that is believed to be involved in the aging process. The contribution of autophagy to age-related changes in the human skin is unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between autophagy and skin aging. Transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses of skin tissue and cultured dermal fibroblasts derived from women of different ages revealed an increase in the number of nascent double-membrane autophagosomes with age. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of LC3-II, a form associated with autophagic vacuolar membranes, was significantly increased in aged dermal fibroblasts compared with that in young dermal fibroblasts. Aged dermal fibroblasts were minimally affected by inhibition of autophagic activity. Although lipofuscin autofluorescence was elevated in aged dermal fibroblasts, the expression of Beclin-1 and Atg5-genes essential for autophagosome formation-was similar between young and aged dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that the increase of autophagosomes in aged dermal fibroblasts was due to impaired autophagic flux rather than an increase in autophagosome formation. Treatment of young dermal fibroblasts with lysosomal protease inhibitors, which mimic the condition of aged dermal fibroblasts with reduced autophagic activity, altered the fibroblast content of type I procollagen, hyaluronan and elastin, and caused a breakdown of collagen fibrils. Collectively, these findings suggest that the autophagy pathway is impaired in aged dermal fibroblasts, which leads to deterioration of dermal integrity and skin fragility.

Neutrophil elastase contributes to extracellular matrix damage induced by chronic low-dose UV irradiation in a hairless mouse photoaging model.

BACKGROUND: Repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays damages skin connective tissue, which is thought to be associated with wrinkle formation. We hypothesized that repeated mild inflammation may cause the connective tissue alterations in photoaging. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the behavior of neutrophils and neutrophil elastase (NE) activity in the photoaging process and to examine the mechanisms of connective tissue damage resulting from NE in photoaging. METHODS: Mouse dorsal skin was irradiated with a suberythemal dose of UVB three times a week. After 5 or 10 weeks of irradiation, neutrophils were investigated by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. NE activity was examined by in situ zymography. Activation of proMMP-2 and proMMP-1 by NE both in the purified enzyme and in human skin fibroblast culture was examined by gelatin zymography or immunoblotting respectively. RESULTS: Both neutrophil infiltration and NE activity were elevated in photoaging. Furthermore, activated MMP-2 and MMP-1 were increased by NE treatment in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we demonstrated that neutrophil infiltration and NE activity are elevated in the chronic UVB-irradiated skin of hairless mice and we confirmed the involvement of NE in MMP activation. These data suggest that NE indirectly plays a role in skin photoaging through MMP activation.