Effects of Hydroxydecine(®) (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid) on skin barrier structure and function in vitro and clinical efficacy in the treatment of UV-induced xerosis.

10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, a natural fatty acid only found in royal jelly, may be of value in correcting skin barrier dysfunction. We evaluated the activity of Hydroxydecine(®), its synthetic counterpart, in vitro on the regulation of epidermal differentiation markers, ex vivo on the inflammatory response and restoration of skin barrier function, and in vivo on UV-induced xerosis in healthy human volunteers. In cultured normal human keratinocytes, Hydroxydecine(®) induced involucrin, transglutaminase-1 and filaggrin protein production. In topically Hydroxydecine(®)-treated skin equivalents, immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in involucrin, transglutaminase-1 and filaggrin staining. In a model of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)-induced inflamed epidermis, a Hydroxydecine(®)-containing emulsion inhibited TSLP release. In a model of inflammation and barrier impairment involving human skin explants maintained alive, Hydroxydecine(®) balm restored stratum corneum cohesion and significantly increased filaggrin expression, as shown by immunohistochemistry. It also decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13). In healthy volunteers with UV-induced xerosis, the hydration index increased by +28.8% (p<0.01) and +60.4% (p<0.001) after 7 and 21 days of treatment with Hydroxydecine(®) cream, respectively. Hydroxydecine(®) thus proved its efficacy in activating keratinocyte differentiation processes in vitro, restoring skin barrier function and reducing inflammation ex vivo, and hydrating dry skin in vivo.

Effects of dextran sulfate, 4-t-butylcyclohexanol, pongamia oil and hesperidin methyl chalcone on inflammatory and vascular responses implicated in rosacea.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic facial skin disorder characterized by inflammation and vascular abnormalities. The pathophysiology of rosacea involves increased activation of the capsaicin receptor, TRPV1, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, and cathelicidin LL-37, MMP-9, and KLKs. We evaluated the activity of four compounds (dextran sulfate, 4-t-butylcyclohexanol [BCH; TRP-regulin®], pongamia oil, and hesperidin methyl chalcone [HMC]) on inflammatory and vascular responses implicated in rosacea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-inflammatory activity of dextran sulfate was evaluated on PGE2 production after PMA stimulation of NCTC-2544 keratinocytes, and on normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) after proinflammatory stimulation to mimic a rosacea environment. The anti-angiogenic activity of dextran sulfate was measured by analyzing pseudotube formation in co-cultured human microvascular endothelial cells/normal human dermal fibroblasts. HMC modulation of vascular responses and IL-8 cytokine production after SP stimulation was evaluated in human skin explants. We also assessed the effect of BCH on TRPV1 activation, and the effect of combined BCH and pongamia oil on the inflammatory response of NHEKs. RESULTS: Dextran sulfate strongly and significantly inhibited PMA-induced PGE2 production, inhibited KLK5 and MMP-9 mRNA expression, and IL-8, IL-1α and VEGF production, and displayed a highly significant inhibitory effect on VEGF-induced pseudotube formation. In SP-stimulated human skin explants, HMC significantly decreased the proportion of dilated vessels, total vessel area, and IL-8 production. BCH significantly and dose-dependently inhibited TRPV1 activation, and BCH and pongamia oil inhibited CXCL1 and CXCL6 mRNA expression and IL-8 production in NHEKs. Combined BCH/pongamia oil inhibited IL-8 production synergistically. CONCLUSION: These in vitro results showed that dextran sulfate, BCH, pongamia oil and HMC, possess complementary soothing and anti-redness properties, supporting their combination in Avène redness-relief cosmetic products for sensitive skin prone to redness, and for topical adjunctive rosacea treatment.

hMutS alpha is protected from ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation by atypical protein kinase C zeta phosphorylation.

The hMutS alpha (hMSH2-hMSH6) protein heterodimer plays a critical role in the detection of DNA mispairs in the mismatch repair (MMR) process. We recently reported that hMutS alpha proteins were degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in a cell-type-dependent manner, indicating that one or several regulator(s) may interfere with hMutS alpha protein ubiquitination and degradation. On the other hand, we and others have shown that protein kinase C (PKC) is involved as a positive regulator of MMR activity. Here, we provide evidence that the atypical PKC zeta regulates ubiquitination, degradation, and levels of hMutS alpha proteins. Using both PKC zeta-transfected U937 and PKC zeta siRNA-transfected MRC-5 cell lines, we found that PKC zeta protein expression was correlated with that of hMutS alpha as well as with MMR activity, but was inversely correlated with hMutS alpha protein ubiquitination and degradation. Interestingly, PKC zeta interacts with hMSH2 and hMSH6 proteins and phosphorylates both. Moreover, in an in vitro assay PKCzeta mediates phosphorylation events decreasing hMutS alpha protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Altogether, our results indicate that PKC zeta modulates hMutS alpha stability and protein levels, and suggest a role for PKC zeta in genome stability by regulating MMR activity.

Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Aquaphilus dolomiae extract on in vitro models.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease characterized by recurrent pruritic inflammatory skin lesions resulting from structural and immune defects of the skin barrier. Previous studies have shown the clinical efficacy of Avène thermal spring water in AD, and a new microorganism, Aquaphilus dolomiae was suspected to contribute to these unique properties. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and immunomodulatory properties of ES0, an original biological extract of A. dolomiae, in immune and inflammatory cell models in order to assess its potential use in the treatment of AD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ES0 extract containing periplasmic and membrane proteins, peptides, lipopolysaccharides, and exopolysaccharides was obtained from A. dolomiae. The effects of the extract on pruritus and inflammatory mediators and immune mechanisms were evaluated by using various AD cell models and assays. RESULTS: In a keratinocyte model, ES0 inhibited the expression of the inflammatory mediators, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, interleukin (IL)-18, IL-4R, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-3, macrophage inflammatory protein-3α, and macrophage-derived chemokine and induced the expression of involucrin, which is involved in skin barrier keratinocyte terminal differentiation. In addition, ES0 inhibited protease-activated receptor-2 activation in HaCaT human keratinocytes stimulated by stratum corneum tryptic enzyme and T helper type (Th) 1, Th2, and Th17 cytokine production in Staphylococcal enterotoxin B-stimulated CD4+ lymphocytes. Lastly, ES0 markedly activated innate immunity through toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, and TLR5 activation (in recombinant human embryonic kidney 293 cells) and through antimicrobial peptide induction (psoriasin, human beta-defensin-2, and cathelicidin), mainly through TLR5 activation (in normal human keratinocytes). CONCLUSION: Overall, these in vitro results confirm the marked regulatory activity of this A. dolomiae extract on inflammatory and immune responses, which may be of value by virtue of its potential as an adjunctive treatment of AD inflammatory and pruritic lesions.

Degadration of mismatch repair hMutSalpha heterodimer by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Mismatch repair plays a critical role in genome stability. This process requires several proteins including hMSH2/hMSH6 (hMutSalpha) heterodimer involved in the first stage of the process, the mispair recognition. We previously reported that in U937 and HL-60 cell lines, hMSH2 and hMSH6 protein expression was much lower than that in HeLa and KG1a cells. Here, we showed that the decreased expression of hMutSalpha results from differences in the degradation rate of both proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Our data suggest that in human cell lines, ubiquitin-proteasome could play an important role in the regulation of hMutSalpha protein expression, thereby regulating mismatch repair activity.

Epidermal growth factor receptor/beta-catenin/T-cell factor 4/matrix metalloproteinase 1: a new pathway for regulating keratinocyte invasiveness after UVA irradiation.

Previous studies have established that UV irradiation results in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation in keratinocytes. However, the signaling pathways and cellular effects related to this process remain incompletely elucidated. Herein, we describe for the first time that UVA-mediated EGFR activation results in beta-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation at the Y654 residue responsible for the dissociation of E-cadherin/alpha-catenin/beta-catenin complexes. Moreover, UVA induces an EGFR-dependent, but Wnt-independent, beta-catenin relocalization from the membrane to the nucleus followed by its association with T-cell factor 4 (TCF4). This newly formed beta-catenin/TCF4 complex binds to a specific site on matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) promoter and governs MMP1 gene and protein expression, as well as cell migration in collagen and gelatin. Altogether, these results suggest that UVA stimulates keratinocyte invasiveness through two coordinated EGFR-dependent processes: loss of cell-to-cell contact due to beta-catenin/E-cadherin/alpha-catenin dissociation and increased cell migration through extracellular matrix component degradation due to beta-catenin/TCF4-dependent MMP1 regulation. These events may represent an important step in epidermis repair following UVA injury and their abnormal regulation could contribute to photoaging and photocarcinogenesis.

Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway mitigates UVA-induced G2/M arrest in keratinocyte cells.

UVA irradiation contributes largely to photocarcinogenesis. In the process of keratinocyte transformation, the activation of EGFR by UV is now considered as a critical event. However, the mechanism that links the EGFR pathway and photocarcinogenesis is not totally understood. In this study, we report that the EGFR/Akt pathway mitigated G2/M arrest in human HaCaT keratinocytes and normal human keratinocytes treated with low doses of UVA irradiation. EGFR-mediated Akt activation resulted in increased level of checkpoint 1 kinase (Chk1) inhibitory phosphorylation (Ser280). In contrast, EGFR/Akt pathway inhibition resulted in the abrogation of Ser280 Chk1 phosphorylation, increased level of Chk1 stimulatory phosphorylation (Ser345), and restoration of G2/M arrest. Altogether, these results suggest that, after UVA exposure, the EGFR/Akt pathway subverts the G2/M checkpoint. This effect may have serious implications in photocarcinogenesis by allowing damaged cells to transit through the cell cycle.

UVA induces granzyme B in human keratinocytes through MIF: implication in extracellular matrix remodeling.

In a previous study, we have described that UVB induces granzyme B (GrB) in human keratinocyte cells, and that confers potent cellular cytotoxicity against various cellular models, including immune cells (Hernandez-Pigeon, H., Jean, C., Charruyer, A., Haure, M. J., Titeux, M., Tonasso, L., Quillet-Mary, A., Baudouin, C., Charveron, M., and Laurent, G. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 13525-13532). Herein, we have found that, in contrast to UVB, UVA failed to enhance keratinocyte cellular cytotoxicity but was still able to trigger GrB production. We show that GrB is accumulated through a p38 MAPK-dependent transcriptional mechanism stimulated by redox-dependent migration inhibitory factor release. Moreover, GrB purified from UVA-treated cellular extracts was found to degrade fibronectin in vitro. Treatment with antisense oligonucleotide directed against GrB resulted in the inhibition of UVA-induced cell detachment and cell death and facilitated cell migration through fibronectin and vitronectin matrix upon UVA exposure. Altogether, these results suggest another function for GrB in the context of the UV response. Indeed, combined with our previous study, it appears that, whereas this enzyme mediates keratinocyte cellular cytotoxicity following UVB irradiation, GrB supports the capacity of keratinocyte to degrade extracellular matrix components following UVA irradiation. UV-mediated GrB production may thus have important consequences in photoaging and photocarcinogenesis.

Human keratinocytes acquire cellular cytotoxicity under UV-B irradiation. Implication of granzyme B and perforin.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is widely considered as a major cause of human skin photoaging and skin cancer. Granzyme B (GrB) and perforin (PFN) are two proteins contained in granules and implicated in one of the mechanisms by which cytotoxic lymphocytes and natural killer cells exert their cytotoxicity against virus-infected, alloreactive, or transformed cells. The distribution of GrB and PFN in the skin has received little attention. However, Berthou and co-workers (Berthou, C., Michel, L., Soulie, A., Jean-Louis, F., Flageul, B., Dubertret, L., Sigaux, F., Zhang, Y., and Sasportes, M. (1997) J. Immunol. 159, 5293-5300) described that, whereas freshly isolated epidermal cells did not express GrB or PFN, keratinocyte growth to confluence was associated with GrB and PFN mRNA and protein synthesis. In this work, we have investigated the possible role of UV-B on GrB and PFN expression in keratinocytes. We found that UV-B induces GrB and PFN expression in these cells through redox-, epidermal growth factor receptor-, and mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent signaling. Furthermore, under UV irradiation, keratinocytes acquire a significant cytotoxicity, which is GrB and PFN dependent, toward a variety of cellular targets including transformed T-lymphocytes, melanocytes, and keratinocytes. This phenomenon may have important functional consequences in the regulation of skin inflammatory response and in the emergence of cancer skin.