Exploring the effects of non-medical versus medical approaches to the management of skin aging in women over sixty.

This study was a pilot project, set up to assess ageing skin using a multi-disciplinary approach. The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of more radical ('medical') treatments in the management of skin ageing would bring superior results and ultimately make people look younger, than the use of cosmetics ('non-medical' treatments). A simple post-hoc study design was used, whereby medical treatments varied within the group, all of them completed at least 2 weeks before the start of the study. In addition, it was of interest to assess the suitability of the proposed combination of methods. A total of 21 female participants were recruited for this study: 11 for the non-medical and 10 for the medical group. The multi-disciplinary approach consisted of instrumental measurements, self-assessment, expert assessment by Merz scales and a public perception survey. The majority of nearly 70 sets of instrumental skin data obtained in this study did not differ significantly between the non-medical and the medical group. However, the medical group gave higher self-assessment scores for their faces. The scores for hands were lower than scores for faces by both groups. This was partly supported by instrumental data (lower skin hydration on hands than on the face). The findings of the public perception survey of nine matched pairs of subjects scored the non-medical group as younger looking. Data analysis has shown that the judgement of youthfulness did not depend on either the gender or the age of observers.

Zymosan-induced chemiluminescence of alveolar macrophages: depression by inorganic dust constituents.

A method has been developed which allows the incubation of alveolar macrophages as weakly affixed monolayers in siliconized glass dishes. Without vigorous mechanical agitation and without using proteolytic enzymes, these cells were subsequently transferred to cuvettes where the zymosan-stimulated chemiluminescence of the suspended cells was measured. In vitro incubations of activated rabbit alveolar macrophage monolayers with airborne dusts from four West German sites (1 to 200 micrograms/10(6) cells), fly ash fractions of a special waste incinerator at Hamburg (50 to 1,000 micrograms/10(6) cells), and quartz dust DQ 12 (5 to 200 micrograms/10(6) cells) resulted in a dose- dependent depression of the zymosan-stimulated chemiluminescence. The depression of chemiluminescence was correlated with particle numbers, estimated dust surface, and antimony and lead masses of the dusts to which the cells were exposed. Cytotoxicity was better correlated with these parameters than with dust mass.

Depression of alveolar macrophage hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion release by mineral dusts: correlation with antimony, lead, and arsenic contents.

Activated rabbit alveolar macrophages were incubated with airborne dusts from four West German sites (1 to 200 micrograms/10(6) cells) and waste incinerator fly ash fractions (50 to 500 micrograms/10(6) cells). Quartz dust DQ 12 (5 to 200 micrograms/10(6) cells) and Fe2O3 (0.05 to 50 micrograms/10(6) cells) were used as control dusts. The zymosan-stimulated hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion release of the macrophages were not affected significantly by Fe2O3. All other investigated dusts decreased the two cell functions which were correlated negatively with surfaces, particle numbers, and antimony, lead, and arsenic contents of the dusts. The influence of heavy metal antagonisms and dust surfaces on dust toxicity against alveolar macrophages is discussed.

Toxicity of metallic ions and oxides to rabbit alveolar macrophages.

The effects of soluble compounds and oxides of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, V, and Zn on oxidative metabolism and membrane integrity of rabbit alveolar macrophages were studied by 24-hr in vitro exposure. Oxidative metabolism induced by phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan was measured by H2O2 and O2- release and by chemiluminescence in the presence of luminol. Membrane integrity was estimated by extracellular LDH activity. Metallic ions and oxides inhibited the release of active oxygen species. Cd(II), As(III), and V(V) were the most toxic elements as measured by all investigated parameters. Cu(II) decreased O2- release and chemiluminescence effectively but H2O2 release and membrane integrity less. Chemiluminescence was decreased strongly by Hg(II) while O2- and H2O2 release were depressed moderately. Zn(II) and Sb(III) compounds caused medium toxicity and the tested Sn, Ni, and Pb compounds showed only faint toxic effects.

Effects of quartz, airborne particulates and fly ash fractions from a waste incinerator on elastase release by activated and nonactivated rabbit alveolar macrophages.

Elastase release from cultured, activated and nonactivated rabbit alveolar macrophages (AM) was investigated after stimulation by different environmentally related mineral dusts (50-1000 micrograms/10(6) cells). Eight different dusts were analyzed for element contents and grain size: one rural and three urban airborne dusts, a coarse and a fine fraction of a sieved waste incinerator fly ash, a sonicated coarse fly ash fraction, and the standard quartz dust DQ 12. The fine fly ash fraction, the sonicated coarse fly ash fraction, and the quartz dust DQ 12 enhanced elastase release by activated AM. Only one of the tested airborne dusts effected a comparable elastase release. The untreated coarse fraction of the fly ash did not cause a significant increase of extracellular elastase activities. Elastase release was dependent on particle numbers and chemical composition and correlated best with barium and tin contents. Nonactivated AM released higher elastase activities than activated AM at low-dose levels. The possible role of dust-induced elastase secretion in the pathogenesis of emphysema is discussed.