The Combined Effect of Lumenato and Ceramide in the Protection of Collagen Damage Induced by Neutrophils in Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Introduction: Collagen is the primary structural protein fibroblasts produce in the skin’s extracellular matrix. Infiltration of neutrophils into the epidermis and dermis by exposure to UV causes collagen damage and contributes to photoaging. Methods: To study the combined effect of Lumenato and ceramide in preventing collagen-1 damage induced by phagocytes, we used co-cultures of normal human dermal fibroblasts (fibroblasts) and activated human neutrophils. The present study aimed to determine the protective effect of the combination of Lumenato and ceramide on fibroblast collagen-1 damage induced by neutrophils. Results: Lumenato (in the range of 6.5 - 208 μg/ml) or ceramide (in the range of 0.1 - 50 μM) inhibited the production of superoxides and MPO by TNFα-stimulated neutrophils, as well as the production of NO by LPS-stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. The combinations of Lumenato and ceramide, in low concentrations, caused synergistic prevention of fibroblasts’ collagen-1 damage induced by TNFα-activated neutrophils, detected by fluorescence immunostaining and WB analysis. MPO activity in the supernatants of the co-cultures was also synergistically inhibited. Adding Lumenato or ceramide singly or in combinations in these low concentrations to the fibroblast cultures did not affect the expression of collagen-1. The combinations of Lumenato or ceramide in these concentrations also caused a synergistic inhibition of NO production by activated macrophages. Conclusions: The results suggest that combining low concentrations of Lumenato and ceramide results in synergistic protection against fibroblasts’ collagen-1 damage induced by neutrophils, thus indicating their possible potential for enhanced skin health.

Chicken collagen hydrolysates differentially mediate anti-inflammatory activity and type I collagen synthesis on human dermal fibroblasts

Collagen is a major extracellular matrix protein.Given the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profiles of these bioactive compounds,there has been increasing interest in using collagen derived peptides and peptide-rich collagen hydrolysates for skin health,due to their immunomodulatory,antioxidant and proliferative effects on dermal fibroblasts.However,all hydrolysates are not equally effective in exerting the beneficial effects;hence,further research is needed to determine the factors that improve the therapeutic applicability of such preparations.We used different enzymatic conditions to generate a number of different collagen hydrolysates with distinct peptide profiles.We found that the use of two rather than one enzyme for hydrolysis generates a greater abundance of low molecular weight peptides with consequent improvement in bioactive properties.Testing these hydrolysates on human dermal fibroblasts showed distinct actions on inflammatory changes,oxidative stress,type I collagen synthesis and cellular proliferation.Our findings suggest that different enzymatic conditions affect the peptide profile of hydrolysates and differentially regulate their biological activities and potential protective responses on dermal fibroblasts.

9-Hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxydalbergiquinol suppresses hydrogen peroxide-induced senescence in human dermal fibroblasts through induction of sirtuin-1 expression

Objective:To investigate the potential anti-aging mechanism of9-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxydalbergiquinol(HDDQ)on hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts(HDFs).Methods:The effect of HDDQ on cell viability was assessed by MTT assay,and the effects of HDDQ on senescence-like phenotypes were determined by senescence-associatedβ-galactosidase(SA-β-gal)staining,Western blotting analysis,and a cell proliferation assay.The expression level and activity of sirtuin-1(SIRT1)induced by HDDQ were also measured.Results:HDDQ reversed senescence-like phenotypes in the oxidant-challenged model,through reducing SA-β-gal activity and promoting cell growth.Meanwhile,decreases in ac-p53,p21Cip1/WAF1,and p16Ink4a and an increase in p Rb were observed.HDDQ induced the expression of SIRT1 in a concentration-and time-dependent manner.Moreover,HDDQ inhibited H2O2-induced phosphorylation of Akt by SIRT1 up-regulation and reduced SA-β-gal staining.Conclusions:HDDQ inhibits H2O2-induced premature senescence and upregulation of SIRT1 expression plays a vital role in the inhibition of the senescence phenotype in HDFs.

Anti-senescence and anti-wrinkle activities of 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde from Polysiphonia morrowii Harvey in human dermal fibroblasts

Objective:To investigate the anti-senescence effect of 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde(BDB)from Polysiphonia morrowii Harvey in human dermal fibroblasts(HDF).Methods:HDF were subjected to treatment of BDB and then treated with hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)to induce premature senescence.Senescence-associatedβ-galactosidase(SA-β-gal)activity in HDF was determined using the SA-β-gal staining method.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)production was measured using the 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay.Western blotting assay was performed to assess the level of antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1(GPX1).In addition,intracellular collagen and collagenase contents were analyzed using the respective ELISA kits.Elastase activity in HDF supernatants was measured from p-nitroaniline release and normalized using total protein content.Results:Treatment of HDF with H2O2 increased the activity of SA-β-gal,but BDB pre-treatment resulted in the reduction of SA-β-gal activity.Moreover,BDB significantly reduced H2O2-induced intracellular ROS production.BDB also markedly increased the level of GPX1,which was inhibited by 400μM of H2O2.Furthermore,in in vitro study,BDB significantly increased intracellular collagen content and decreased matrix metalloproteinase-1 and elastase activities in HDF.Conclusions:Our results demonstrate that BDB shows antisenescence and anti-wrinkle activities in vitro.

Comparative study of the effects of gold and silver nanoparticles on the metabolism of human dermal fibroblasts

The purpose of this article was to explore the effects of gold nanoparticles(GNPs)and silver nano-particles(SNPs)with different cytotoxicities on human dermal fibroblasts(HDFs)at the metabolic level.First,~20 nm of GNPs and SNPs were prepared,and their effects on the proliferation of HDFs were evaluated.Then,a metabolomics technique was used to analyse the effects of GNPs and SNPs on the expression profiles of metabolites in HDFs after 4,8 and 24h of treatment.Furthermore,the key metabolites and key metabolic pathways involved in the interaction of GNPs and SNPs with HDFs were identified through expression pattern analysis and metabolic pathway analysis of differentially expressed metabolites and were finally verified by experiments.The results of the cytotoxicity experiments showed that there was no cytotoxicity after the treatment of GNPs for 72 h,while the cytotoxicity of the SNPs reached grade 1 after 72 h.By using metabolomics analysis,29,30 and 27 metabolites were shown to be differentially expressed in HDFs after GNP treatment,while SNPs induced the differential expression of 13,33 and 22 metabolites after 4,8 and 24h of treatment,respectively.Six and four candidate key metabolites in the GNP and SNP groups were identified by expression pattern analysis and metabolic pathway analysis,respec-tively.The key metabolic pathways in the GNP and SNP groups were identified as the glutathione metabolic pathway(the key metabolite of which was glutathione)and the citrate cycle pathway(the key metabolite of which was malic acid).Based on the experiments used to verify the key metabolites and key metabolic pathways,it was found that the increase in glutathione after GNP treatment might trigger an oxidative stress protection mechanism and thus avoid cytotoxicity.After exposure to SNPs,the citric acid content was increased,mainly through the citrate cycle path-way,thereby inhibiting the synthesis of malic acid to affect the formation of ATP and finally leading to cytotoxicity.

UV-induced senescence of human dermal fibroblasts restrained by low-stiffness matrix by inhibiting NF-κB activation

As a hallmark of skin aging,senescent human dermal fibroblasts(HDFs)are known to lose the ability to divide.However,they can still interact with their cellular environment and the surrounding matrix.As the skin ages,the progressive slowing down of HDFs function decreases the skin’s structural integrity,which is more serious than if there is the dermal collagen matrix eroded.This leads to matters of the unbalanced barrier under the skin,skin fragility,inadequate wound healing,as well as other cosmetic issues.It is also well documented that skin aging comes with significant stiffness increases.Therefore,understanding the interactions between HDFs and the surrounding microenvironments during senescence may provide insights into skin aging.Here we aim to inves-tigate matrix stiffness’effect on HDF senescence and elucidate possible mechanisms that make HDFs senescent.In our experiments,HDFs were cultivated on Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)with various stiffnesses and exposed to UV light to trigger senescence.Results show that HDFs are significantly affected by senescence when cultured on a matrix with stiffness.However,the cells are not significantly affected when cultured on a low stiffness matrix.The following characterization revealed cells cultured on stiffsubstrates under UV exposure had stimu-lated the nucleus factor kappa-B(NF-κB)activation.In contrast,cells on a matrix of softness only displayed low activation of NF-κB.NF-κB activity suppression with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)decreases UV-induced HDFs senescence on stiffsubstrates.Taken together,we demonstrated that soft matrix defends HDFs against ultraviolet-induced senescence by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB.

Honey exposure stimulates wound repair of human dermal fibroblasts

Honey is widely used for treating burns, ulcers and wounds, but the mechanisms of action are poorly known and the product is mainlyused as an antimicrobial. We have examined here the wound healing properties of honey on human fi broblasts, using an in vitroscratch wound healing model. Three kinds of widely used monofl oral honeys were used, viz. acacia (Robinia pseudacacia), buckwheat(Fagopyrum sp.), and manuka (Leptospermum scoparium). Data displayed an increased wound healing activity in fi broblasts, butwith diff erent effi ciency and mechanisms of action among honeys. The eff ects of acacia and buckwheat emerged in both scratchwound and chemotaxis assays, while the eff ect of manuka was signifi cant but lower. The use of inhibitors indicated on the wholean essential role of cytosolic calcium, an important role of ERK and p38, and a secondary role of PI3K. Acacia and buckwheat,but not manuka, induced signifi cant increases in the release of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, and IL-8, indicating a correlation betweeninterleukin upregulation and wound closure effi ciency. This is consistent with our previous fi ndings suggesting a higher ability ofacacia and buckwheat to activate keratinocyte reepithelialization, with respect to manuka honey. In conclusion, our data indicatethat acacia and buckwheat honeys are particularly effi cient in facilitating fi broblast wound closure activities, suggesting newtherapeutic possibilities for this natural product.

In vitro antioxidant and wound healing activity of Sargassum polycystum hydroethanolic extract in fibroblasts and keratinocytes

Objective:To investigate the in vitro antioxidant and wound healing properties of the hydroethanolic extract of Sargassum polycystum,and elucidate the mechanism of its wound healing activity.Methods:Human dermal fibroblast and HaCaT cells were used to evaluate the proliferation by sulforhodamine B and dsDNA assay after treatment with Sargassum polycystum extracts.Scratch wound healing and phalloidin-rhodamine staining were employed to observe migratory activity and filopodia formation,respectively.Western blot and real-time RT-PCR assays were performed to determine the protein and gene expressions related to wound healing activities.Results:The phytochemical analysis found a higher level of flavonoid than phenolic compound in Sargassum polycystum extracts.In human dermal fibroblast cells,Sargassum polycystum extracts at 50 and 100μg/mL significantly increased fibroblast proliferation and the gene expressions of hyaluronic acid synthase 1(HAS1),HAS2,HAS3,collagen type 1 alpha 1 chain(COL1A1),collagen type 3 alpha 1 chain(COL3A1),and elastin.The phosphorylation of Akt,ERK1/2,and p38 MAPK was also significantly upregulated after treatment with Sargassum polycystum extracts.Additionally,50 and 100μg/mL of the extracts prominently enhanced the proliferation,migration,and filopodia formation of HaCaT cells,as well as the protein levels of pFAK/FAK,pSrc/Src,pAkt/Akt,pERK1/2/ERK1/2,Rac1 and Cdc42.Conclusions:Sargassum polycystum extracts show promising wound healing activities in human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Effect of a Nutrient Mixture on Fanconi Anemia Fibroblast and Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast: A Comparison

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a fatal heterogeneous autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, congenital defect and cancer predisposition. Cell culture from FA fibroblast (FAF) displays certain abnormalities as compared to normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF). This prompted us to investigate the effect of a specific nutrient mixture (NM) containing ascorbic acid, lysine, proline and green tea extract, which has demonstrated a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, on FAF compared to NHDF. We investigated the in vitro effect of NM on FAF and NHDF cell proliferation by MTT assay, MMPs secretion by zymography, morphology by H&E staining and apoptosis by green caspase assay. FAF (FA-A: PD20, FA-A: PD220) and NHDF were cultured in modified Dulbecco Eagle media. At near confluence, the cells were treated with different concentrations of NM (0, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 μg/ml) in triplicate. The cells were also treated with PMA to induce MMP-9 activity. NM had no effect on FAF cell viability in both cell lines compared to control. In contrast NM exhibited 20% at 50 and 100, 50% at 250, 60% at 500 and 70% toxicity at 1000 μg/ml on NHDF cells. Zymography demonstrated MMP-2 and MMP-9 on PMA stimulation in FAF and NM inhibited the activity of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 in a dose response fashion with total block at 500 μg/ml. In contrast, NHDF exhibited only MMP-2, both active and inactive forms, and NM inhibited their activities in a dose-dependent manner with total block at 1000 μg/ml. H&E staining did not indicate any morphological changes in FAF nor induced apoptosis at higher concentrations, as seen by caspases assay. However, although no morphological changes in NHDF were noted up to NM 100 μg/ml, progressive changes in cell shrinkage, rounding and nuclear condensation, pertaining to apoptosis, were observed at higher concentrations. These changes were consistent with the results from the green caspases apoptosis assay. Our data demonstrate that NM exhibited different responses toward FAF and NHDF. This may in part be due to elevated chromosomal break, deletion and hypersensitivity to cross linking agents, a DNA repair disorder in FAF that is lacking in NHDF.

Small molecules facilitate single factor-mediated sweat gland cell reprogramming

Background: Large skin defects severely disrupt the overall skin structure and can irreversibly damage sweat glands(SGs), thus impairing the skin’s physiological function. This study aims to develop a stepwise reprogramming strategy to convert fibroblasts into SG lineages, which may provide a promising method to obtain desirable cell types for the functional repair and regeneration of damaged skin.Methods: The expression of the SG markers cytokeratin 5(CK5), cytokeratin 10(CK10), cytokeratin 18(CK18), carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), aquaporin 5(AQP5) and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) was assessed with quantitative PCR(qPCR), immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Calcium activity analysis was conducted to test the function of induced SG-like cells(iSGCs). Mouse xenograft models were also used to evaluate the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into normal group, SGM treatment group and iSGC transplantation group.Immunocytochemical analyses and starch-iodine sweat tests were used to confirm the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.Results: Ectodermal dysplasia antigen(EDA) overexpression drove human dermal fibroblast(HDF) conversion into i SGCs in SG culture medium(SGM). qPCR indicated significantly increased mRNA levels of the SG markers CK5, CK18and CEA in iSGCs, and flow cytometry data demonstrated(4.18±0.04)% of iSGCs were CK5 positive and(4.36±0.25)%of iSGCs were CK18 positive. The addition of chemical cocktails greatly accelerated the SG fate program. qPCR results revealed significantly increased mRNA expression of CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, as well as activation of the duct marker CK10 and luminal functional marker AQP5. Flow cytometry indicated, after the treatment of chemical cocktails,(23.05±2.49)% of iSGCs expressed CK5^(+) and(55.79±3.18)% of iSGCs expressed CK18^(+), respectively. Calcium activity analysis indicated that the reactivity of iSGCs to acetylcholine was close to that of primary SG cells [(60.79±7.71)% vs.(70.59±0.34)%, ns]. In vivo transplantation experiments showed approximately(5.2±1.1)% of the mice were sweat test positive, and the histological analysis results indicated that regenerated SG structures were present in iSGCs-treated mice.Conclusions: We developed a SG reprogramming strategy to generate functional iSGCs from HDFs by using the single factor EDA in combination with SGM and small molecules. The generation of iSGCs has important implications for future in situ skin regeneration with SG restoration.

Dermal fibroblast expression of stromal cellderived factor-1 （SDF-1） promotes epidermal keratinocyte proliferation in normal and diseased skin

Stromal cells provide a crucial microenvironment for overlying epithelium. Here we investigated the expression and function of a stromal cell-specific protein, stromal cell-derived factor-1 （SDF-1）, in normal human skin and in the tissues of diseased skin. Immunohistology and laser capture microdissection （LCM）-coupled quantitative real- time RT-PCR revealed that SDF-1 is constitutively and predominantly expressed in dermal stromal cells in nor- mal human skin in vivo. To our surprise, an extremely high level of SDF-1 transcription was observed in the dermis of normal human skin in vivo, evidenced by much higher mRNA expression level than type I collagen, the most abundant and highly expressed protein in human skin. SDF-1 was also upregulated in the tissues of many human skin disorders including psoriasis, basal cell carcinoma （BCC）, and squamous cell carcinoma （SCC）. Double immunostaining for SDF-1 and HSP47 （heat shock protein 47）, a marker of fibroblasts, revealed that fibroblasts were the major source of stroma-cell-derived SDF-1 in both normal and diseased skin. Functionally, SDF-1 activates the ERK （extracellular-signal-regulated kinases） pathway and functions as a mitogen to stimulate epidermalkeratinocyte proliferation. Both overexpression of SDF-1 in dermal fibroblasts and treatment with rhSDF-1 to the skin equivalent cultures significantly increased the number of keratinocyte layers and epidermal thickness. Con- versely, the stimulative function of SDF-1 on keratinocyte proliferation was nearly completely eliminated by inter- fering with CXCR4, a specific receptor of SDF-1, or by knock-down of SDF-1 in fibroblasts. Our data reveal that extremely high levels of SDF-1 provide a crucial microenvironment for epidermal keratinocyte proliferation in both physiologic and pathologic skin conditions.

Shikonin Promotes Skin Cell Proliferation and Inhibits Nuclear Factor-κB Translocation via Proteasome Inhibition In Vitro

Background：Shikonin is a major active chemical component extracted from Lithospermi Radix,an effective traditional herb in various types of wound healing.Shikonin can accelerate granulomatous tissue formation by the rat cotton pellet method and induce neovascularization in granulomatous tissue.The purpose of the study was to investigate its mechanism of action in human skin cells.Methods：MTS assay was used to measure cell growth.The collagen type Ⅰ （COL1） mRNA expression and procollagen type Ⅰ C-peptide （PIP） production were detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,respectively.Immunofluorescence and western blot analyses were carried out to investigate nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway.Cell-based proteasome activity assay was used to determine proteasome activity.Results：In this study,we found that 10 μmol/L shikonin stimulated the growth of normal human keratinocytes and 1 μmol/L shikonin promoted growth of human dermal fibroblasts.However,shikonin did not directly induce COLI mRNA expression and PIP production in dermal fibroblasts in vitro.In addition,1 μmol/L shikonin inhibited translocation of NF-κB p65 from cytoplasm to nucleus induced by tumor necrosis factor-α stimulation in dermal fibroblasts.Furthermore,shikonin inhibited chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome and was associated with accumulation ofphosphorylated inhibitor κB-α in dermal fibroblasts.Conclusions：These results suggested that shikonin may promote wound healing via its cell growth promoting activity and suppress skin inflammation via inhibitory activity on proteasome.Thus,shikonin may be a potential therapeutic reagent both in wound healing and inflammatory skin diseases.

Study on the effects of alternating capacitive electric fields with different frequencies on promoting wound healing

Some researches to facilitate wound healing by using electrical stimulation are based on electric current stimulation,which may cause secondary damage and the imbalance of the microenvironment in vivo.In this study,alternating capacitive electric field(ACEF)was applied via a self-designed system so as to avoid direct contact with cells and to maintain stable microenvironment for cell growth.The influences of 58 mV/mm ACEFs with various frequencies of 10,60 and 110 Hz on epidermal cells,fibroblasts and macrophages which involve in wound healing were comprehensively explored.The results suggested that ACEFs of 10,60 and 110 Hz all significantly promoted the proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts(HDFs)and human epidermal keratinocyte cell line(HaCaT)cells,and 60 Hz ACEF furtherly accelerated the migration of these two kinds of cells.Moreover,ACEFs of all different studied frequencies facilitated M2-type polarization of macrophages,and YAP/TAZ expression of macrophages were enhanced under the stimulations of 10 and 60 Hz ACEFs.The enhancements in cell activity,migration rate and M2-type polarizability indicated that 58 mV/mm ACEFs especially at 60 Hz possessing potentially affirmative applications for wound healing without the risks of secondary damage and microenvironment imbalance.