Clinical efficacy and safety of 4-hexyl-1,3-phenylenediol for improving skin hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation disorders are of social and cosmetic concerns to many individuals due to their prevalent locations on highly visible parts of the body. Topical formulation containing hydroquinone is the most widely used remedy for the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders. However, reports of side effects in long-term usage have raised concerns for its use in cosmetic products.

Galvanic zinc-copper microparticles inhibit melanogenesis via multiple pigmentary pathways.

The endogenous electrical field of human skin plays an important role in many skin functions. However, the biological effects and mechanism of action of externally applied electrical stimulation on skin remain unclear. Recent study showed that galvanic zinc-copper microparticles produce electrical stimulation and reduce inflammatory and immune responses in intact skin, suggesting the important role of electrical stimulation in non-wounded skin.

Use of multiphoton tomography and fluorescence lifetime imaging to investigate skin pigmentation in vivo.

There is a growing body of literature showing the usefulness of multiphoton tomography (MPT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging for in situ characterization of skin constituents and the ensuing development of noninvasive diagnostic tools against skin diseases. Melanin and pigmentation-associated skin cancers constitute some of the major applications. We show that MPT and fluorescence lifetime imaging can be used to measure changes in cutaneous melanin concentration and that these can be related to the visible skin color.

New estrogenic prenylflavone from Epimedium brevicornum inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells.

Estrogens maintain female sexual health. The hormone also drives the growth of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast tumors, and ER modulators, like tamoxifen, are used to reduce tumor recurrence. To identify phytoestrogens with possible health benefits, we screened several Traditional Chinese Medicines and encountered an extract from the leaves of Epimedium brevicornum (EB), with strong (EC50: 1.

Clustering of sex hormone disruptors in Singapore's marine environment.

Abnormal sexual differentiation and other reproductive abnormalities in marine animals indicate the presence in seawater of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) that perturb the function of the sex hormone signaling pathways. However, most studies to date have reported on EDC effects in freshwater and sewage samples, and there is a paucity of bioassay data on the effects of EDCs in marine waters. Our aims in this study were to devise robust methodologies suitable for extracting potential EDCs and to measure their summated effects on activities of androgen receptors (ARs) and estrogen receptors (ER-alpha and ER-beta) in marine samples from Singapore's coastal waters.