Inhibitory effect of the extract of rhizome of Curcuma longa L in gelatinase activity and its effect on human skin.

Exposure to UV radiation to human skin up-regulates the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family. Gelatinases are member of MMPs which have been suggested to play an important role in photoaging such as wrinkle formation. To inhibit gelatinase activity is regarded to be very important to keep healthy skin and to protect wrinkle formation.

Quantification of activated and total caspase-14 with newly developed ELISA systems in normal and atopic skin.

Background: Activation of caspase-14 occurs during terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and may play a role in filaggrin degradation. Therefore, down-regulation of caspase-14 may lead to impaired barrier function.

Objective: To compare the levels of active and total caspase-14 in healthy subjects in various age groups and in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), using two enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) systems.

The evaluation of the amount of cis- and trans-urocanic acid in the stratum corneum by Raman spectroscopy.

Urocanic acid (UCA) is a major component in the epidermis which absorbs ultraviolet light (UV) and is isomerized from the trans to the cis form upon UV exposure. This study aimed to evaluate the amounts of cis- and trans-UCA in the stratum corneum (SC) in vivo using Raman spectroscopy. UV damage has previously been investigated by calculating the amount of trans-UCA by fitting Raman spectra.

Neutral cysteine protease bleomycin hydrolase is essential for the breakdown of deiminated filaggrin into amino acids.

Filaggrin is a component of the cornified cell envelope and the precursor of free amino acids acting as a natural moisturizing factor in the stratum corneum. Deimination is critical for the degradation of filaggrin into free amino acids. In this study, we tried to identify the enzyme(s) responsible for the cleavage of deiminated filaggrin in vitro.

Changes in environmental humidity affect the water-holding property of the stratum corneum and its free amino acid content, and the expression of filaggrin in the epidermis of hairless mice.

Background: Seasonal changes affect the condition of skin and may trigger various cutaneous disorders.

Objective: To clarify the effects of the environmental humidity on the skin pathology, we studied the effects of the humidity on a water-holding function of the stratum corneum.

Methods: We evaluated the skin surface conductance, amino acid in the stratum corneum, and immunoreactivity of filaggrin of the epidermis of hairless mice kept in different environmental humidity.