Evidence of the protective effect of anti-pollution products against oxidative stress in skin ex vivo using EPR spectroscopy and autofluorescence measurements.

The concentration of air pollution is gradually increasing every year so that daily skin exposure is unavoidable. Dietary supplements and topical formulations currently represent the protective strategies to guard against the effects of air pollution on the body and the skin. Unfortunately, there are not yet enough methods available to measure the effectiveness of anti-pollution products on skin.

Establishment of a method to expose and measure pollution in excised porcine skin with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Health problems associated with the amount of air pollutants are increasing worldwide. Pollution damages not only the lungs; it also has an impact on skin health and is co-responsible for the development of skin diseases. Anti-pollution products are on the rise in the cosmetic market but so far, there is no established method to directly assess the impact of pollution on the skin and to test the efficacy of anti-pollution products.

Anti-pollution effects of two antioxidants and a chelator-Ex vivo electron spin resonance and in vivo cigarette smoke model assessments in human skin.

Background: Skin damage arising from pollutants in gaseous and particulate matter forms is mainly mediated by oxidative stress. The pollutants directly or indirectly generate free radicals on and in the skin, leading, for example, to MMP up-regulation and damage of collagen fibers. Antioxidants and chelators are used in anti-pollution cosmetics to reduce the harmful effects of free radical generation.

One-time intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide application alters the redox potential in cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis patients: a pilot study.

Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid analysis may provide insight into the interplay between chronic inflammation and response to treatment.

Objectives: To demonstrate the impact of one intrathecal triamcinolone injection on the redox potential and on ascorbyl radical appearance in the cerebrospinal fluid of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis patients.

Methods: A total of 16 patients received 40 mg triamcinolone.

Effects of water-filtered infrared-A and of heat on cell death, inflammation, antioxidative potential and of free radical formation in viable skin--first results.

The effects of water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) and of convective heat on viability, inflammation, inducible free radicals and antioxidative power were investigated in natural and viable skin using the ex vivo Bovine Udder System (BUS) model. Therefore, skin samples from differently treated parts of the udder of a healthy cow were analyzed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) measurement and by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Neither cell viability, the inflammation status, the radical status or the antioxidative defence systems of the skin were significantly affected by wIRA applied within 30 min by using an irradiance of 1900 W m(-2) which is of relevance for clinical use, but which exceeded the maximum solar IR-A irradiance at the Earth's surface more than 5 times and which resulted in a skin surface temperature of about 45 °C without cooling and of about 37 °C with convective cooling by air ventilation.

Reduction in the free radical status and clinical benefit of repeated intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide application in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Previous open trials performed repeated intrathecal application of the sustained release steroid triamcinolone acetonide every third day in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis and described enhanced walking abilities.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to demonstrate the efficacy of 5 triamcinolone administrations every other day and to describe their effects on the amount of inducible free radicals in cerebrospinal fluid.

Subjects/methods: Clinical ratings, determinations of maximum walking distance, and execution of an instrumental peg insertion test were performed at baseline and on each day after a triamcinolone injection in 21 patients with progressive multiple sclerosis.

Ex vivo evaluation of radical sun protection factor in popular sunscreens with antioxidants.

Background: UVA induces tissue damage via the production of radical oxygen species. Adding antioxidants to UV filters in sunscreens is a novel photoprotective strategy. The topical application of antioxidants in sunscreen can potentially neutralize the UVA-induced free radicals.

The role of melanin as protector against free radicals in skin and its role as free radical indicator in hair.

Throughout the body, melanin is a homogenous biological polymer containing a population of intrinsic, semiquinone-like radicals. Additional extrinsic free radicals are reversibly photo-generated by UV and visible light. Melanin photochemistry, particularly the formation and decay of extrinsic radicals, has been the subject of numerous electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy studies.

The antioxidative power AP--A new quantitative time dependent (2D) parameter for the determination of the antioxidant capacity and reactivity of different plants.

In the last decade, naturally occurring antioxidants continue to play an important role in the food-supplement industry. The content of antioxidants in a plant depends on the species, temperature, humidity, period of growth, harvest month, part of the plant used and many other variables. Herein, we present a new method able to determine the all over antioxidative power (AP) of plant extracts or lyophilised plant parts based on the reducing activity against a stable test radical.