The flavonoid luteolin increases the resistance of normal, but not malignant keratinocytes, against UVB-induced apoptosis.

Adequate protection of skin against the carcinogenic effects of UVB irradiation is essential. Flavonoids may have a conspicuous role in cancer prevention because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and growth-inhibitory effects. Therefore, we tested the effects of the flavone luteolin (LUT) on selected parameters of the sunburn response in normal human keratinocytes, exposed to physiological doses of UVB.

A low UVB dose, with the potential to trigger a protective p53-dependent gene program, increases the resilience of keratinocytes against future UVB insults.

One protein central in the response of human keratinocytes to ultraviolet B damage is p53. By transactivating genes involved in either cell cycle arrest or DNA repair, p53 has a leading role in the recovery from this damage. Considering this role, we wished to investigate whether the triggering of a p53-dependent gene program by repetitive ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure can induce an adaptive response in human skin cells.

A synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic (EUK-134) inhibits membrane-damage-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and reduces p53 accumulation in ultraviolet B-exposed primary human keratinocytes.

Salen-manganese complexes exhibit powerful superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, with pharmacologic efficacy in several oxidative-stress-associated disease models. Ultraviolet (UV) B not only induces direct DNA damage, but also generates oxidative stress. EUK-134, a salen-manganese complex, might therefore confer a direct protection against UVB-induced oxidative stress and consequently alleviate UVB-damage-induced signal transduction.