Resolvin D1 Suppresses HO-Induced Senescence in Fibroblasts by Inducing Autophagy through the miR-1299/ARG2/ARL1 Axis.

ARG2 has been reported to inhibit autophagy in vascular endothelial cells and keratinocytes. However, studies of its mechanism of action, its role in skin fibroblasts, and the possibility of promoting autophagy and inhibiting cellular senescence through ARG2 inhibition are lacking. We induced cellular senescence in dermal fibroblasts by using HO.

Guanine Deaminase Stimulates Ultraviolet-induced Keratinocyte Senescence in Seborrhoeic Keratosis via Guanine Metabolites.

DNA damage and oxidative stress play a critical role in photoageing. Seborrhoeic keratosis (SK) affects sunlight-exposed sites in aged individuals. This study examined the mechanism of photoageing in SK.

IL-1 Receptor Antagonist Reduced Chemical-Induced Keratinocyte Apoptosis through Antagonism to IL-1α/IL-1β.

Extracellular interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1α) released from keratinocytes is one of the endpoints for assessments of skin irritancy. Although cells dying via primary skin irritation undergo apoptosis as well as necrosis, IL-1α is not released in apoptotic cells. On the other hand, active secretion has been identified in interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), which was discovered to be a common, upregulated, differentially-expressed gene in a microarray analysis performed with keratinocytes treated using cytotoxic doses of chemicals.

Increased Skin Irritation by Hydroquinone and Rsetinoic Acid Used in Combination.

Background: Hydroquinone (HQ) is frequently combined with retinoic acid (RA) to enhance lightening efficacy, which may also affect skin irritancy. Although skin irritation leads to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, little research has been performed to compare skin irritancy between each component and the combination.

Objective: This study was done to examine whether HQ-RA combination increased skin irritation induced by HQ or RA alone.

Complementary effect of hydroquinone and retinoic acid on corneocyte desquamation with their combination use.

Background: Retinoic acid (RA) enhances skin-lightening capabilities of hydroquinone (HQ), at least in part, by facilitating desquamation which leads to increase penetration of HQ. The desquamation also affects skin irritation levels. The mechanism of RA-induced desquamation, however, has not been completely explored and no such data has been available for HQ uses.

Effects of low-dose light-emitting-diode therapy in combination with water bath for atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice.

Background: Light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy and water bath therapy have beneficial effect on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin disease. However, not all current treatments work well and alternative therapies are need. The contribution of combination therapy with low-dose 850 nm LED and water bath was investigated on dermatophagoides farina (Df)-induced dermatitis in NC/Nga mice.

Retinoic acid and hydroquinone induce inverse expression patterns on cornified envelope-associated proteins: implication in skin irritation.

Background: Hydroquinone (HQ) with or without retinoic acid (RA) is routinely used for the treatment of hyperpigmented conditions. Skin irritation is a major problem with popular depigmenting agents, resulting in postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Objective: To examine the molecular mechanism associated with skin irritation by RA or HQ.

Combination of glucosamine and low-dose cyclosporine for atopic dermatitis treatment: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel clinical trial.

Our recent pilot study showed better outcomes using a combination of low-dose cyclosporine and glucosamine than cyclosporine alone in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). Here, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-designed study was planned to compare the efficacy and safety of low-dose cyclosporine and glucosamine combination to low-dose cyclosporine alone for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD. AD patients with a Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index ≥ 30 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either cyclosporine 2 mg/kg and glucosamine 25 mg/kg (group A) or cyclosporine and placebo (group B) for 8 weeks.

S100B as a potential biomarker for the detection of cytotoxicity of melanocytes.

Skin irritation is one of the most common adverse reactions in hydroquinone (HQ) and retinoic acid (RA). Although melanocytes have rarely been considered to be involved in skin irritation, RA and particularly HQ could induce melanocyte toxicity, resulting in depigmentation. We chose S100B as a candidate gene for melanocytotoxicity from a genome-wide transcriptional profiling analysis after applying irritant doses of HQ, RA and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) to cultures of keratinocytes and/or melanocytes.

850nm light-emitting-diode phototherapy plus low-dose tacrolimus (FK-506) as combination therapy in the treatment of Dermatophagoides farinae-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.

Background: Light emitting diode (LED) phototherapy is an effective alternative for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders. Tacrolimus (FK-506) is a potent immunomodulating agent, which has been used to treat AD. Combination therapy is often used in the treatment of AD to improve therapeutic efficacy or to reduce the dose of each drug.

Three new single nucleotide polymorphisms identified by a genome-wide association study in Korean patients with vitiligo.

Genetic susceptibility is involved in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Association studies with a whole genome-based approach instead of a single or a few candidate genes may be useful for discovering new susceptible genes. Although the etiology of non-segmental and segmental types is different, the association between gene polymorphisms and vitiligo has been reported, without defining types or in non-segmental type.

Mechanism underlying the effect of combined therapy using glucosamine and low-dose cyclosporine A on the development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.

Combination therapy is often used in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) to improve clinical efficacy or to spare the dose of each drug. Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a calcineurin inhibitor that was developed for the treatment of AD. Glucosamine (Glu) is a potent immunosuppressant that inhibits Th2-mediated immunity.

Combination of glucosamine improved therapeutic effect of low-dose cyclosporin A in patients with atopic dermatitis: a pilot study.

Both glucosamine and cyclosporin have been reported to show immunomodulatory effect with inhibition of each different key transcription factor for cytokine gene expression and T-cell function. The overall purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the combination of cyclosporin with glucosamine for the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis. Twelve patients more than 12 years old who required systemic cyclosporin were included in the study.

PDZK1 upregulation in estrogen-related hyperpigmentation in melasma.

The pathogenesis of melasma is unknown, although the potential role of estrogen has been considered. Microarray and real-time PCR analyses revealed that upregulation of PDZ domain protein kidney 1 (PDZK1) is clinically correlated with melasma. Although there has been no report that PDZK1 is involved in pigmentation and/or melanogenesis, PDZK1 expression can be induced by estrogen.

Irradiation of light emitting diode at 850nm inhibits T cell-induced cytokine expression.

Background: An anti-inflammatory effect of light obtained from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been discovered, however, limited ranges of wavelengths have been used and the action mechanism has been rarely demonstrated.

Objective: We sought to analyze the immunomodulatory effect of LED on Jurkat T cells and human T cells.

Methods: Jurkat T cells with/without stimulation were irradiated once or five times using seven ranges of LED wavelengths, from 415nm to 940nm.

Validation of nested PCR and a selective biochemical method as alternatives for mycoplasma detection.

Direct culture is the most common way to reliably detect mycoplasma, but it is not practical for the qualitative control of cell therapeutics because of the elaborate culture medium, the prolonged incubation time, and the large sample volumes. Here, we chose two alternative methods using commercial detection kits, the PCR mycoplasma detection kit with nested PCR and the selective biochemical method, MycoAlert(®), and validated them with the direct culture method as a reference. We tested eight mycoplasma species and five validation parameters: specificity, detection limit, robustness, repeatability, and ruggedness, based on the regulatory guidelines in the US Pharmacopoeia.

A novel function of Siglec-9 A391C polymorphism on T cell receptor signaling.

Background: Sialic-acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglecs) are the best-characterized immunoglobulin-type lectins. There is a growing amount of data linking Siglec and autoimmune diseases. The recently identified Siglec-9 inhibits T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signaling which has been demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis.

Association of thymic stromal lymphopoietin gene -847C>T polymorphism in generalized vitiligo.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) induces naïve CD4+ T cells to produce Th2 cytokines. In addition, to low production of Th2 cytokines, strong Th1 response, which plays an important role in vitiligo development, has been induced by blockade of TSLP or TSLP receptor. This study examined whether a functional TSLP polymorphism was associated with vitiligo.

Catalytic activities of intracellular dimeric neopullulanase on cyclodextrin, acarbose and maltose.

Multi-substrate specificity of neopullulanase towards cyclodextrin, acarbose and maltose was investigated using a clone originating from Bacillus stearothermophilus IMA6503. The enzyme purified from Escherichia coli harbouring the corresponding nplA gene hydrolysed beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) to maltose and glucose. It exhibited substrate preference for beta-CD, starch and pullulan in the proportions of 10.