The Use of Urea Cream for Hand Eczema and Urea Foam for Seborrheic Dermatitis and Psoriasiform Dermatoses of the Scalp.

Purpose: Urea as an ingredient in topical skin applications can aid skin integrity and hydration and have keratolytic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-pruritic effects. Skin conditions that urea-containing formulations have been utilized to treat include hand eczema/dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasiform dermatoses of the scalp. Two monocentric, simple blind, observational studies were carried out in healthy participants to examine the efficacy and safety of two urea-containing products in these skin conditions.

A new combination of molecules for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium: a double-blind randomized, monocentric, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most frequent form of alopecia. Telogen effluvium (TE) is a common form of diffuse hair loss mainly observed in women. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of a topical trichological treatment containing a new combination of molecules for the treatment of AGA and TE.

Assessment of the skin efficacy and acceptability of a cosmetic product in the treatment of the forearm hypertrichosis in female patients.

Background: Treatment of unwanted body hair is a challenging area in cosmetic dermatology. Topical soy isoflavones and derivatives or eflornithine have been utilized in dermatocosmetology for their estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of a formulation containing capryloyl glycine 4% in decreasing hair growth on the forearms after topical application for 120 days vs placebo.

The Combination of Sulforaphane and Fernblock XP Improves Individual Beneficial Effects in Normal and Neoplastic Human Skin Cell Lines.

Plenty of evidence supports the health effects exerted by dietary supplements containing phytochemicals, but the actual efficacy and safety of their combinations have been seldom experimentally evaluated. On this basis, we investigated in vitro the antioxidant/antineoplastic efficacy and anti-aging activity of a dietary supplement containing sulforaphane (SFN), a sulfur-isothiocyanate present in broccoli, combined with the patented extract Fernblock XP (FB), obtained from the tropical fern . We evaluated the effect of SFN and FB, alone or in combination, on migration ability, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) production, neoangiogenic potential and inflammasome activation in human WM115 and WM266-4 melanoma cells.

Skin protective effects of an antipollution, antioxidant serum containing extract, ferulic acid and vitamin C: a controlled single-blind, prospective trial in women living in urbanized, high air pollution area.

Air pollution causes skin damage and favors skin aging processes such as dark spots and wrinkles, through oxidative stress. Pollutant substances accelerate skin aging through a specific activation of intracellular receptors called AhR (aryl-hydrocarbon receptors). aqueous extract (DAE) has shown to counteract the pollutant-induced AhR activation.

Topical urea in skincare: A review.

Alterations in barrier function are associated with a number of skin diseases, including xerosis, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Urea, a component of the natural moisturizing factor of the skin, plays an important role in the preservation of skin hydration and integrity. Several studies have investigated the effects of urea in the clinical setting.

Clinical evaluation of an antiperspirant for hyperhidrosis.

Background: Hyperhidrosis is a fairly common condition characterized by excessive sweating, usually in axillary areas. Although not leading to major health problems, it causes significant psychological distress and bears a negative impact on sociality and quality of life in general. The first line of defense used to address this problem are antiperspirants, usually containing aluminum salts, capable of blocking the excessive sweating.

Efficacy of a cosmetic phyto-caffeine shampoo in female androgenetic alopecia.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in both males as well as females, occurring in up to 57% of women by the age of 80 years. Androgenetic alopecia is associated with a high psychological burden and often results in substantially reduced quality of life, poor body image and low self-esteem, particularly in women. Caffeine-based products have shown promise, both in vitro and in vivo, as potential treatments for AGA.

Role of β-catenin signaling in the anti-invasive effect of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA in human melanoma cells.

Background: We previously found that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid present at high level in fatty fish, inhibited cell growth and induced differentiation of melanoma cells in vitro by increasing nuclear β-catenin content. An anti-neoplastic role of nuclear β-catenin was suggested in melanoma, and related to the presence in the melanocyte lineage of the microphtalmia transcription factor (MITF), which interferes with the transcription of β-catenin/TCF/LEF pro-invasive target genes.

Objective: In the present work we investigated if DHA could inhibit the invasive potential of melanoma cells, and if this effect could be related to DHA-induced alterations of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, including changes in MITF expression.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of selected natural compounds contained in a dietary supplement on two human immortalized keratinocyte lines.

Several advantages may derive from the use of dietary supplements containing multiple natural antioxidants and/or anti-inflammatory agents. At present, however, there is scarce information on the properties and potential of combined supplements. To fill the gap, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities exerted by a combination of seven natural components (coenzyme Q10, krill oil, lipoic acid, resveratrol, grape seed oil, α-tocopherol, and selenium) contained in a dietary supplement used for the prevention of skin disorders were investigated in vitro.

Potential of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in melanoma prevention.

The possible antineoplastic activity of dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) has been supported by ample preclinical studies that have identified a number of molecular factors and pathways affected by these fatty acids and involved in cell growth, apoptosis, invasion, and angiogenesis. The aim of this critical review is to assess the current state of knowledge on the potential anticancer effects of LC n-3 PUFAs against malignant melanoma, one of the most common cancers among Western populations. The results of preclinical as well as human observational and interventional studies investigating the effects of LC n-3 PUFAs in melanoma were examined.

Modulation of MMP-9 pathway by lycopene in macrophages and fibroblasts exposed to cigarette smoke.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been implicated in both inflammation and fibrosis. It has been reported that cigarette smoke induced MMP-9 expression and that lycopene may act as an anti-inflammatory agent and may counteract several signal pathways affected by cigarette smoke exposure. However, at the moment, it is unknown if lycopene may inhibit cigarette smoke-induced MMP-9 expression.

DHA induces apoptosis and differentiation in human melanoma cells in vitro: involvement of HuR-mediated COX-2 mRNA stabilization and β-catenin nuclear translocation.

The pro-inflammatory phenotype accompanying melanoma progression includes an enhanced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which plays an important role in the acquisition of apoptosis resistance, and is a suitable target for melanoma prevention and therapy. We observed that the WM266-4 metastatic melanoma cell line showed a constitutive COX-2 expression higher than that of the primary WM115 cells, an increased cytosolic level of the COX-2 messenger RNA (mRNA)-stabilizer human antigen R (HuR) and a lower susceptibility to basal apoptosis. The transfection of HuR siRNA induced apoptosis and reduced COX-2 protein abundance in both the cells.

Docosahexaenoic acid reverts resistance to UV-induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes: involvement of COX-2 and HuR.

The dramatic increase in the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer over the last decades has been related to the augmented exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR). It is known that apoptosis is induced as a protective mechanism after the acute irradiation of keratinocytes, whereas apoptotic resistance and carcinogenesis may follow the chronic exposure to UVR. We found that not all the human keratinocytes lines studied underwent apoptosis following acute exposure to UVR (10-60 mJ/cm(2)).

A Dietary supplement containing standardized Phaseolus vulgaris extract influences body composition of overweight men and women.

Background: More than one billion human adults worldwide are overweight and, therefore, are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and a variety of other chronic perturbations. Many believe that use of natural dietary supplements could aid in the struggle against obesity. So-called "starch blockers" are listed among natural weight loss supplements.

Antioxidant effect of ferulic acid in isolated membranes and intact cells: synergistic interactions with alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid.

Although an antioxidant mechanism has been involved in the beneficial effects of ferulic acid in human diseases, there are few reports on the antioxidant properties of this compound in isolated membranes and intact cells. Here, we evaluated the ability of ferulic acid in inhibiting lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomal membranes and reactive oxygen species production in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, induced by both tert-BOOH and AAPH. We also compared its antioxidant efficiency with that of other antioxidants, such as alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid, added alone or in combination.

A variant of junctional naevus of epithelioid and spindle cell type rich in melanophages.

We describe a form of junctional melanocytic neoplasm with a massive production of melanin accumulated in the dermis. The pigment is stored in macrophages, which are by far the most numerous cellular component of the lesion. Another peculiar aspect is the occasional presence of a few melanocytes scattered in a pagetoid pattern above the dermo-epidermal junction in the spinous layer.

The dynamics of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) from hydrated skin.

Background/aims: When an occlusive cover is applied on the skin, the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is inhibited and the skin moisturises. Upon the removal of the occlusion the water, which accumulated in the skin porosity during the occlusion, evaporates and diffuses outside showing a TEWL rate larger than the basal value, and function of time. The aim of this paper is to develop a physical-mathematical model for simulating the dynamics of Epidermal (free-) Water Evaporation (EWE) and of transepidermal water loss of hydrated skin.