All-trans retinoic acid is an effective inhibitor of hyaluronate synthesis in a human dermal equivalent.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is known to have beneficial effects on skin. It has been used extensively for the treatment of photodamaged skin. To assess the effects of all-trans retinoic acid on the dermis, specifically its effect on hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid, HA) synthesis and inhibition, tissue-engineered human dermal equivalents were prepared in the presence of varying concentrations of ATRA using the method of "self-assembly". A substantial extracellular matrix was formed at the end of the culture period. The extracellular matrices of these dermal constructs were characterized and compared to the construct prepared in the absence of ATRA (Normal). Inhibition of hyaluronate was observed in constructs prepared in the presence of varying concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid. Chondroitin sulfate synthesis was unaffected up to 1 μM ATRA. Collagen synthesis was enhanced at lower concentrations of ATRA (250 and 500 nM) and inhibited at higher concentrations of ATRA. Differential gene array experiments were performed comparing the construct grown in the presence of 500 nM ATRA to one grown in the absence of ATRA, to obtain preliminary information regarding the gene(s) involved in HA inhibition using a GLYCOv4 gene chip. These preliminary experiments demonstrated the differential expression of 127 genes and suggest that down-regulation of five key enzymes in the HA biosynthetic pathway may be involved in this inhibitory process.