Melanocytes are specialized melanin-producing neural crest-derived cells. Melanocyte proliferation and melanin production (i.e., melanogenesis) are crucial for determining skin color. Disruption of these processes can cause pigmentary skin disorders, including hypo-pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo and hyper-pigmentary disorders such as melasma. Understanding these processes is important for discovering new targets to tackle these skin disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of oxytocin (OXT) on melanocyte functions. Normal Human Cultured Melanocytes (NHCM) were treated with different OXT doses to investigate OXT effects and mechanisms on NHCM proliferation, migration, and on melanogenesis. OXT significantly increased NHCM proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner after 72 h of treatment. In addition, OXT dose-dependently upregulated melanogenesis-related microphtalmia-associated transcription factor, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TYRP)-1, and TYRP-2 expression accompanied by an increased trend in melanosome number and maturation stage. Furthermore, OXT at concentrations (62.5-125 nM) increased melanin production. These findings suggest the involvement of OXT receptor (OXTR). In addition, this study demonstrates that OXT stimulates melanocyte proliferation, migration, with a tendency toward melanosome maturation, while it modulates melanin production in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, OXT system including its receptor OXTR may be a potential therapeutic target for skin pigmentary disorders.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tice.2024.102579 | DOI Listing |
Hum Mol Genet
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Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of CM, No. 19, Renmin Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China.
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Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
The immune response is modulated by a diverse array of signals within the tissue microenvironment, encompassing biochemical factors, mechanical forces, and pressures from adjacent tissues. Furthermore, the extracellular matrix and its constituents significantly influence the function of immune cells. In the case of carcinogenesis, changes in the biophysical properties of tissues can impact the mechanical signals received by immune cells, and these signals can be translated into biochemical signals through mechano-transduction pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Pharmacol
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Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics Laboratory, The Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.
Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of various diseases by promoting the acquisition of new functional traits by different cell types. Shared risk factors between cardiovascular disease and cancer, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, high-fat diet, low physical activity, and alcohol consumption, contribute to inflammation linked to platelet activation. Platelets contribute to an inflammatory state by activating various normal cells, such as fibroblasts, immune cells, and vascular cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe activation of progenitor cells near wound sites is a common feature of regeneration across species, but the conserved signaling mechanisms responsible for this step in whole-body regeneration are still incompletely understood. The acoel undergoes whole-body regeneration using Piwi+ pluripotent adult stem cells (neoblasts) that accumulate at amputation sites early in the regeneration process. The EGFR signaling pathway has broad roles in controlling proliferation, migration, differentiation, and cell survival across metazoans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Oral Microbiol
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School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Background And Purpose: F. nucleatum, a gram-negative oral bacteria, is abundant in laryngeal cancer (LC). While specific 14-3-3 proteins act as LC oncogenes, the link between F.
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