ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: With the deterioration of environment, the atmospheric ozone layer is seriously destroyed; thereafter,ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to the earth surface is increasing. Prevention and control of UVB-induced skin photoaging is of great significance.OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus on the photoaged human dermal fibroblastsMETHODS: Human dermal fibroblasts were divided into five groups: control group received no UVB radiation, and cultured in the free-drug medium; other four groups were irradiated under 200 mJ/cm2 UVB to establish the photoaging model, and then cultured in the drug-free medium (model group), or in the medium of polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus (10, 100, and 1000 mg/L), respectively. The cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 assay after 48-hour culture; the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde were detected by kit method; and the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -3 as well as c-Jun gene were detected by quantitative PCR.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, 200 mJ/cm2 UVB significantly reduced the viability of human dermal fibroblasts and levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as increased the malondialdehyde level, and expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3, and c-Jun gene (P < 0.05). In the meanwhile, 10, 100, and 1000 mg/L polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus significantly reversed all above phenomena (P < 0.05). To conclude, polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicas can reduce the damage of UVB to human dermal fibroblasts, maybe by alleviating UVB-induced oxidative stress, inhibiting the relative signaling pathways,and reducing the expression of c-Jun gene, further inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3, and reducing collagen degradation.