Pigmentation Effect of Rice Bran Extract in Hair Follicle-Like Tissue and Organ Culture Models

BACKGROUND@#Melanogenesis is a biological process resulting in the production of melanin pigment, which plays an important role in the prevention of sun-induced skin injury and determines the hair and skin color. Melanin has the ability to block ultraviolet radiation and scavenge free oxygen radicals, thus protecting the skin from their harmful effects. Agents that increase melanin synthesis in melanocytes may reduce the risk of photodamage and skin cancer. Hence, various approaches have been proposed to increase the synthesis of melanin. @*METHODS@#The current study aimed to develop a three-dimensional hair follicle-like tissue (HFLT) model with human dermal papilla, melanocytes, and outer root sheaths cells. This model showed enhanced melanogenesis-related protein expression after rice bran ash extract (RBE) treatment. Next, we investigated the melanogenic effect of RBE in the HFLT and compared the results to those of hair follicle (HF) organ culture model. @*RESULTS@#RBE was found to significantly increase the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, a key transcription factor involved in melanin production, in both HFLT and organ culture models. Results showed that melanogenesis-related protein expression levels were higher in the RBE group compared to those in the control group. Similar results were obtained by immunohistochemistry. @*CONCLUSION@#Our data suggested that RBE promotes melanin biosynthesis. Taken together, this simple in vitro HFLT model system has the potential to provide significant insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of HF melanogenesis, and hence can be used for controlled evaluation of the efficacy of new materials for melanogenesis.

Pigmentation Effect of Rice Bran Extract in Hair Follicle-Like Tissue and Organ Culture Models

BACKGROUND@#Melanogenesis is a biological process resulting in the production of melanin pigment, which plays an important role in the prevention of sun-induced skin injury and determines the hair and skin color. Melanin has the ability to block ultraviolet radiation and scavenge free oxygen radicals, thus protecting the skin from their harmful effects. Agents that increase melanin synthesis in melanocytes may reduce the risk of photodamage and skin cancer. Hence, various approaches have been proposed to increase the synthesis of melanin. @*METHODS@#The current study aimed to develop a three-dimensional hair follicle-like tissue (HFLT) model with human dermal papilla, melanocytes, and outer root sheaths cells. This model showed enhanced melanogenesis-related protein expression after rice bran ash extract (RBE) treatment. Next, we investigated the melanogenic effect of RBE in the HFLT and compared the results to those of hair follicle (HF) organ culture model. @*RESULTS@#RBE was found to significantly increase the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, a key transcription factor involved in melanin production, in both HFLT and organ culture models. Results showed that melanogenesis-related protein expression levels were higher in the RBE group compared to those in the control group. Similar results were obtained by immunohistochemistry. @*CONCLUSION@#Our data suggested that RBE promotes melanin biosynthesis. Taken together, this simple in vitro HFLT model system has the potential to provide significant insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of HF melanogenesis, and hence can be used for controlled evaluation of the efficacy of new materials for melanogenesis.

Effects of Emotional Management Training in Schizophrenic Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenic patients having a disturbance of cognition and emotion are least likely to identify emotional (especially negative) stimuli and cue in tense background stimuli. Also, schizophreinic patients tend to experience relapse if they are exposued to a situation which is emotionally laden. Although emotion itself is important, emotional processing has not been a therapeutic target and skill trainig which improves social competence has provided patients with emotional load. Therefore, we introduced Emotional Management Trainig (EMT) which deal with indirect and direct emotional processing, applied it to schizophrenic patients, and investigated the therapeutic effects. METHODS: We applied the Emotional Management Training (EMT) to 30 schizophrenic patients for 12 weeks, 2 times every week and psychoeducation to 23 schizophrenic patients as control group attention-placebo for 12 weeks, during the same period. Before and after treatment, we used the Trait Meta Mood Scale-short form (TMMS-S) as emotional proper, Social Perception Scale, Verbal Fluency Test, Verbal Paired Associates, and Similarities for cognitive functions. We also used Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) as psychopathology measurement and Social Problem Solving Scale (SPSI) as various kinds of social problem solving function measurement before and after treatment. RESULTS: The results showed that EMT group appeared to be more effective in improving the visual perception of social perception scale, verbal fluencies, positive symptoms, general psychopathology, and total score in PANSS than the control group. Also EMT group seemed to be more effective in total score and Problem Orientation score in SPSI than the control. But there were no differences in abstract function and verbal memory, negative symptoms, and Problem-Solving Skill score between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that despite the limitations of the generalizability and the questions for the persistence of effectiveness, EMT might help schizophrenics get the motivational aspects, the familiarity with emotional-loaded situation, and initial processes, for social problem-solving.

A Clinical Significance of the Subjective Experiences of Negative Symptoms in the Patients with Schizophrenia / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVE: Since the evaluation of negative symptoms has depended on the clinician's objective observation, the patients' subjective experience of negative symptoms has been neglected. However, in fact, a lot of patients are aware of their negative symptoms. There are several reports suggesting that patients suffer from the subjective experiences of their deficit symptoms, even though the objective positive and negative symtoms cannot be observed. Under these circumstances, we have attempted this study with the idea that it would be helpful in understanding the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Also it would help clarifying the relationship between subjective experience of negative symptoms and objective positive and negative symptoms, depression, anxiety symptoms, and extrapyramidal symptoms. METHOD: All the 37 patients satisfied the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV for schizophrenia . The subjective experiences of negative symptoms were evaluated using Scale for the Subjective Experience of Negative Symptoms, Korean version(K-SENS), and for the depression, anxiety, extrapyramidal symptoms, we used Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAM-D), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(ESRS). The correlation between each psychopathology was tested by calculating Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the ratio of items experienced as uncomfortable symptoms among 24 items of K-SENS, and the score of PANSS positive subscale(gamma=-0.40, p0.05), or negative subscale score(gamma=-0.20, p>0.05), or general psychopathology subscale score(gamma=-0.08, p>0.05), respectively. There was no significant correlation between the ratio of items experienced as uncomfortable symptoms among 24 items of K-SENS, and HAM-D(gamma=-0.01, p>0.05), or HAM-A(gamma=-0.11, p>0.05), ESRS(gamma=0.34. p>0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: These results revealed that the negative correlation between the subjective negative symptoms experienced as an uncomfortable ones and the objective positive symptoms such as grandi-osity, suspiciousness/persecution, and hostility. From these results, the possibility that positive symptoms are used as a defense to hide from the subjectively experienced negative symptoms, or that patients may not be aware of their negative symptoms because they are overwhelmed by their positive symtpoms. is suggested. These results also suggest that subjective experiences of negative symptoms are independent from depression, anxiety and extrapyramidal symptoms.