Lipidomic analysis of facial skin surface lipids in acne in young women.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in the secretion and composition of skin surface lipids (SSL) are closely associated with the development of acne. Lipidomics is a useful tool to analyse the SSL of different types of acne. Our previous study found that phosphatidylserine and triacylglycerols dominate SSL changes in male acne and infantile acne, respectively. However, skin surface lipids as well as specific lipids in female acne patients remain to be investigated. OBJECTIVES: To analyse and compare the SSL profile of acne women and healthy women and to discuss the involvement of differential lipids in acne development. METHODS: Systematic lipidomics approach (high-throughput UPLC-QTOF-MS technology in combination with multivariate data analysis methods) was used to analyse the variations of SSL between acne and healthy groups. RESULTS: Analysis revealed significant differences in lipid content and composition between the two groups. Further analysis showed that levels of 13 individual lipids were significantly different and followed the same trend as the main class and subclasses. The largest individual contributor to the subgroup was triglycerides (TG) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). In addition, female acne patients exhibited reduced ceramide chain length (CCL) and increased levels of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), The changes of CCL in female acne are identical to male acne. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significantly higher level of TG and PI in the SSL of female acne patients. A reduction in CCL and an increase in UFAs content might contribute to the reduced skin barrier function in acne patients. The results suggest that female acne may have different pathogenesis than male acne.

Carbon network-hosted porphyrin as a highly biocompatible nanophotosensitizer for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has the characteristics of being simple and non-invasive, and with on-demand light control. However, most photosensitizers exhibit strong hydrophobicity, low quantum yields in water and low tumor selectivity. In this study, carbon network-hosted porphyrins (CPs) with high biocompatibility and efficient singlet oxygen (1O2) generation were developed to reduce the biotoxicity of photosensitizers and avoid quenching caused by hydrophobic aggregation for enhanced PDT. The CPs were prepared by a simple solid-phase synthesis method using porphyrin, green non-toxic citric acid and urea as the raw materials. The CPs exhibited excellent water solubility and high biocompatibility. Even when the concentration reached 1.5 mg mL-1, cells still had good biological activity. By separately fixing the porphyrins in the carbon network, the CPs avoided aggregation-induced inactivation and had high generation efficiency of 1O2. Furthermore, in order to improve the PDT effect, the CPs were modified with the upper nuclear targeting peptide TAT (T-CPs), which was used to target the nucleus and generate 1O2in situ to directly destroy genetic material. The proposed strategy provides a simple and green path to prepare nanophotosensitizers with high biocompatibility and efficient 1O2 generation for PDT.

A procedurally activatable nanoplatform for chemo/chemodynamic synergistic therapy.

Responsive nano-drug delivery systems, especially multi-responsive systems, based on the complex characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as acidic pH, hypoxia, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) overexpression, could enhance the biological activity of the drugs and reduce the side effects. In this study, a H2O2/glutathione (GSH) procedurally activatable nanoplatform (Cu9S5-PEG/DOX NSs) was prepared as a vector of drugs released by responsive morphologic transformation and the co-activated Fenton agent for tumor-specific synergistic therapy. After endocytosis into tumor cells, Cu9S5-PEG/DOX NSs were initially oxidized by over-expressed H2O2 and transformed from nanosheets to nanoflowers, leading to the release of doxorubicin (DOX). Subsequently, Cu9S5 nanoflowers (Cu9S5 NFs) reacted with the local GSH, liberated a large number of copper ions, and induced GSH depletion. The released DOX promoted the generation of intracellular H2O2 through cascade reactions, which were further utilized to facilitate the release of DOX and generate toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) via a copper-based Fenton-like reaction. Cu9S5-PEG/DOX NSs sequentially activated by H2O2 and GSH in tumor cells exhibited relatively high cytotoxicity, whereas normal cells were still alive. This nanoplatform, as a procedurally activatable delivery system, may have excellent potential for tumor-specific synergistic therapy.

Application of epigenetics in dermatological research and skin management.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetics has recently evolved from a collection of diverse phenomena to a defined and far-reaching field of study. Epigenetic modifications of the genome, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, have been reported to play a role in some skin diseases or cancer. AIMS: The purpose of this article was to review the development of epigenetic in recent decades and their applications in dermatological research. METHODS: An extensive literature search was conducted on epigenetic modifications since the first research on epigenetic. RESULTS: This article summarizes the concept and development of epigenetics, as well as the process and principle of epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA. Their application in some skin diseases and cosmetic research and development is also summarized. CONCLUSIONS: This information will help to understand the mechanisms of epigenetics and some non-coding RNA, the discovery of the related drugs, and provide new insights for skin health management and cosmetic research and development.

The Arabidopsis mediator complex subunit 8 regulates oxidative stress responses.

Signaling events triggered by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) regulate plant growth and defense by orchestrating a genome-wide transcriptional reprogramming. However, the specific mechanisms that govern H2O2-dependent gene expression are still poorly understood. Here, we identify the Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunit MED8 as a regulator of H2O2 responses. The introduction of the med8 mutation in a constitutive oxidative stress genetic background (catalase-deficient, cat2) was associated with enhanced activation of the salicylic acid pathway and accelerated cell death. Interestingly, med8 seedlings were more tolerant to oxidative stress generated by the herbicide methyl viologen (MV) and exhibited transcriptional hyperactivation of defense signaling, in particular salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-related pathways. The med8-triggered tolerance to MV was manipulated by the introduction of secondary mutations in salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways. In addition, analysis of the Mediator interactome revealed interactions with components involved in mRNA processing and microRNA biogenesis, hence expanding the role of Mediator beyond transcription. Notably, MED8 interacted with the transcriptional regulator NEGATIVE ON TATA-LESS, NOT2, to control the expression of H2O2-inducible genes and stress responses. Our work establishes MED8 as a component regulating oxidative stress responses and demonstrates that it acts as a negative regulator of H2O2-driven activation of defense gene expression.

A review of cosmetic skin delivery.

BACKGROUND: Cosmetic Skin Delivery has a very important impact on the action of cosmetics. More and more cosmetic manufacturers are focusing on cosmetic delivery. Meanwhile, it also brings safety issues and the customization of national laws and regulations. OBJECTIVES: This paper reviews the theoretical knowledge about cosmetic skin delivery and evaluation methods. METHODS: An extensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and other databases for articles on transdermal/skin delivery in cosmetics from 1985 to 2020. RESULTS: The importance of skin delivery in cosmetics is outlined. The structure of the skin and the skin barrier, including delivery pathways available to cosmetic molecules in three modalities are introduced. The laws and regulations of various countries on nanomaterials for cosmetics are listed. The in vitro skin absorption test methods for cosmetics are briefly reviewed. Furthermore, the prospect of future skin penetration methods for cosmetics is presented. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, various methods to enhance and evaluate cosmetic delivery through skin are available. However, there are no unified domestic and international laws and regulations about evaluation of transdermal delivery. This article provides a new perspective on the development of novel permeation enhancement technologies.

Redox-dependent control of nuclear transcription in plants.

Redox-dependent regulatory networks are affected by altered cellular or extracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Perturbations of ROS production and scavenging homeostasis have a considerable impact on the nuclear transcriptome. While the regulatory mechanisms by which ROS modulate gene transcription in prokaryotes, lower eukaryotes, and mammalian cells are well established, new insights into the mechanism underlying redox control of gene expression in plants have only recently been known. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the current knowledge on how ROS and thiol-dependent transcriptional regulatory networks are controlled. We assess the impact of redox perturbations and oxidative stress on transcriptome adjustments using cat2 mutants as a model system and discuss how redox homeostasis can modify the various parts of the transcriptional machinery.