Molecular weight and gut microbiota determine the bioavailability of orally administered hyaluronic acid.

The ability of hyaluronan as a dietary supplement to increase skin moisture and relieve knee pain has been demonstrated in several clinical studies. To understand the mechanism of action, determining hyaluronan's bioavailability and in vivo fate is crucial. Here, we used 13C-hyaluronan combined with LC-MS analysis to compare the absorption and metabolism of oral hyaluronan in germ-free and conventional wild-type mice. The presence of Bacteroides spp. in the gut was crucial for hyaluronan absorption. Specific microorganisms cleave hyaluronan into unsaturated oligosaccharides (<3 kDa) which are partially absorbed through the intestinal wall. The remaining hyaluronan fragments are metabolized into short-chain fatty acids, which are only metabolites available to the host. The poor bioavailability (~0.2 %) of oral hyaluronan indicates that the mechanism of action is the result of the systematic regulatory function of hyaluronan or its metabolites rather than the direct effects of hyaluronan at distal sites of action (skin, joints).

Retinoic Acid Grafted to Hyaluronic Acid Activates Retinoid Gene Expression and Removes Cholesterol from Cellular Membranes.

All-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) is a potent ligand that regulates gene expression and is used to treat several skin disorders. Hyaluronic acid (HA) was previously conjugated with atRA (HA-atRA) to obtain a novel amphiphilic compound. HA-atRA forms micelles that incorporate hydrophobic molecules and facilitate their transport through the skin. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of HA-atRA on gene expression in skin cells and to compare it with that of unbound atRA. Gene expression was investigated using microarrays and a luciferase system with a canonical atRA promoter. HA-atRA upregulated gene expression similarly to atRA. However, HA-atRA activated the expression of cholesterol metabolism genes, unlike atRA. Further investigation using HPLC and filipin III staining suggested that the treated cells induced cholesterol synthesis to replenish the cholesterol removed from the cells by HA-atRA. HA modified with oleate (HA-C18:1) removed cholesterol from the cells similarly to HA-atRA, suggesting that the cholesterol removal stemmed from the amphiphilic nature of the two derivatives. HA-atRA induces retinoid signaling. Thus, HA-atRA could be used to treat skin diseases, such as acne and psoriasis, where the combined action of atRA signaling and anti-inflammatory cholesterol removal may be potentially beneficial.

The Degradation of Hyaluronan in the Skin.

Hyaluronan (HA) comprises a fundamental component of the extracellular matrix and participates in a variety of biological processes. Half of the total amount of HA in the human body is present in the skin. HA exhibits a dynamic turnover; its half-life in the skin is less than one day. Nevertheless, the specific participants in the catabolism of HA in the skin have not yet been described in detail, despite the essential role of HA in cutaneous biology. A deeper knowledge of the processes involved will act to support the development of HA-based topical and implantable materials and enhance the understanding of the various related pathological cutaneous conditions. This study aimed to characterize the distribution and activity of hyaluronidases and the other proteins involved in the degradation of HA in healthy human full-thickness skin, the epidermis and the dermis. Hyaluronidase activity was detected for the first time in healthy human skin. The degradation of HA occurred in lysates at an acidic pH. HA gel zymography revealed a single band corresponding to approximately 50 kDa. This study provided the first comprehensive view of the distribution of canonic HA-degrading proteins (HYAL1 and HYAL2) in human skin employing IHF and IHC. Furthermore, contrary to previous assumptions TMEM2, a novel hyaluronidase, as well as CEMIP, a protein involved in HA degradation, were localized in the human epidermis, as well as in the dermis.

Anti-HA antibody does not detect hyaluronan.

It is generally known that hyaluronic acid (HA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout epithelial, connective and neural tissues. HA is one of the chief components of the extracellular matrix. Lack of immunogenicity is one of the biggest advantages of the therapeutic use of HA, but it also prevents the production of specific anti-HA antibodies. Contrary to this, there are still several studies performing HA detection by immunohistochemical or immunohistofluorescent method using an anti-HA antibody. Therefore, this short study discusses whether the anti-HA antibody is specific for HA. To verify the specificity of the HA staining the hyaluronidase treatment of histological samples was performed and the ability of anti-HA antibody and biotinylated HA binding protein (bHABP)-based probe to bind to their targets was evaluated. Additionally, the competitive binding assay with short HA oligosaccharides and subsequent histological staining was performed. Both assays showed that the anti-HA antibody is not sufficiently specific for HA and that the bHABP probe is a reliable method for HA detection in histological samples. The conclusion made by previous investigators based on using HA antibodies should be reevaluated and future use of anti-HA antibody should be avoided.

Effects of wound dressings containing silver on skin and immune cells.

Wound dressings with silver have been shown to be cytotoxic in vitro. However, the extrapolation of this cytotoxicity to clinical settings is unclear. We applied dressings with various forms of silver on porcine skin ex vivo and investigated silver penetration and DNA damage. We assessed antimicrobial efficacy, cytotoxicity to skin cells, and immune response induced by the dressings. All dressings elevated the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX and the expression of stress-related genes in explanted skin relative to control. This corresponded with the amount of silver in the skin. The dressings reduced viability, induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in skin cells, and induced the production of pro-inflammatory IL-6 by monocytes. The oxidative burst and viability of activated neutrophils decreased. The amount of silver released into the culture medium varied among the dressings and correlated with in vitro toxicity. However, antimicrobial efficiencies did not correlate strongly with the amount of silver released from the dressings. Antimicrobial efficiency and toxicity are driven by the form of silver and the construction of dressings and not only by the silver concentration. The damaging effects of silver dressings in ex vivo skin highlight the importance of thorough in vivo investigation of silver dressing toxicity.

Absence of differences among low, middle, and high molecular weight hyaluronan in activating murine immune cells in vitro.

Hyaluronan (HA) effects on immune response are suggested to be dependent on HA molecular weight (MW), as low MW HA should activate immune cells in contrast to high MW HA. However, some current studies do not support this conception and emphasize the importance of the form of preparation of HA, particularly with respect to its purity and origin. We compared the activation of mouse immune cells by HA samples (100kDa, 500kDa, and 997kDa) prepared from HA originating from rooster comb, and HA samples (71kDa, 500kDa, and 1000kDa) prepared from pharmacological grade HA originating from Streptococcus equi. Interestingly, in contrast to established theory, only middle and high MW HA originating from rooster comb induced the production of tumor necrosis factor-α by macrophages and in whole blood. Further, all tested preparations of HA failed to induce the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, the production of nitric oxide, or the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 in macrophages and splenocytes. Importantly, all HA samples originating from rooster comb were found to be contaminated by endotoxin (up to 1.23EU/ml). Hence, low MW HA did not reveal itself to have significantly higher immunostimulatory activity compared to HA of higher MW.

Low molecular weight hyaluronan mediated CD44 dependent induction of IL-6 and chemokines in human dermal fibroblasts potentiates innate immune response.

Complex regulation of the wound healing process involves multiple interactions among stromal tissue cells, inflammatory cells, and the extracellular matrix. Low molecular weight hyaluronan (LMW HA) derived from the degradation of high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW HA) is suggested to activate cells involved in wound healing through interaction with HA receptors. In particular, receptor CD44 is suggested to mediate cell response to HA of different MW, being the main cell surface HA receptor in stromal tissue and immune cells. However, the response of dermal fibroblasts, the key players in granulation tissue formation within the wound healing process, to LMW HA and their importance for the activation of immune cells is unclear. In this study we show that LMW HA (4.3kDa) induced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and chemokines IL-8, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL6 and CCL8 gene expression in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) that was further confirmed by increased levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in cell culture supernatants. Conversely, NHDF treated by HMW HA revealed a tendency to decrease the gene expression of these cytokine and chemokines when compared to untreated control. The blockage of CD44 expression by siRNA resulted in the attenuation of IL-6 and chemokines expression in LMW HA treated NHDF suggesting the involvement of CD44 in LMW HA mediated NHDF activation. The importance of pro-inflammatory mediators produced by LMW HA triggered NHDF was evaluated by significant activation of blood leukocytes exhibited as increased production of IL-6 and TNF-α. Conclusively, we demonstrated a pro-inflammatory response of dermal fibroblasts to LMW HA that was transferred to leukocytes indicating the significance of LMW HA in the inflammatory process development during the wound healing process.

Paclitaxel isomerisation in polymeric micelles based on hydrophobized hyaluronic acid.

Physical and chemical structure of paclitaxel (PTX) was studied after its incorporation into polymeric micelles made of hyaluronic acid (HA) (Mw=15 kDa) grafted with C6 or C18:1 acyl chains. PTX was physically incorporated into the micellar core by solvent evaporation technique. Maximum loading capacity for HAC6 and HAC18:1 was determined to be 2 and 14 wt.%, respectively. The loading efficiency was higher for HAC18:1 and reached 70%. Independently of the derivative, loaded HA micelles had spherical size of approximately 60-80 nm and demonstrated slow and sustained release of PTX in vitro. PTX largely changed its form from crystalline to amorphous after its incorporation into the micelle's interior. This transformation increased PTX sensitivity towards stressing conditions, mainly to UV light exposure, during which the structure of amorphous PTX isomerized and formed C3C11 bond within its structure. In vitro cytotoxicity assay revealed that polymeric micelles loaded with PTX isomer had higher cytotoxic effect to normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human colon carcinoma cells (HCT-116) than the same micelles loaded with non-isomerized PTX. Further observation indicated that PTX isomer influenced in different ways cell morphology and markers of cell cycle. Taken together, PTX isomer loaded in nanocarrier systems may have improved anticancer activity in vivo than pure PTX.

Hyaluronan minimizes effects of UV irradiation on human keratinocytes.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has detrimental effects on skin accompanied by the increased metabolism of hyaluronan (HA), a linear polysaccharide important for the normal physiological functions of skin. In this study, the modulation of human keratinocyte response to UVB irradiation by HA (970 kDa) was investigated. Immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were irradiated by a single dose of UVB and immediately treated with HA for 6 and 24 h. The irradiation induced a significant decrease in the gene expression of CD44 and toll-like receptor 2 6 h after irradiation. The expressions of other HA receptors, including toll-like receptor 4 and the receptor for HA-mediated motility, were not detected in either the control or UVB-irradiated or HA-treated HaCaT cells. UVB irradiation induced a significant decrease in the gene expression of HA synthase-2 and hyaluronidase-2 6 h after irradiation. The expressions of HA synthase-3 and hyaluronidase-3 were not significantly modulated by UV irradiation. Interestingly, HA treatment did not significantly modulate any of these effects. In contrast, HA significantly suppressed UVB-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release including interleukin-6 and interleukin-8. Similarly, HA treatment reduced the UVB-mediated production of transforming growth factor ß1. HA treatment also significantly reduced the UV irradiation-mediated release of soluble CD44 into the media. Finally, HA partially, but significantly, suppressed the UVB-induced decrease in cell viability. Data indicate that HA had significant protective effects for HaCaT cells against UVB irradiation.

The potency of hyaluronan of different molecular weights in the stimulation of blood phagocytes.

The regulatory functions of glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) are suggested to be dependent on its molecular weight (MW). Proinflammatory and stimulatory effects are proposed mainly for the low MW HA. However, the complex response of blood phagocytes to HA of different MW is unclear. Herein, the effects of highly purified HA of precisely defined MW (52, 250, and 970 kDa) on human blood phagocytes were tested. All MW HA activated blood phagocytes, including the spontaneous production of ROS, degranulation, and the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, with low MW HA 52 kDa having the highest potency and high MW HA 970 kDa having the lowest potency. Interestingly, HA inhibited ROS production stimulated by opsonized zymosan particles and, in contrast, potentiated starch-activated ROS production, mostly independent of MW. Data showed a significant effect of HA of different MW on blood phagocytes, including high MW HA.

The effect of different molecular weight hyaluronan on macrophage physiology.

OBJECTIVES: Hyaluronan, a linear glycosaminoglycan, is an abundant component of extracellular matrix. In its native form, the high-molar-mass hyaluronan polymers have an array of structural and regulatory, mainly anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic, functions. In contradiction, the biological effects of fragmented low molecular weight hyaluronan are suggested to be pro-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory. METHODS: The effects of highly purified pharmacological grade hyaluronan of defined molecular weights 11, 52, 87, 250 and 970 kilodaltons were tested on mouse macrophage cell lines RAW 264.7 and MHS. The surface expression of CD44 and Toll-like receptor 2, surface receptors for hyaluronan, was determined by flow cytometry. Activation of macrophages was determined based on nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor alpha production, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, and the activation of the nuclear factor kappa B transcriptional factor. RESULTS: Both macrophage cell lines expressed CD44 and Toll-like receptor 2, which were significantly increased by the pre-treatment of macrophages with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Hyaluronan of any molecular weight did not activate production of nitric oxide or tumour necrosis factor alpha in any mouse macrophage cell lines. Correspondingly, hyaluronan of any tested molecular weight did not stimulate nuclear factor kappa B activation. Similarly, hyaluronan of any molecular weight neither exerted stimulatory nor inhibitory effects on macrophages pre-treated by lipopolysaccharide. CONCLUSION: Interestingly, the data does not support the current view of low molecular weight hyaluronan as a pro-inflammatory mediator for macrophages. Further studies are necessary to clarify the effects of different molecular weight hyaluronan on phagocytes.