Coenzyme Q10 Sunscreen Prevents Progression of Ultraviolet-Induced Skin Damage in Mice.

The level of sun ultraviolet ray reaching the surface of the earth is increasing severely due to the rapid development of the society and environmental destruction. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes skin damage and photoaging. Therefore, it is emerged to develop effective sunscreen to prevent ultraviolet-induced skin damage. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) sunscreen on the prevention of ultraviolet B radiation- (UVB-) induced mouse skin damage. Three-month-old female mice were used, and they were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, CoQ10, and titanium dioxide (TiO2; positive control) groups. Our results showed that body weight, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein expression were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) level were increased in UVB-treated mice. Besides, the stratum corneum was shed from the skin surface in the model group compared with the control group. In contrast, CoQ10 sunscreen prevented from UVB-induced skin damage, as well as reversing SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA activities, and MMP-1 and DNMT1 levels. Taken together, the current study provided further evidence on the prevention of UVB-induced skin damage by CoQ10 and its underlying mechanisms.

Aspirin prevents bone loss with little mechanical improvement in high-fat-fed ovariectomized rats.

Obesity and osteoporosis are often concurrently happened in the menopausal women. Obesity in menopausal women is not only related to a high risk of cardiovascular disease, but also results in a detrimental effect on bone health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aspirin, a popular anti-thrombosis drug, on bone quantity and quality in the high-fat-fed animal model. Adult female rats were subjected to either sham operations or ovariectomized operations. The ovariectomized rats were orally administered with deionized water or standardized high fat emulsion with or without aspirin. All rats were injected with calcein before killed for the purpose of double in vivo labeling. Biochemistry, histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography analysis, mechanical test, and component analysis were performed after 12 weeks. In vitro cell culture was also performed to observe the effect of aspirin in osteogenesis. We found that high fat remarkably impaired bone formation and bone biomechanics. Aspirin treatment significantly prevented bone loss by increasing bone formation. In vitro studies also validated the enhancement of osteogenic differentiation. However, aspirin presented no significant improvement in bone mechanical properties. Component analysis shown aspirin could significantly increase the content of mineral, but had limited effect on the content of collagen. In conclusion, aspirin is beneficial for the prevention of bone loss; meanwhile, it may cause an imbalance in the components of bone which may weaken the mechanical properties. The current study provided further evidence that aspirin might not be powerful for the prevention of fracture in osteoporotic patients.

The effects of atorvastatin on the prevention of osteoporosis and dyslipidemia in the high-fat-fed ovariectomized rats.

Previous studies reported that statins showed positive effects on bone in both human and animal models. This study aimed to investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the prevention of osteoporosis and dyslipidemia in ovariectomized rats fed with high-fat emulsion. The 3-month-old female rats were subjected to either sham operations (n = 8) or ovariectomized operations (OVX, n = 24). The OVX rats were orally administered deionized water (n = 8) or standardized high-fat emulsion without (n = 8) or with atorvastatin (n = 8). All rats were injected twice with calcein before sacrificed for the purpose of double in vivo labeling. After 12 weeks, all rats were sacrificed under anesthesia. Biochemistry, histomorphometry, mechanical test, micro-computed tomography analysis, mechanical test, histology, and component analysis were performed. We found that high-fat emulsion significantly decreased body weight, bone formation, collagen content of bone, and bone biomechanics, while increased blood, liver, and bone marrow lipids. Atorvastatin treatment prevented dyslipidemia, reversed hepatic steatosis, optimized composition of bone, and improved bone mechanical properties. The current study provided further evidence that atorvastatin might be useful for the treatment of osteoporotic patients with dyslipidemia.