Skin exposure to chronic but not acute UV radiation affects peripheral T-cell function

Cumulative Erythemal Ultraviolet Radiation and Risk of Cancer in 3 Large US Prospective Cohorts

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the major risk factor for melanoma. However, epidemiologic studies on UVR and noncutaneous cancers have reported inconsistent results, with some suggesting an inverse relationship potentially mediated by vitamin D. To address this, we examined 3 US prospective cohorts, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) (1986) and Nurses' Health Study (NHS) I and II (1976 and 1989), for associations between cumulative erythemal UVR and incident cancer risk, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer. We used a validated spatiotemporal model to calculate erythemal UVR. Participants (47,714 men; 212,449 women) were stratified into quintiles by cumulative average erythemal UVR, using the first quintile as referent, for Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. In the multivariable-adjusted meta-analysis of all cohorts, compared with the lowest quintile, risk of any cancer was slightly increased across all other quintiles (highest quintile hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.07; P for heterogeneity = 0.41). All UVR quintiles were associated with similarly increased risk of any cancer excluding melanoma. As expected, erythemal UVR was positively associated with risk of melanoma (highest quintile HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.31; P for heterogeneity = 0.83). These findings suggest that elevated UVR is associated with increased risk of both melanoma and noncutaneous cancers.

Insights Into the Pathologic Roles and Regulation of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase

Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase (eEF2K) acts as a negative regulator of protein synthesis, translation, and cell growth. As a structurally unique member of the alpha-kinase family, eEF2K is essential to cell survival under stressful conditions, as it contributes to both cell viability and proliferation. Known as the modulator of the global rate of protein translation, eEF2K inhibits eEF2 (eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2) and decreases translation elongation when active. eEF2K is regulated by various mechanisms, including phosphorylation through residues and autophosphorylation. Specifically, this protein kinase is downregulated through the phosphorylation of multiple sites via mTOR signaling and upregulated via the AMPK pathway. eEF2K plays important roles in numerous biological systems, including neurology, cardiology, myology, and immunology. This review provides further insights into the current roles of eEF2K and its potential to be explored as a therapeutic target for drug development.

In vivo detection of UV-induced acute skin effects using optical coherence tomography

Ultraviolet (UV) rays have been identified as a carcinogen with long-term irradiation and are an important risk factor for skin cancer. Here, we report the use of optical coherence tomography/optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT/OCTA) to study acute UV-induced effects on skin in vivo. To understand the relationship between the acute effects and irradiated UV power density, three groups were irradiated with different power densities in our experiments. Furthermore, the same skin area was repeatedly scanned with OCT during UV irradiation to investigate the progress of the induced acute effects and after irradiation for observation of skin recovery. Subsequently, the OCT/OCTA results were quantitatively analyzed to acquire skin thickness and blood-vessel density for comparison. UV-induced acute effects on morphology and microcirculation can be identified from OCT/OCTA results, which showed the increases in the skin thickness and blood-vessel density and even severe damage types such as blisters. The results of quantitative analyses also illustrated that the severity of damage induced by UV irradiation can be distinguished and the skin recovery can be monitored with OCT. Our results indicate that OCT can be a promising tool for early detection of UV-induced acute skin damage.

ASTHMA - comparing the impact of vitamin D versus UVR on clinical and immune parameters

The incidence of asthma has increased markedly since the 1960s and is currently estimated to affect more than 300 million individuals worldwide. A number of environmental factors are implicated in asthma pathogenesis, one of which is vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is a global health concern and has increased in parallel with asthma incidence. Epidemiological studies report associations between low vitamin D status, assessed as circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, with asthma incidence, severity, exacerbations and responses to treatment. This has led to clinical studies to test whether increasing the levels of vitamin D improves asthma management. Despite being highly variable in dosing regimens, design and outcomes, meta-analyses suggest overall positive outcomes with respect to reduced asthma exacerbations and steroid requirements. The primary mechanism for increasing vitamin D levels in the body is through exposure of the skin to the ultraviolet B (UVB) component of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), most commonly from sun exposure. However, only a limited number of studies investigating the impact of UVR on the asthmatic response have been performed; these generally report on the impact of latitude as a surrogate of sun exposure, or address this in animal models. To the best of our knowledge no comprehensive trials to assess the impact of UVB radiation on asthma outcomes have been performed. Within this review we discuss observational and clinical studies in this field, and innate and adaptive immune mechanisms through which UVR and vitamin D may impact respiratory health, and asthma. We highlight the heterogeneity of asthmatic disease, which is likely to impact upon the efficacy of interventional studies, and briefly overview more recent findings relating to the impact of vitamin D/UVR on the development of asthma.

Protective effect of Paeoniae radix alba root extract on immune alterations in mice with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a progressive inflammatory disease characterized by type 2 helper T cell (T_H2) reactivity. The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effects of Paeoniae radix alba root extract using a murine model of atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis was induced in a murine model characterized by immune alterations skewed toward T_H2 reactivity and pathophysiological dermal alterations which resemble human atopic dermatitis. The root extract at 1% or 6% was applied to the mouse dorsal skin for 3 weeks following induction of atopic dermatitis. Splenocytes were stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3 for 48 h to measure cytokine production. Levels of serum IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a were quantitated. Epidermal thickness and numbers of skin mast cells were determined. Mice in which atopic dermatitis was induced displayed increased numbers of skin mast cells, increased frequency of scratching, elevated serum IgE levels, increased ratios of IgG1 to IgG2a, and ratios of IL-4 to IFN-γ. The frequency of scratching was significantly decreased following application of 1% or 6% extract for 1 week. The root extract also reversed T_H2 skewing, as serum IgE levels, ratio of serum IgG1 to IgG2a, and ratio of IL-4 to IFN-γ production by in vitro-stimulated splenocytes were all suppressed following application of 1% or 6% extract for 3 weeks. Taken together Paeoniae radix alba root extract is suggested to reverse the immunological alterations and skin manifestations symptoms found in atopic dermatitis.

Percutaneous absorption, disposition, and exposure assessment of homosalate, a UV filtering agent, in rats

Homosalate (HMS) is an ultraviolet (UV) filtering agent used in sunscreens and other cosmetics for skin protection purposes. Despite the widespread use of these products, absorption, disposition, and in vivo endocrine disrupting potential of HMS have not been characterized. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the percutaneous absorption, disposition, and exposure assessment of HMS in rats. Initially, sunscreen preparations of petrolatum jelly, oily solution, lotion, and gel were prepared and evaluated for in vitro permeation of HMS across excised rat skin. Dermal permeability was greatest for gel, and this preparation was used in subsequent in vivo topical application investigations. After iv injection (0.5, 2, or 5 mg/kg), the pharmacokinetics of HMS was linear and was characterized by a large Vd(ss) (13.2-17 L/kg), high Cl(s) (4.5-6.1 L/h/kg), and long t½ (6.1-8.4 h). After topical application of gel, the bioavailability of HMS was 5.4 ± 1.1 and 4.2 ± 0.6% for high and low doses (10 and 20 mg), respectively. Consistent with the prolonged absorption (Tmax 11.2 ± 1.8 and 12 ± 0 h for low and high doses, respectively), the terminal t½ was longer after topical application (23.6-26.1 h) compared to iv injection. A population pharmacokinetic model was further developed to simultaneously fit the time courses of plasma concentrations and dermal content data after iv injection and topical application. Findings of this study may be useful to further examine the relationship between exposure and endocrine disrupting potential of HMS in risk assessment.

Lipoteichoic acid from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as an oral photoprotective agent against UV-induced carcinogenesis

Probiotics are live micro-organisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Cell surface molecules of these micro-organisms are being studied in relation to their ability to interact with the host. The cell wall of lactobacilli possesses lipoteichoic acids (LTA) which are molecules with immunomodulatory properties. UV radiation (UVR) has been proposed as the main cause of skin cancer because of its mutagenic and immunosuppressive effects. Photoprotection with some nutrition interventions including probiotics has recently been shown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the oral administration of purified LTA from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG can modulate the immune-suppressive effect of UVR and skin tumour development in female Crl:SKH-1-hrBR mice. For this purpose, two irradiation models were studied: (1) a chronic irradiation scheme consisting of daily irradiations during twenty consecutive days and (2) a long-term irradiation schedule, irradiating the animals three times per week, during 34 weeks for tumour development. The results showed that T-cells in the inguinal lymph node of LTA-treated mice produced higher levels of (1) interferon-γ and (2) a number of total, helper and cytotoxic T-cells compared with non-treated mice. Moreover, a significant delay in tumour appearance was found in LTA-treated mice. An increased IgA+ cell number was found in the small intestine together with a higher number of activated dendritic cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes. The latter results might be indicative of a direct effect of LTA in the gut, affecting the cutaneous immune system and restoring homeostasis through the gut–skin axis.

Dietary agents in cancer prevention: an immunological perspective

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States. Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiations is believed to be the primary cause for skin cancer. Excessive UV radiation can lead to genetic mutations and damage in the skin's cellular DNA that in turn can lead to skin cancer. Lately, chemoprevention by administering naturally occurring non-toxic dietary compounds has proven to be a potential strategy to prevent the occurrence of tumors. Attention has been drawn toward several natural dietary agents such as resveratrol, one of the major components found in grapes, red wines, berries and peanuts, proanthocyanidins from grape seeds, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate from green tea, etc. However, the effect these dietary agents have on the immune system and the immunological mechanisms involved therein are still being explored. In this review, we shall focus on the role of key chemopreventive agents on various immune cells and discuss their potential as antitumor agents with an immunological perspective.