Hydroalcoholic human placental extract: skin pigmenting activity and gross chemical composition

Effect of Porcine Placenta Extract Supplement on Skin Condition in Healthy Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Placenta extract has been used as a component of ointments for skin dryness and beautification. However, little is known about the effect of oral intake of placenta extract on skin condition. The current study aimed to clinically explore the effect of oral intake of porcine placenta extract on human skin quality. A randomized controlled double-blind trial was performed on healthy women aged 40–59 years (n = 20), who were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 200 mg of porcine placenta extract once daily for 4 weeks from 28 January 2019 to 25 February 2019. Skin quality parameters and the Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI) were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, three parameters of skin quality were significantly improved in the porcine placenta group compared with the placebo group. These results suggest that porcine placenta extract can be used as a health food ingredient to maintain humans’ skin condition in the dry winter season.

Nonhealing Wounds—A Therapeutic Dilemma

Chronic wounds of the lower extremity are a therapeutic dilemma. In India, chronic wounds are caused by factors other than impaired circulation and diabetes, which account for most of this clinical problem in Western societies. A study of 2 topical agents, placental extract and phenytoin powder, is presented in this paper. One hundred fifty patients were randomly assigned to these treatments or to saline dressings (control). It was observed that patients receiving active topical treatments responded better than those in the control group. The importance of this finding should be viewed with the perspective that these topical treatments are inexpensive and easily available in India. The study also piloted measurements of angiogenic responses in 1 group, and the findings encourage further exploration with the technique and topical agent.

Effects of Porcine Placenta Extract Ingestion on Ultraviolet B-induced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice

The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential benefits of an oral supplement containing porcine placenta extract (PPE) on skin parameters related to cutaneous physiology and aging. PPEs were administered orally to hairless mice for 12 wk. The effects of oral PPE administration on skin water-holding capacity and Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) were similar to those of oral collagen (HYCPU2) administered as a positive control. Magnified photographs and replica images showed a reduction in UVB-induced wrinkle formation after collagen and PPE treatments. PPE treatments ameliorated the thicker skin surface that results from UVB exposure, based on a histological examination of skin tissue. The groups that were orally administered PPE (0.05%, OL; 0.1%, OH group) showed significantly reduced Matrix Metaloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) mRNA expression levels compared with the UVB control (Con), by 33.5% and 35.2%, respectively. The mRNA expression of another collagen-degrading protein, MMP-9, was also significantly lower in the groups that received oral administration of PPE (especially in the OH group) than in the control group. Additionally, oral administration of PPE significantly upregulated tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and -2 mRNA expression levels compared with expression levels in the control group (p<0.05). This indicates that orally administered PPE activated the expression of Timp-1 and -2, inhibitors of MMP, which is responsible for collagen degradation in skin. Taken together, we propose that long-term oral administration of PPE might have a beneficial effect with respect to skin photo-aging.

Efficacy of porcine placental extract on wrinkle widths below the eye in climacteric women

OBJECTIVE

Injections of human placental extract, which is known to play a role in skin regulation, have long been used for the treatment of skin wrinkles and non-healing wounds. Porcine placental extract (PPE), an oral supplement, was recently developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPE has a positive effect on the improvement of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women.

METHODS

We first non-invasively measured wrinkle widths with a skin analyzer in a cross-section of 185 healthy adult Japanese women. Next, 44 climacteric women with mild or few climacteric symptoms were enrolled into an open-label, randomized, controlled study of the effect of PPE on wrinkle widths. A retrospective comparison of wrinkle widths in 123 climacteric women with climacteric symptoms with or without PPE treatment was also performed.

RESULTS

Wrinkle widths below the eye in women ≥ 30 years of age were significantly higher than in women 20-29 years of age. Treatment with three capsules of PPE per day was significantly (p < 0.05) effective in reducing wrinkle widths at 24 weeks compared with control subjects. Retrospective analysis showed that subjects treated with three (p < 0.05) and six (p < 0.01) capsules of PPE per day observed a significant reduction in wrinkle widths compared with untreated subjects.

CONCLUSION

Oral PPE treatment is a possible option for improving the appearance of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women.

Sphingolipid-mediated restoration of Mitf expression and repigmentation in vivo in a mouse model of hair graying

Recent advances in the identification and characterisation of stem cell populations has led to substantial interest in understanding the precise triggers that would operate to induce activation of quiescent stem cells. Melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) reside in the bulge region of the hair follicles and are characterised by reduced expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) and its target genes implicated in differentiation. Vitiligo is characterised by progressive destruction of differentiated melanocytes. However, therapies using UV irradiation therapy can induce a degree of repigmentation, suggesting that MSCs may be activated. As Mitf is implicated in control of proliferation, we have explored the possibility that inducing Mitf expression via lipid-mediated activation of the p38 stress-signalling pathway may represent a re-pigmentation strategy. Here we have isolated from placental extract a C18:0 sphingolipid able to induce Mitf and tyrosinase expression via activation of the p38 stress-signalling pathway. Strikingly, in age-onset gray-haired C57BL/6J mice that exhibit decaying Mitf expression, topical application of placental sphingolipid leads to increased Mitf in follicular melanocytes and fresh dense black hair growth. The results raise the possibility that lipid-mediated activation of the p38 pathway may represent a novel approach to an effective vitiligo therapy.

Activation of the Mitf promoter by lipid-stimulated activation of p38-stress signalling to CREB

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor Mitf plays a critical role in regulating many aspects of melanocyte biology. It is required for melanoblast and postnatal melanocyte survival, regulates proliferation, and activates genes associated with differentiation such as tyrosinase and related genes involved in melanogenesis. Identifying the signals that regulate Mitf expression is crucial if we are to understand how cells of the melanocyte lineage respond to environmental cues. Here we show that the Mitf promoter is induced by lipid signalling via the p38 stress-activated kinase pathway that is also activated by a wide range of receptors as well as UV irradiation. Signalling via p38 leads to increased phosphorylation and activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding (CREB) that binds and activates the Mitf promoter via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element. Moreover, we also show that activation of p38 mediated by lipids is potentiated by inhibition of the PI3kinase pathway but not by inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA). The results identify a mechanism in which stress signalling via p38 leads to activation of CREB, enhanced Mitf expression and consequently increased tyrosinase expression. The results are relevant for the regulation of melanocytes by Mitf, but also raise the possibility that lipid mediated activation of p38 signalling may represent a potential therapy for vitiligo.

Transcriptional activation of tyrosinase gene by human placental sphingolipid

The sphingolipids, a class of complex bioactive lipids, are involved in diverse cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis as well as growth inhibition. Recently sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and C2-ceramide (C2-Cer), sphingolipid containing acetic acid are emerging as melanogenic regulators. A bioactive sphingolipid (PSL) was isolated from hydroalcoholic extract of fresh term human placenta and it induced melanogenesis in an in vitro culture of mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. Tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme for melanogenesis, is required to be upregulated for the increased melanin production. The expression of tyrosinase, both at protein as well as mRNA level, was higher in the PSL treated B16F10 cells as evidenced by Western blot and RT-PCR analysis. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide, inhibitors of transcription and translation, respectively, inhibited PSL-induced tyrosinase activity and its protein expression showing decrease in melanogenesis, correspondingly. The activity of GFP coupled tyrosinase promoter was upregulated in transfected B16F10 cells after treating with PSL as determined by fluorescence microscopy, fluorometric analysis, and Western blot. These results, thus, suggested that PSL upregulated tyrosinase gene expression at transcription level through promoter activation to show increased melanogenesis. Therefore, PSL as an inducer of melanogenesis might account for the recovery of pigment in depigmentation disorder.

Human placental lipid induces melanogenesis through p38 MAPK in B16F10 mouse melanoma

Melanogenesis is one of the characteristic functional activities of melanocyte/melanoma and is regulated via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) pathways. Placental total lipid fraction (PTLF), prepared from a hydroalcoholic extract of fresh term human placenta contains sphingolipids and was recently shown to stimulate melanogenesis via up-regulation of the key enzyme tyrosinase in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. How such lipids mediate their effects on pigmentation and tyrosinase expression is a particularly important aspect of melanogenesis. To study the signaling that leads to tyrosinase expression, we have investigated the roles of the MAPK and Akt/PKB pathways in B16F10 melanoma cells in melanogenesis in response to PTLF. Treatment of cells with PTLF led to the time dependent phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, completely blocked the PTLF-induced melanogenesis by inhibiting promoter activity and subsequent expression of tyrosinase. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002 a blocker of the Akt signaling pathway, or an inhibitor of MEK (MAPK/ERK Kinase), PD98059 when included along with PTLF was found to potentiate PTLF-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK together with tyrosinase expression and melanogenesis. The results suggest that the activation of p38 MAPK plays a crucial role in PTLF-induced B16F10 melanogenesis by up-regulating tyrosinase expression.

Human placental lipid induces melanogenesis by increasing the expression of tyrosinase and its related proteins in vitro

Lipids, particularly sphingolipids, are emerging as novel regulators of cellular activity. A placental total lipid fraction (PTLF), the total lipid prepared from an hydroalcoholic extract of fresh term human placenta, was previously shown to have a pigment-inducing activity in an animal model. The PTLF contains sphingolipids which stimulate DNA synthesis and melanin formation with marked morphological changes in B16F10 melanoma cells. In order to identify the mechanism underlying the increased melanin synthesis, B16F10 cells were treated with PTLF to assess the catalytic activities of tyrosinase (i.e. tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA oxidase), the key regulatory enzyme of melanin synthesis. Tyrosine hydroxylase (estimated by the release of (3)H(2)O) as well as DOPA oxidase (measured spectrophotometrically and also in non-denaturing gels), was stimulated significantly by PTLF. Western blot analysis demonstrated an increase in the expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related proteins 1 and 2 (TRP1 and TRP2) at the protein level and RT-PCR analysis revealed stimulated transcription of tyrosinase, TRP1 and TRP2 mRNAs in PTLF-treated B16F10 cells. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide, inhibitors of transcription and translation, respectively, inhibited PTLF-induction of tyrosinase activity with a corresponding decrease in melanogenesis. In all cases, the response to PTLF was similar to that induced by alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, a well-known stimulator of melanogenesis. Thus, these results provide the basis of action of PTLF stimulated melanogenesis in B16F10 cells showing that this placental extract is a strong inducer of pigmentation at the transcriptional and translational levels.

Wound healing effects of porcine placental extracts on rats with thermal injury

BACKGROUND

Placental extracts have been used as Chinese folk medicines to accelerate wound healing. However, the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing has not been identified. It is known that fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and transforming growth factors (TGF) are two key factors involved in wound healing.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing.

METHODS

The protein levels of both growth factors in rat skins with thermal injury were therefore studied to explore the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing. As cell proliferation is essential for wound healing, effects of placental extracts on fibroblast proliferation were also determined.

RESULTS

As compared with the controls, the S phase of fibroblasts was significantly increased by 1.5-, 1.7- and 4.7-fold for 1, 10 and 30 mg mL(-1) of placental extracts, respectively. The increase of the S phase was not due to the minute amount of sex hormones in the placental extracts as the addition of equivalent amounts of hormones showed no increase of the S phase. In addition, a 2.5-fold increase of TGF-beta1 in wound skin biopsy was noticed with 30 mg mL(-1) of porcine placental extracts. The FGF levels in the wound skin receiving 30 mg mL(-1) of porcine placental extracts were also significantly increased compared with the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

These ex vivo data support the observation that the application of 30 mg mL(-1) of placental extracts reduced the wound healing time by about 50%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to explore the molecular mechanisms of porcine placental extracts on wound healing. These results may provide the insight into the potential use of porcine placental extracts as an alternative medicine for accelerating wound healing.

Final report on the safety assessment of human placental protein, hydrolyzed human placental protein, human placental enzymes, human placental lipids, human umbilical extract, placental protein, hydrolyzed placental protein, placental enzymes, placental lipids, and umbilical extract

Various proteins, lipids, or other extracts from human or other animal placentas are described as cosmetic ingredients. Human Placental Protein comprises protein derived from human placentas. Placental Protein is derived from animal placentas. Similarly, Human Placental Lipids and Placental Lipids are the lipid fractions from the same source materials. Hydrolyzed Human Placental Protein and Hydrolyzed Placental Protein are produced from the respective protein extracts by acid, enzyme, or other hydrolysis methods. Human Placental Enzymes and Placental Enzymes are enzymes obtained by aqueous extraction of human or other animal placental material. Human Umbilical Extract and Umbilical Extract are unspecified extracts of material from human or other animal umbilical cords. Different materials called Human Placental Extracts and Placental Extracts, assumed to contain estrogenic hormones or other biologically active substances, are not recognized as cosmetic ingredients, even though the use of these ingredients in cosmetics have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Human-derived ingredients are prohibited from use under the provisions of the European Union cosmetics directive based on concerns about transmission of human spongiform encephalopathies and viral diseases, for example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Umbilical Extract has precedent for unrestricted use in Japan, except for certain products. Most of these ingredients are described as hair-conditioning agents and miscellaneous skin-conditioning agents, although the umbilical extracts function as biological additives in cosmetics. Of the human-derived ingredients, only Human Placental Protein is currently reported to be used. Animal-derived placental proteins, hydrolyzed proteins, lipids, and enzymes were all currently reported to be used. No current uses of the umbilical extracts were reported. Most of the available data relates to placental derivatives that appear to have estrogenic or other biological activity. The one clinical study that appears to utilize proteinaceous material only reported no irritant reaction. Clearly, the available data are insufficient to support safety of these ingredients in cosmetics. The additional data needed include (1) skin sensitization at concentration of use; (2) gross pathology and histopathology in skin and other major organ systems associated with repeated exposures, and dermal reproductive and developmental toxicity data; (3) photosensitization; (4) one genotoxicity assay in a mammalian system; if positive, then a 2-year dermal carcinogenicity study using National Toxicology Program (NTP) methods may be needed; (5) ocular toxicity, if available. Any studies should be done on all ingredients unless chemical analysis data show similarity among ingredients. Because there is confusion and concern about the use of substances with estrogenic or other biological activity in cosmetic formulations, it was concluded that none of these ingredients used in cosmetics should deliver any metabolic/endocrine activity. In addition, any current use of these ingredients should be free of detectable pathogenic viruses or infectious agents.

A human placental extract: in vivo and in vitro assessments of its melanocyte growth and pigment-inducing activities

BACKGROUND

The authenticity of various prototype human placental extracts with biological activity, such as that inducing vitiligo repigmentation, is under serious criticism, mainly due to a lack of demonstration at the cellular level. Considering the present worldwide scenario with regard to the occurrence and treatment of vitiligo, a thorough scientific exploration of such extracts should be undertaken.

METHOD

One such prototype placental preparation was prepared, and was evaluated with regard to its melanogenic action in C57BL/6J mice in vivo and its mitogenic and melanogenic activity on B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and normal human melanocytes in vitro. The extract was applied topically to mice with age-induced prolonged telogenic phase of hair growth (grey body coat hair). Standard 3H-thymidine incorporation and spectrophotometric methods were followed to illustrate mitogenic and melanogenic effects at the cellular level.

RESULTS

The resurgence of blue skin, followed by shiny black hair, at the regions of application of the extract demonstrated the reversal of the age-induced prolonged telogenic phase of hair growth to the anagenic phase after topical application of the extract on C57BL/6J mice. Further support was obtained from histology where, at the extract-treated sites, the development of new melanogenic centers and hair follicles was observed. During in vitro studies, the vehicle-free extract constituents stimulated both mitogenesis and melanogenesis of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The cell morphology and extent of melanogenesis also showed significant changes. In addition, two known melanocyte activity-modulating peptides, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), were determined in the extract, chiefly in the total lipid fraction, indicating their effective cutaneous permeation.

CONCLUSIONS

The extract was found to be a potent mitogen in the in vitro condition and a potent melanogen in both the in vitro and in vivo situations. This strongly suggests its therapeutic potential for the repigmentation of vitiligo patches.

Human placental lipid induces mitogenesis and melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells

A hydroalcoholic extract of fresh term human placenta was found to be mitogenic as well as melanogenic on B16F10 mouse melanoma in an in vitro culture. The extract, a reservoir of a large number of bioactive molecules, was resolved to get the lipid fraction. Its activity was evaluated on B16F10 mouse melanoma by assessing the change in cellular morphology, growth and melanin induction. The lipid fraction, placental total lipid fraction (PTLF) tested in the study employed doses of 0 01 to 200 microg/ml; optimum growth and melanization accompanied by morphological changes were recorded at 10 and 100 microg/ml respectively. At intermediate doses growth and melanization were found to show a pattern of change over between growth and melanization and finally reached at an inverse relation at the respective optimal dose of response. Compared with defined sphingolipids, C(2) ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate, the results were mostly corroborative. The duality of biological response of sphingolipids as reported in numerous studies was comparable for the PTLF suggesting that its active component is a sphingolipid and showing its use for pigment recovery in vitiligo.

Effects of human placental extract on chemical and thermal nociception in mice

Several reports indicate that pregnancy and parturition are associated with elevated maternal pain thresholds to noxious stimuli. The objective of this study was to examine whether the human placental extract, a clinically used preparation, can inhibit experimental nociception. Nociception was assessed in mice using acetic acid-induced writhing and hot-plate tests. The human placental extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) elicited dose-related antinociception in the acetic acid-induced writhing test. Furthermore, it (200 mg/kg, i.p.) potentiated the morphine-induced antinociception (1.25 mg/kg, s.c.). In the hot-plate test, the human placental extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) per se, displayed no significant antinociception but potentiated the duration of morphine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) analgesia. The potentiation by the extract of the morphine-induced antinociception in both acetic acid and hot-plate tests was, however, found to be naloxone sensitive. Mice treated with the extract (400 mg/kg, i.p.) neither manifested any overt behavioural change in the open-field test nor demonstrated significant influence on pentobarbital sleeping time, suggesting that it has no central depressant or sedative activity. The data provide evidence to show that the human placental extract has a peripheral analgesic property possibly mediated by an opioid mechanism.