Evaluation of squalene oxidation mechanisms in human skin surface lipids and shark liver oil supplements

Induction of ferroptosis in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells by squalene hydroperoxide: Possible prevention of skin ferroptosis by botanical extracts

Ever since the proposal of ferroptosis, it has been studied as a nonapoptotic cell death caused by iron ion-dependent phospholipid (PL) peroxidation. We previously showed that treatment of human hepatoma cell line HepG2 with prepared PL hydroperoxide (PLOOH) resulted in ferroptosis. However, in human sebum, the major hydroperoxide is not PLOOH but squalene hydroperoxide (SQOOH), and to our knowledge, it is not established yet whether SQOOH induces ferroptosis in the skin. In this study, we synthesized SQOOH and treated human keratinocyte HaCaT cells with SQOOH. The results showed that SQOOH induces ferroptosis in HaCaT cells in the same way that PLOOH causes ferroptosis in HepG2 cells. Some natural antioxidants (botanical extracts) could inhibit the ferroptosis in both the cell types. Consequently, future research focus would revolve around the involvement of SQOOH-induced ferroptosis in skin pathologies as well as the prevention and treatment of skin diseases through inhibition of ferroptosis by botanical extracts.

Squalene Peroxidation and Biophysical Parameters in Acne-Prone Skin: A Pilot "In Vivo" Study

Nowadays, acne vulgaris therapies are often unsuccessful. One of the responsible factors for the formation of comedones and inflammatory lesions could be the peroxidation of squalene, a hydrocarbon representing one of the major components of human sebum. This peroxidation is increased by solar irradiation. The purpose of this work was to set up an in vivo method for the extraction and quantification of squalene from acne skin and to correlate the results with biophysical skin parameters such as sebum amount, protein content and TEWL. Healthy volunteers were used as control. The results obtained demonstrated that acne-prone skin had a major quantity of squalene, and, in the stratum corneum area, its peroxide form is present. Moreover, Spearman's rank correlation showed a positive correlation between sebum content and peroxide squalene and between porphyrin intensity and peroxide squalene.

Endogenous Photosensitizers in Human Skin

Endogenous photosensitizers play a critical role in both beneficial and harmful light-induced transformations in biological systems. Understanding their mode of action is essential for advancing fields such as photomedicine, photoredox catalysis, environmental science, and the development of sun care products. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of endogenous photosensitizers in human skin, investigating the connections between their electronic excitation and the subsequent activation or damage of organic biomolecules. We gather the physicochemical and photochemical properties of key endogenous photosensitizers and examine the relationships between their chemical reactivity, location within the skin, and the primary biochemical events following solar radiation exposure, along with their influence on skin physiology and pathology. An important take-home message of this review is that photosensitization allows visible light and UV-A radiation to have large effects on skin. The analysis presented here unveils potential causes for the continuous increase in global skin cancer cases and emphasizes the limitations of current sun protection approaches.

Significance of Singlet Oxygen Molecule in Pathologies

Reactive oxygen species, including singlet oxygen, play an important role in the onset and progression of disease, as well as in aging. Singlet oxygen can be formed non-enzymatically by chemical, photochemical, and electron transfer reactions, or as a byproduct of endogenous enzymatic reactions in phagocytosis during inflammation. The imbalance of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant networks with the generation of singlet oxygen increases oxidative stress, resulting in the undesirable oxidation and modification of biomolecules, such as proteins, DNA, and lipids. This review describes the molecular mechanisms of singlet oxygen production in vivo and methods for the evaluation of damage induced by singlet oxygen. The involvement of singlet oxygen in the pathogenesis of skin and eye diseases is also discussed from the biomolecular perspective. We also present our findings on lipid oxidation products derived from singlet oxygen-mediated oxidation in glaucoma, early diabetes patients, and a mouse model of bronchial asthma. Even in these diseases, oxidation products due to singlet oxygen have not been measured clinically. This review discusses their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis. Recent developments in singlet oxygen scavengers such as carotenoids, which can be utilized to prevent the onset and progression of disease, are also described.

Novel Photoinduced Squalene Cyclic Peroxide Identified, Detected, and Quantified in Human Skin Surface Lipids

Skin surface lipids (SSLs) form the first barrier that protects the human organism from external stressors, disruption of the homeostasis of SSLs can result in severe skin abnormalities. One of the main causes of this disruption is oxidative stress that is primarily due to SSLs oxidation. Squalene (SQ), the most abundant lipid among SSLs, was shown to first undergo singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) oxidation to yield 6 SQ-monohydroperoxide (SQ-OOH) isomers as the primary oxidation products. However, due to the instability and lability of hydroperoxides, we found that when total SQ-OOH isomers are further photooxidized, they form a unique higher molecular weight secondary oxidation product. To generate the compound, we photooxidized total SQ-OOH isomers in the presence of ground state molecular oxygen (3O2), after its isolation and purification, we studied its structure using MS/MS, NMR, derivatization reactions, and chemical calculations. The compound was identified as 2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ. Photooxidation of individual SQ-OOH isomers revealed that 6-OOH-SQ is the precursor of 2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ and indicated the possibility of the formation of similar cyclic peroxides from each isomer following the same photoinduced chain reaction mechanism. An HPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the analysis of 2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ and its presence on the skin was confirmed in SSLs of six healthy individuals. Its quantity on the skin correlated directly to that of SQ and was not inversely proportional to its precursor, indicating the possibility of its accumulation on the skin surface and the constant regeneration of 6-OOH-SQ from SQ's oxidation. In general, research on lipid cyclic peroxides in the human organism is very limited, and especially on the skin. This study shows for the first time the identification and presence of a novel SQ cyclic peroxide "2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ" in SSLs, shedding light on the importance of further studying its effect and role on the skin.

Structural Analysis of Lipid Hydroperoxides Using Mass Spectrometry with Alkali Metals

Lipid oxidation is involved in various biological phenomena (e.g., oxylipin generation and oxidative stress). Of oxidized lipid structures, the hydroperoxyl group position of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) is a critical factor in determining their biological roles. Despite such interest, current methods to determine hydroperoxyl group positions possess some drawbacks such as selectivity. While we previously reported mass spectrometric methods using Na⁺ for the highly selective determination of hydroperoxyl group positions, nothing was known except for the fact that sodiated LOOHs (mainly linoleate) provide specific fragment ions. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the effects of different alkali metals on the fragmentation of LOOHs, assuming its further application to analysis of other complex LOOHs. From the analysis of PC 16:0/18:2;OOH (phosphatidylcholine) and FA 18:2;OOH (fatty acid), we found that fragmentation pathways and ion intensities largely depend on the binding position and type of alkali metals (i.e., Li⁺, Hock fragmentation; Na⁺ and K⁺, α-cleavage (Na⁺ > K⁺); Rb⁺ and Cs⁺, no fragmentation). Furthermore, we proved that this method can be applied to determine the hydroperoxyl group position of esterified lipids (e.g., phospholipids and cholesterol esters) as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including n-3, n-6, and n-9 FA. We anticipate that the insights described in this study provide additional unique insights to conventional lipid oxidation research.

Linoleic acid and squalene are oxidized by discrete oxidation mechanisms in human sebum

Previous studies suggest that squalene (SQ) in sebum is oxidized by a photooxidation mechanism (i.e., singlet oxygen oxidation) to create SQ hydroperoxide (SQOOH), a compound that causes adverse skin conditions. However, oxidation of other lipids in sebum, such as linoleic acid (LA), has not been fully understood. Elucidating their oxidation, especially its mechanisms, may lead to a further understanding of the relationship between sebum oxidation and skin conditions. In this study, using HPLC-MS/MS, we aimed to detect LA hydroperoxide (LAOOH) directly from sebum and identify the oxidation mechanism of LA in sebum through analysis of LAOOH isomers. We developed extraction and HPLC-MS/MS analysis conditions that can sufficiently quantify each LAOOH isomer in sebum. Using this method, LAOOH was detected in samples from healthy individuals, demonstrating the presence of LAOOH in human sebum. Moreover, isomer analysis of LAOOH and SQOOH indicated that LA and SQ are oxidized in sebum by discrete oxidation mechanisms (LA oxidized by free radical oxidation, whereas SQ oxidized by singlet oxygen oxidation). Such results may further lead to the development of mechanism-specific ways to prevent oxidation of sebum via a selection of appropriate antioxidants, ultimately leading to the promotion of skin health.