The Combined Effects of Extracts Containing Carotenoids and Vitamins E and C on Growth and Pigmentation of Cultured Human Melanocytes

In the present study, we investigated the effects of tomato extract (TE) containing lycopene and palm fruit extract (PE) rich in carotenoids on the growth and pigmentation of melanocyte cultures of Caucasian origin. The extracts were tested at different concentrations and in combination with vitamins E and C. Melanocytes with basic and increased (tyrosine-induced) pigmentation were treated in short-term and long-term experiments. Prevention of UVA-induced DNA damage was studied by using the comet assay. Melanocytes with stimulated melanin production showed reduced growth. Incubation of the cells with TE/PE (20/4 microg/ml) in combination with 35 microM vitamin E and 100 microM vitamin C (COMB 20/4) reduced this growth inhibition, especially in the long-term cultures. Increased production of melanin pigment was obtained when the cells were treated with 2.5 x and 10 x higher concentrations of the TE/PE and the same concentration of vitamins E and C (COMB 50/10 and 200/40). Reduced DNA damage was found after UVA irradiation in cells preincubated with COMB 50/10. The results indicate that the presence of carotenoids from TE and PE in combination with vitamins E and C may influence growth and pigmentation in melanocyte monocultures. Depending on the concentration of the carotenoid mixtures, their presence may provide some protection against the melanogenic intermediates and/or exogenous DNA damage.

Long-term growth arrest of PUVA-treated fibroblasts in G2/M in the absence of p16INK4a, p21CIP1or p53

Premature aging of the skin is a prominent side-effect of psoralen photoactivation, a therapy used for different skin disorders. Recently, we demonstrated that treatment of fibroblasts with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A irradiation resulted in growth arrest with morphological and functional changes reminiscent of replicative senescence. To further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we analysed the cell-cycle phases of the growth-arrested fibroblasts. After PUVA treatment, fibroblasts arrested in G2/M, in contrast to spontaneously senesced fibroblasts arresting in a cell-cycle phase with many features similar to G1. To address the role of the cell-cycle controlling genes p16(INK4a), p21(CIP1) and p53, we analysed the expression of these genes. p16(INK4a), p21(CIP1) and p53 protein levels increased substantially with different time kinetics in growth-arrested fibroblasts. Because p16(INK4a), p21(CIP1) and p53 are involved in replicative senescence, we applied the PUVA regimen to fibroblasts deficient in either of these genes. p16(INK4a), p21(CIP1) and p53 null mutant fibroblast strains underwent growth arrest with a senescent phenotype similar to wild-type human fibroblasts. Based on these results, we propose that redundant or alternate pathways are involved in the response of dermal fibroblasts to PUVA treatment resulting in a phenocopy of replicative senescence in vitro.

Variation in melanin content and composition in type V and VI photoexposed and photoprotected human skin: the dominant role of DHI

A combination of techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectrophotometric measurements, and a novel method for quantifying melanosome morphology, were applied to the analysis of melanin content and composition in highly pigmented (Fitzpatrick type V and VI) human skin. We found that total epidermal melanin content is significantly elevated in photoexposed type V and VI skin (approximately 1.6 x), while analysis of individual melanin components suggests that pheomelanin content increases only slightly, whereas 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-eumelanin and to a greater extent 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-eumelanin content are both markedly elevated. Analysis of the relative composition of epidermal melanin in these subjects revealed that DHI-eumelanin is the largest single component (approximately 60-70%), followed by DHICA-eumelanin (25-35%), with pheomelanin being a relatively minor component (2-8%). Moreover, there was a comparative enrichment of DHI-eumelanin at photoexposed sites, with a corresponding decline in the relative contributions from DHICA-eumelanin and pheomelanin. There was also a good correlation and close agreement between the concentration of spheroidal melanosomes determined by morphological image analysis and the concentration of pheomelanin determined by a combination of HPLC and spectrophotometric analysis (r = 0.89, P < 0.02). This study demonstrates the usefulness of melanosome morphology analysis as a sensitive new method for the quantification of melanin composition in human skin. The data also suggest that DHI-eumelanin formation is the dominant pathway for melanin synthesis in heavily pigmented (Fitzpatrick V and VI) skin types in vivo, and is the favoured pathway when melanin production is increased in chronically photoexposed skin.

O-methylation of L-dopa in melanin metabolism and the presence of catechol-O-methyltransferase in melanocytes

O-Methylation of L-dopa was investigated as a possible regulatory mechanism in melanin metabolism. The methylation product of L-dopa, 3-O-methoxytyrosine was detected in extracts of cultured human melanocytes. The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase is responsible for this O-methylation and that of the dihydroxyindolic intermediates of melanogenesis. The enzyme is present in melanocytes in its soluble and membrane-bound isoforms. Immuno-electron microscopy suggests the presence of the membrane-bound enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum. This localization may indicate a role of catechol-O-methyltransferase in protecting the melanocyte against reactive dihydroxyphenolic intermediates of melanogenesis leaking from the melanogenic compartments. On the other hand, the O-methylation of L-dopa may serve as a regulatory point in melanogenesis during early stage of tyrosinase processing in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Expression of different immunological markers by cultured human melanocytes

The expression of different immunological markers by cultured human melanocytes (MC) in relation to immune phenomena, were investigated on ten different MC cell lines from early (1st) to late (22nd) passage. Four melanocyte lines (MC-a) which had undergone changes in growth behaviour during prolonged culture were included in the study, together with two melanoma lines. Cytospin preparations of the cells were stained for the presence of a set of different immunological markers and a melanoma-associated antigen (MAA). All MC lines, including the MC-a and the melanoma lines, showed expression of MHC class I, IL-1, IL-2, ICAM-1 and the MAA, NKI-Beteb, during all passages tested. Interestingly, four of the MC lines showed staining for the Fc receptor. A tendency towards a stronger expression of ICAM-1 on a higher percentage of cells was observed on MC with increasing passage number, the MC-a and the melanoma lines. Expression of the MAA was strongly reduced for the MC-a lines in comparison with the MC and the M14 melanoma lines. Positive staining for the HLA class II molecules was obtained on MC of intermediate and late passages, and on the MC-a and the melanoma lines in the decreasing order HLA-DR, DP and DQ. Additionally, we carried out a preliminary study showing that cultured MC also produce IL-1 and IL-6. However, we were not able to show the production of biologically active IL-2 testing several cultured MC lines. Nevertheless, the overall results taken together suggest that MC are immunologically important cells that are susceptible to changes during long-term culture.

Chemotaxonomy of marine sponges: Families Microcionidae, Raspailiidae and Axinellidae, and their relationships with other families in the orders Poecilosclerida and Axinellida (Porifera : Demospongiae)

Biochemical studies on 72 species of marine sponges from tropical Australia showed that 42 of 132 biochemical characters were useful in describing relationships between the families Microcionidae, Raspailiidae and Axinellidae, and other members of the orders Poecilosclerida and Axinellida. Chemotaxonomic characters were obtained from profiles of free amino acids (34 species), carotenoid pigments (41 species), general proteins (62 species) and antibiotic activity against three human pathogens (42 species of sponges). Biochemical data essentially supported the existing division within class Demospongiae, i.e. Ceractinomorpha and Tetractinomorpha, with the notable exception that the 'tetractinomorph' families Raspailiidae and two genera of Axinellidae were found to be more closely related to the Ceractinomorpha. Within-group comparisons demonstrated that Microcionidae (14 species) and Raspailiidae (15 species) were relatively homogeneous in their biochemical profiles, indicating that they should remain separated at the family level, supporting similar conclusions based on morphological data. Similar trends were also shown for the families Desmacellidae (2 species) and Desmoxyidae (3 species), contrary to recent taxonomic revisions by other authors who hypothesised that these families might be heterogenous. Conversely, Axinellidae (27 species) contained at least three disparate groups of genera: one (i.e. Phakellia, Reniochalina) showing strong affinities with ceractinomorphs, a second (i.e. Acanthella, Pseudaxinyssa) and possibly a third (i.e. Axinella, Teichaxinella) showing closer similarities to Desmoxyidae, Hemiasterellidae and outgroups from Hadromerida and 'Lithistida'. These results provided a measure of support for the removal of Raspailiidae to Poecilosclerida, and the division of Axinellidae into several families, as proposed independently in recent revisions based on morphological evidence.

Hydroxycholesterols in serum from hypercholesterolaemic patients with and without bile acid sequestrant therapy

To assess the effect of bile acid sequestrant therapy on bile acid precursors in plasma, we determined hydroxycholesterols in serum from patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia. Compared with a group of 5 male and 12 female patients without any lipid-lowering drug therapy, which has normal to slightly elevated 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, normal 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol and high normal to elevated 26-hydroxycholesterol levels, a group of 5 male and 9 female patients, using colestipol had higher 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol without overlap, and higher 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol levels, but similar levels of 26-hydroxycholesterol. In the latter group, the ratio between 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol and total cholesterol in serum was also higher without overlap. Both groups did not differ for age, body weight, body mass index and serum lipid levels. In the group of patients without lipid-lowering drug therapy, 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol correlated positively with total and low-densitylipoprotein cholesterol, 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol negatively with body weight and body mass index, and 26-hydroxycholesterol positively with body weight. In both groups, 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol correlated positively with 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol. These results suggest that (1) bile acid sequestrants enhance bile acid synthesis via the 7 alpha-hydroxylation but not via the 26-hydroxylation pathway, (2) serum 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol level and the ratio between this hydroxycholesterol and total cholesterol in serum might be suitable parameters to check intake of bile acid sequestrants irrespective of dose, and (3) 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol is unlikely to be the result of cholesterol auto-oxidation in vitro.

Properties and genetic control of anthocyanin 5-O-glucosyltransferase in flowers of Petunia hybrida

An anthocyanin 5-O-glucosyltransferase from flowers of Petunia hybrida was purified about 30-fold. Using uridine 5'-diphosphoglucose as glucose donor (Km 0.22 mM), the enzyme glucosylated the 3-(p-coumaroyl)-rutinoside derivatives of delphinidin and petunidin (Km 3 μM), isolated from pollen of Petunia. Delphinidin 3-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside and delphinidin 3-glucoside did not serve as substrates. The glucosylation of petunidin 3-(p-coumaroyl)-rutinoside showed a pH-activity optimum at pH 8.3 and was neither stimulated by Mg(2+) or Ca(2+), nor inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. After separating the 5-O-glucosyltransferase from the anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase by means of chromatofocusing, it was shown that both enzymes exhibit a high degree of positional specificity. The 5-O-glucosyltransferase activity was correlated with the gene An1, but not with the gene Gf.