• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.209-212
• /
• 2002

Cutaneous hyperpigmentation is a well-known consequence of both acute and chronic X-irradiation, although the molecular mechanisms involved are not well understood. Recently, protein kinase C-$\beta$ (PKC-$\beta$) was shown to activate tyrosinase, a key and the rate-limiting enzyme in melanogenesis [1]. In this study, we have investigated its role in mediating ionizing radiation-induced pigmentation by exposing cultured human melanocytes to X-irradiation. Increased tyrosinase activity after the 4 Gys exposure was observed within 48 hrs and total melanin content doubled after 7 days. Interestingly, tyrosinase mRNA level was not affected by X-irradiation. However, there was a 2-3 fold increase in PKC-$\beta$ mRNA after 48 hours of irradiation, coinciding with the increase in tyrosinase activity. This induction was not due to non-specific heat generated during the irradiation because when melanocytes were incubated at 4$0^{\circ}C$, there was no induction of PKC-$\beta$ mRNA. Taken together, these data suggest that X-irradiation induces cutaneous hyperpigmentation, at least in part, by up-regulating the level of PKC-$\beta$.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.177-183
• /
• 2015

The mechanism of melanogenesis induced by cyclosporin A (CsA) was investigated in B16 melanoma cells. CsA stimulated the production of melanin in a dose-dependent manner in the cells. In addition, CsA increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in a dose-related fashion. Treatment with BAPTA/AM, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator significantly inhibited the CsA-induced intracellular melanin synthesis. CsA profoundly induced $Cl^-$ efflux, which was significantly blocked by niflumic acid (NFA) and flufenamic acid (FFA), specific and nonspecific inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}$-activated $Cl^-$ channels (CaCCs), respectively. Furthermore, these inhibitors of CaCCs significantly inhibited the CsA-induced stimulation of melanin synthesis. Taken together, these results suggest that the activation of CaCCs may play an important role in the CsA-induced stimulation of melanin synthesis in B16 cells. These results further suggest that CaCCs may be a good target for the management of hyperpigmentation of the skin reported in the patients treated with CsA.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.7
• /
• pp.364-369
• /
• 2013

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays an indispensable role in epidermal pigmentation in hyperpigmentary disorders due to a central role in melanogenesis. Nevertheless, precise mechanism involved in ET-1-induced hyperpigmentation is still undefined. Glycoprotein (transmembrane) non-metastatic melanoma protein b (GPNMB) is a key element in melanosome formation. Therefore, we speculated that GPNMB was correlated with ET-1-induced pigmentation. After culturing with ET-1, melanin synthesis was significantly up-regulated, accompanying with increased expression of GPNMB and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Total number of melanosomes and melanin synthesis were sharply reduced via GPNMB-siRNA transfection, indicating ET-1-induced pigmentation by GPNMB-dependent manner. Furthermore, MITF-siRNA transfection strikingly inhibited GPNMB expression and the melanogenesis, and this suppression failed to be alleviated by ET-1 stimulation. All of these results demonstrated that ET-1 can trigger melanogenesis via the MITF-regulated GPNMB pathway. Taken together, these findings will provide a new explanation of how ET-1 induces hyperpigmentation, and possibly supply a new strategy for cosmetic studies.

• Medical Lasers
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.74-79
• /
• 2019

Periorbital melasma is often refractory to treatment and highly associated with rebound hyperpigmentation or mottled hypopigmentation after laser treatment in Asian patients. In this report, we describe 2 patients with cluster-1 periorbital melasma and 1 patient with cluster-2 periorbital melasma who experienced remarkable clinical improvements after microwave-generated, atmospheric-pressure, non-thermal nitrogen plasma treatments. All patients exhibited limited clinical responses after combination treatments with topical bleaching agents, systemic oral tranexamic acid, and low-fluenced Q-switched neodymium (Nd):yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) lasers. Low-energy nitrogen plasma treatment at 0.75 J elicited remarkable clinical improvement in the periorbital melasma lesions without post-laser therapy rebound hyperpigmentation and mottled hypopigmentation. We deemed that a single pass of nitrogen plasma treatment at 0.75 J induces mild microscopic thermal tissue coagulation and modification within the epidermis while preserving the integrity of the basement membrane in patients with periorbital melasma. Accordingly, nitrogen plasma-induced dermal tissue regeneration could play a role in the treatment of melasma lesions.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.331-339
• /
• 2022

Melanin is a pigment produced by melanocytes to protect the skin from external stimuli, mainly ultraviolet (UV) rays. However, abnormal and excessive production of melanin causes hyperpigmentation disorders, such as freckles, age spots, and discoloration. Natural cosmeceuticals are a new trend for treating or preventing hyperpigmentation due to fewer side effects and biocompatibility. In this context, the current study focused on Cnidium japonicum, a halophyte with several uses in folk medicine, to evaluate its potential as a skin-whitening agent. The effect of C. japonicum extract (CJE) on melanin production was analyzed in melanogenesis-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells. The results showed that CJE successfully inhibited the oxidation of tyrosine and L-DOPA by tyrosinase and subsequently decreased the production of the key enzymes responsible for melanin production: tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, and protein-2. This effect was confirmed by decreased intracellular and extracellular melanin levels in B16F10 melanoma cells after CJE treatment. Further experiments to elucidate the action mechanism revealed that CJE treatment suppressed melanin production by inhibiting the activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSKβ)/β-catenin and protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) pathways, which are the upstream activators of melanogenesis. In conclusion, the present study suggests that C. japonicum is a potential natural source of bioactive substances for the development of novel cosmeceuticals that can act against hyperpigmentation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.1017-1020
• /
• 1999

Fifteen dogs with superficial pyoderma were investigated clinically. Dermatological signs were mainly consisted of papule (66.6%), pustule (86.6%), epidermal collrarette and patchy (40%), and hyperpigmentation (53.3%). Distribution of skin lesion were consisted of back (35.5%), abdomen (29.0%), axillary (6.4%), leg (3.2%), neck (3.6%) and foot (16.1%), respectively. In pustular cytology PMN cells and cocci were examined. Cephalexin was very effective antibiotics on superficial pyoderma at administration of 30mg/kg bid P.O. for 3 weeks. Hyperadrenocorticism and atopy were diagnosed as a primary cause on pyoderma in 2 dogs.

• Korean journal of dermatology
• /
• v.56 no.9
• /
• pp.575-576
• /
• 2018

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.04a
• /
• pp.267.2-267.2
• /
• 2003

Melanin biosynthesis inhibitors are useful not only for the materials used in cosmetics as skin-whitening agents but also for the remedy of hyperpigmentation. In order to find the new skin-whitening compounds from the natural products. screening of tyrosinase inhibitory activity in vitro has been carried out. The EtOH extracts of two hundred crude drugs were performed at the concentration of 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.397-403
• /
• 1999

Tyrosinase plays an important role in the process of melanin polymer biosynthesis. Therefore, the enzyme inhibitors have been of great concern as cosmetics to have skin-whitening effects on the local hyperpigmentation. During the search for new inhibitory compounds on melanin polymer biosynthesis from natural sources, MeOH extracts of 589 higher plants were tested for the inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity by the muschroom tyrosinase assay in vitro. Among plants tested, the leaves of Cercis chinensis exhibited potent inhibitory effect on mushroom tyrosinase activity. Subsequently seven active compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble part of acetone extract of the leaves of C. chinensis by the activity guided fractionation monitoring the inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity. Their chemical structures were identified as $kaempferol-3-0-{\alpha}-L-rhamnoside$, quercitrin, $myricetin-3-0-{\alpha}-L-rhamnoside$, myricetin-3-0-(2'-O-galloyl)- ${\alpha}$ -L-rhamopyranoside (desmanthin), (-)-epicatechin-3-0-gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-0-gallate, and methyl gallate on the basis of the speculation of spectral data and chemical reaction. Among the flavonol rhamnosides, myricetin-3-0-(2'-O-galloyl)- -L-rhamnoside(desmanthin) showed most potent inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity and the structure of B-ring in flavonol moiety was related to the activity. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate having pyrogallol group in flavan-3-ol moiety exhibited more potent inhibitory effect than (-)-epicatechin-3-0-gallate having catechol group in flavan-3-ol moiety on mushroom tyrosinase activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.375-380
• /
• 2018

We have previously found that mycelia culture broth of eight kinds of traditional herbal extracts fermented with Phellinus linteus (previously named as 8-HsPLCB) not only inhibited melanin and tyrosinase activity, but also reduced the contents of melanogenesis-related proteins, including tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, in 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-stimulated B16F0 melanoma cells. For a further study, the effect of 8-HsPLCB against skin pigmentation in brown guinea pigs with ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced hyperpigmentation was investigated. 8-HsPLCB (3%) and arbutin (2%) as positive controls were applied topically twice daily for 4 weeks to the hyperpigmented areas. 8-HsPLCB showed skin-lightening effect as effective as arbutin, one of the most widely used in whitening cosmetics. Melanin index values as the degree of pigmentation showed a significant reduction week by week post 8-HsPLCB treatment and then substantially reduced by 4 weeks. The degree of depigmentation after 4 weeks of topical application with 8-HsPLCB was 32.2% as compared with before treatment (0 week). Moreover, using Fontana-Masson staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining, 8-HsPLCB reduced melanin pigmentation in the basal layer of the epidermis and epidermal thickness changes exposed to the UV-B irradiation as compared with non-treatment and vehicle treatment. The intensity of the skin-lightening effect of 8-HsPLCB was similar to arbutin. These results suggest that the skin-lightening effect of 8-HsPLCB might be resulted from inhibition of melanin synthesis by tyrosinase in melanocytes. To conclude, 8-HsPLCB treatment showed reduction of the melanin pigment and histological changes induced by UV irradiation in brown guinea pigs.