Tomita Y, Maeda K, Tagami H
Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Pigment Cell Res. 1992 Nov;5(5 Pt 2):357-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0749.1992.tb00562.x.
Normal human epidermal melanocytes became swollen and more dendritic with an increase in the amount of tyrosinase and immunoreactive b-locus protein when they were cultured for 2 days with the following arachidonic acid metabolites: prostaglandin (PG) D2, leukotriene (LT) B4, LTC4, LTD4, LTE4, thromboxane (TX) B2 and 12-hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE). The effect of LTC4 was particularly strong compared to that of PGE2, about which we have previously reported. On the other hand, PGE1, PGF2 alpha and 6-ketoPGF1 alpha did not show any significant stimulatory effect. These data suggest that arachidonate-derived chemical mediators, especially LTC4, may be responsible for the induction of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of the skin.
