Vitamin C attenuates ERK signalling to inhibit the regulation of collagen production by LL-37 in human dermal fibroblasts.

Vitamin C is used as an anti-ageing agent because of its collagen enhancing effects. The precise cellular signalling mechanism of vitamin C is not well known. Here, we investigate the profibrotic mechanism of vitamin C against LL-37. Antimicrobial peptide LL-37 decreases collagen expression at mRNA and protein levels in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). The ability of LL-37 to inhibit collagen expression is dependent on phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). HDFs and human keloid fibroblasts were treated with vitamin C followed by 2 h of LL-37 treatment. Collagen mRNA expression and total soluble collagen production inhibited by LL-37 was enhanced by treatment with 0.5 mm vitamin C. Vitamin C also decreased intracellular reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) levels that were increased by LL-37. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of ERK was analysed by Western blot following treatment with vitamin C and LL-37. Vitamin C turned off phosphorylation of ERK that was induced by LL-37. Ets-1 transcriptional factor, which is involved in the regulation of collagen expression by LL-37, was also inhibited by vitamin C. This study shows that vitamin C enhances collagen production by inhibiting the ERK pathway induced by LL-37.