Asia-Pacific Biotech Developing, Inc., Kaohsiung 806, Taiwan.
Mar Drugs. 2013 Jun 3;11(6):1899-908. doi: 10.3390/md11061899.
Reducing hyperpigmentation has been a big issue for years. Even though pigmentation is a normal mechanism protecting skin from UV-causing DNA damage and oxidative stress, it is still an aesthetic problem for many people. Bacteria can produce some compounds in response to their environment. These compounds are widely used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Some probiotics have immunomodulatory activities and modulate the symptoms of several diseases. Previously, we found that the extracts of Rhodobacter sphaeroides (Lycogen™) inhibited nitric oxide production and inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression in activated macrophages. In this study, we sought to investigate an anti-melanogenic signaling pathway in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated B16F10 melanoma cells and zebrafish. Treatment with Lycogen™ inhibited the cellular melanin contents and expression of melanogenesis-related protein, including microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase in B16F10 cells. Moreover, Lycogen™ reduced phosphorylation of MEK/ERK without affecting phosphorylation of p38. Meanwhile, Lycogen™ decreased zebrafish melanin expression in a dose-dependent manner. These findings establish Lycogen™ as a new target in melanogenesis and suggest a mechanism of action through the ERK signaling pathway. Our results suggested that Lycogen™ may have potential cosmetic usage in the future.
多年来，减少皮肤色素沉着一直是一个大问题。尽管色素沉着是一种保护皮肤免受导致 DNA 损伤和氧化应激的紫外线的正常机制，但它仍然是许多人的美容问题。细菌可以根据环境产生一些化合物。这些化合物被广泛应用于化妆品和制药领域。一些益生菌具有免疫调节活性，并调节几种疾病的症状。此前，我们发现球形红假单胞菌（Lycogen™）提取物可抑制活化巨噬细胞中一氧化氮的产生和诱导型一氧化氮合酶的表达。在这项研究中，我们试图研究 α-促黑素细胞激素（α-MSH）处理的 B16F10 黑素瘤细胞和斑马鱼中的抗黑色素生成信号通路。Lycogen™ 处理可抑制 B16F10 细胞中的细胞黑色素含量和黑色素生成相关蛋白的表达，包括小眼畸形相关转录因子（MITF）和酪氨酸酶。此外，Lycogen™ 降低了 MEK/ERK 的磷酸化，而不影响 p38 的磷酸化。同时，Lycogen™ 以剂量依赖性方式降低斑马鱼的黑色素表达。这些发现确立了 Lycogen™ 作为黑色素生成的新靶标，并提出了通过 ERK 信号通路发挥作用的机制。我们的研究结果表明，Lycogen™ 将来可能具有潜在的美容用途。
