A preliminary attempt to establish multiple stress response profiles of human skin fibroblasts exposed to mild or severe stress during ageing in vitro.

Optimal stress response (SR) is an essential aspect of the property of dynamic homeostasis of all biological systems, including cells in culture. Whereas severe stress can induce the so-called stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), a model developed by Olivier Toussaint, mild stress can strengthen homeodynamics and can postpone senescence through the phenomenon of hormesis. We have attempted to establish multiple stress response profiles (SRP) of early passage young and late passage senescent human facial skin fibroblasts, FSF-1, exposed to either mild (41°C) and severe (43°C) heat shock for 1h, or to mild (2%) and severe (0%) serum deprivation for up to 48h. The results obtained show that FSF-1 cells exposed to two different intensities of stress from two different stressors separately have differential SRP to mild and severe stress, which also vary significantly between young and senescent cells. Establishing multiple and differential SRP to mild and severe stress may facilitate distinguishing between the mild stress-induced beneficial hormetic effects and the harmful effects of severe stress.