Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been widely accepted as major contributors to cutaneous innate non-specific immunity, which is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Altered expression of AMPs has been described in chronic inflammatory disorders of the skin. This study was conducted to clarify the expression of AMPs, including psoriasin, human β-defensin (hBD)-2, hBD-3, and LL-37, in cultured sebocytes and to evaluate the changes in the expression of AMPs in cultured sebocytes after treatment with vitamin D. Primary culture of sebocytes obtained from hair follicles of the scalp was used for this study. Cultured sebocytes were treated with vitamin D (10(-10)-10(-6) M). In addition, vitamin D (10(-10), 10(-8) and 10(-6) M) was added to sebocytes treated with vitamin D receptor (VDR) siRNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for psoriasin, hBD-2, hBD-3, and hCAP-18 was performed using cultured sebocytes and sebocytes treated with VDR siRNA. Western blotting for psoriasin, hBD-2, hBD-3, and hCAP-18 was also performed using sebocytes treated with vitamin D (10(-10), 10(-8), and 10(-6) M). Gene and protein expression of hCAP-18 (p < 0.05) showed an increase in sebocytes treated with vitamin D. Gene expression of hCAP-18 by treatment with vitamin D was blocked in sebocytes treated with VDR siRNA. In conclusion, treatment with vitamin D resulted in increased expression of LL-37 through the vitamin D receptor of cultured sebocytes.
Sebaceous glands are known to affect hair growth. Nevus sebaceus, a sebaceous gland hamartomas, presents as hairless patches. In this study, cultures of nevus sebaceus sebocytes (NSS) and normal scalp hair follicle sebocytes (NS) were used in performance of microarray, RT-PCR, western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining. NSS-and NS-conditioned media were also added to the culture of outer root sheath cells (ORSCs), dermal papilla cells (DPCs) or normal scalp hair follicle sebocytes. Results of this study showed a decrease in the survival rate of ORSCs and DPCs and hair growth in the NSS-conditioned medium-treated group, compared with the control and NSconditioned medium-treated groups. An increase in expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-5, Dickkopf-1 and inflammatory cytokines and a decrease in expression of Wnt10b and Lef1 were observed. In conclusion, NSS showed an increase in expression of hair growth-suppressing bioactive factors, including FGF-5, and a decrease in expression of hair growth-stimulating factors.
Epidermal nevi (EN) are hamartomatous lesions derived from epidermal components originating from pluripotent cell mutations. They have been categorized according to their predominant component. The existence of >2 types of EN concurrently within a single area or within contiguous areas has been rarely reported. This report describes the case of simultaneous presence of a yellowish plaque on the left medial canthus and an aggregation of closed comedo-like papules on the right side of the cheek of a 15-year-old girl.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.