Paradoxical Benefits of Psychological Stress in Inflammatory Dermatoses Models Are Glucocorticoid Mediated

Abstract

Acute psychological stress (PS) mobilizes metabolic responses that are of immediate benefit to the host, but the current medical paradigm holds that PS exacerbates systemic and cutaneous inflammatory disorders. Although the adverse consequences of PS are usually attributed to neuroimmune mechanisms, PS also stimulates an increase in endogenous glucocorticoids (GC) that compromises permeability barrier homeostasis, stratum corneum cohesion, wound healing, and epidermal innate immunity in normal skin. Yet, if such PS-induced increases in GC were uniformly harmful, natural selection should have eliminated this component of the stress response. Hence, we hypothesized here instead that stress-induced elevations in endogenous GC could benefit, rather than aggravate cutaneous function and reduce inflammation in three immunologically-diverse, mouse models of inflammatory diseases. Indeed, rather than aggravating inflammation, superimposed, exogenous (motion-restricted) stress reduced, rather than aggravated inflammation and improved epidermal function in all three models, even normalizing serum IgE levels in the atopic dermatitis model. Elevations in endogenous GC accounted for these apparent benefits, because co-administration of mifepristone prevented stress-induced disease amelioration. Thus, exogenous stress can benefit rather than aggravate cutaneous inflammatory dermatoses through the anti-inflammatory activity of increased endogenous GC.

The influence of exposome on acne

“…117 Psychosocial and lifestyle factors Clinical evidence about the impact of psychosocial and lifestyle factors on acne is sparse and clinical wisdom and experience, as well as anecdotal observations and uncontrolled case series support this situation. [118][119][120][121][122][123] Nevertheless, there is some evidence that psychosocial and lifestyle factors including stress, emotions, sleep deprivation and modern lifestyle impact on inflammatory skin diseases. 119,121,122,[124][125][126][127][128][129][130] Cultural factors may influence the experience and presentation of acne.…”

“…[118][119][120][121][122][123] Nevertheless, there is some evidence that psychosocial and lifestyle factors including stress, emotions, sleep deprivation and modern lifestyle impact on inflammatory skin diseases. 119,121,122,[124][125][126][127][128][129][130] Cultural factors may influence the experience and presentation of acne. 118,131 Corticotropin-releasing hormones and neuropeptides are present in the sebaceous glands, possibly activating pathways affecting immune and inflammatory processes leading to the development and stress-and neurologically induced exacerbation of acne.…”

Acne and nutrition: hypotheses, myths and facts

“…Even if for many years nutrition was believed to cause or worsen acne, it has become a dermatological doctrine over the last decades that there is no direct association between diet and acne . Cordain et al .…”

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Even if for many years nutrition was believed to cause or worsen acne, it has become a dermatological doctrine over the last decades that there is no direct association between diet and acne. [19][20][21][22][23][24] Cordain et al 25 were the first to question this belief, by studying acne-free populations having no hyperglycaemic carbohydrate and no dairy product intake. The authors have shed some new light on this issue through their hypothesis that acne is a typical disease of Western civilization and thus associated with what we eat.…”

Biopsychosocial Aspects and Quality of Life of People With Chronic Dermatoses

“…Existe, portanto, fortes evidências de uma função potencialmente patógena das perturbações provocadas pelo estresse psíquico no desencadeamento ou agravamento das dermatoses (Lin et al, 2014).…”