Protective effect of GSW against UVB‐induced skin damage

Abstract

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation on skin can induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which damage cellular components. Increased ROS in skin cause activation of the activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) transcription factor, which increases matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression and collagen degradation. These causes the characteristic changes of photoaging induced by UVB irradiation. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of GSW against UVB induced skin damage in human skin fibroblasts. GSW was first analyzed for antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTs radical scavenging assay. DPPH and ABTs radical scavenging activities of GSW were significantly higher in a dose‐dependent manner. Skin fibroblast were treated vitamin C and GSW (10μg/mL, 30μg/mL, 50μg/mL) after UVB irradiation (0mJ/cm2 and 25mJ/cm2). Vitamin C and GSW inhibited MMPs (MMP‐1, MMP‐3, MMP‐9) expression and MMP‐1 secretion caused by UVB irradiation. Moreover, we found that treatment with vitamin C and GSW significantly increased type‐1 collagen expression and production. We next examined the levels of antioxidative enzymes (SOD, Catalase, GPx) activities related in antioxidative effects. Reduced antioxidative enzymes activities by UVB irradiation were increased after treatment with vitamin C and GSW. In conclusion, theses results show that GSW has protective effects on UVB‐induced skin damage in human skin fibroblasts by regulating antioxidative defence systems and MMPs expression.