Skin Receptors Research Articles

Activation of adenosine A2a and A2b receptors augments the skin wound healing in juvenile grass carp

Wounded fish skin leads to the impairment of internal tissue homeostasis and provides an opportunity for pathogens to invade, resulting in the occurrence of fish diseases. Accordingly, skin wound healing has been investigated in many fishes. In the present study, we found that the concentration of adenosine increased in grass carp skin wounds and antagonization of adenosine receptors aggravated the skin wound closure, implying that adenosine receptor activation played a role in fish skin wound repair. After the expression of adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) and A2bR in grass carp skin was verified, the effects of two adenosine analogs, ZM241385 and CGS 21680, on grass carp A2aR and A2bR activation were examined by a dual-luciferase assay. The results showed that 500 nM of ZM241385 could antagonize the activation of both receptors by adenosine and 5–5000 nM of CGS 21680 could stimulate both receptors. In this scenario, these two compounds were administrated to the skin wounds of juvenile grass carp weighting about 8.0 g each, showing that 0.5, 2.5, 12.5 μg/tail of ZM241385 dose-dependently delayed while 0.8 and 2.4 μg/tail of CGS 21680 accelerated closure of the wounds when compared to the control group treated with the solvent. The thickness and cell proliferation of the epithelial layer in the wounds were decreased by 2.5 μg/tail of ZM241385 but increased by 0.8 μg/tail of CGS 21680 at 3 days post wounding compared to the control group. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the effects of adenosine receptor activation on skin re-epithelization in vertebrates. Moreover, the effects of ZM241385 and CGS 21680 on granulation formation including fibroblast migration and collagen deposition in grass carp skin wounds were also investigated in the present study. The results revealed that these two compounds oppositely regulated fibroblast migration and collagen deposition in grass carp skin wounds. These results implied that activation of grass carp A2aR and A2bR improved granulation formation in the wound, leading to enhancement of skin wound repair in juvenile grass carp. These results provide the new clues and mechanisms on the skin wound healing in fish species.

Biomimetic Electronic Skin Based on a Stretchable Ionogel Mechanoreceptor Composed of Crumpled Conductive Rubber Electrodes for Synchronous Strain, Pressure, and Temperature Detection.

Electronic skin (e-skin) is showing a huge potential in human-computer interaction, intelligent robots, human health, motion monitoring, etc. However, it is still challenging for e-skin to realize distinguishable detection of stretching strain, vertical pressure, and temperature through a simple noncoupling structure design. Here, a stretchable multimodal biomimetic e-skin was fabricated by integrating layer-by-layer self-assembled crumpled reduced graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotubes film on natural rubber (RGO/MWCNTs@NR) as stretchable conductive electrodes and polyacrylamide/NaCl ionogel as a dielectric layer into an ionotropic capacitive mechanoreceptor. Unlike natural skin receptors, the sandwich-like stretchable ionogel mechanoreceptor possessed a distinct ionotropic capacitive behavior for strain and pressure detection. The results showed that the biomimetic e-skin displayed a negative capacitance change with superior stretchability (0-300%) and a high gauge factor of 0.27 in 180-300% strain, while exhibiting a normal positive piezo-capacitance behavior in vertical pressure range of 0-15 kPa with a maximal sensitivity of 1.759 kPa-1. Based on this feature, the biomimetic e-skin showed an excellent synchronous detection capability of planar strain and vertical pressure in practical wearable applications such as gesture recognition and grasping movement detection without a complicated mathematical or signal decoupling process. In addition, the biomimetic e-skin exhibited a quantifiable linear responsiveness to temperature from 20-90 °C with a temperature coefficient of 0.55%/°C. These intriguing properties gave the biomimetic e-skin the ability to perform a complete function similar to natural skin but beyond its performance for future wearable devices and artificial intelligence devices.

Novel Topical Treatments for Itch.

The experience of itch often poses a burden on patient quality of life and has the capacity to inflict significant suffering. Topical therapies are a mainstay of treatment for many cutaneous and systemic diseases and afford patients the opportunity to manage their conditions without many of the systemic side effects of non-topical therapies. We review a multitude of new topical medications targeting the skin, immune system, and neural receptors. The list includes Janus kinase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, transient receptor vanilloid inhibitors, topical cannabinoids, and topical acetaminophen. Many of the topical therapies reviewed show promising data in phase2-3 clinical trials, but further research is needed to compare therapies head-to-head and test their efficacy on a broader range of conditions.

Efficacy and Safety of Cannabis Transdermal Patch for Alleviating Psoriasis Symptoms: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (CanPatch).

Current topical treatments for psoriasis offer limited efficacy and are associated with long-term adverse effects in a subset of patients, highlighting the need for new therapeutic options. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid derived from Cannabis sativa L., has shown potential in reversing psoriasis pathology through its action on skin receptors in preclinical studies. Given the promising properties of CBD, transdermal patches containing this compound represent a novel approach to psoriasis treatment. However, comprehensive data on their efficacy and safety remain scarce. We outline a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of CBD transdermal patches with minimal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in 60 patients with mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis at a university hospital in Thailand (n = 60). This study aims to evaluate the changes in the local psoriasis severity index (LPSI), itch score via a visual analog scale, and occurrence of adverse events on day 0, 30, 60, and 90 of the study. Additionally, we will examine the alteration in the skin, gut, and oral microbiome in a subset of participants to explore potential correlations with treatment outcomes. The primary outcome will focus on the difference in LPSI scores at the end of the study period, employing an intention-to-treat analysis. Multivariate logistic regression will be used to identify baseline clinical and microbiological predictors of treatment response. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of CBD transdermal patches in alleviating the symptoms of psoriasis. The results of this study may highlight a novel topical treatment option that reduces suffering in patients with psoriasis. We also designed to provide a holistic evaluation by considering both clinical outcomes and the underlying biological mechanisms, including the interaction with the human microbiome. Through this trial, we aim to contribute valuable insights into personalized psoriasis management strategies.

IL-21 promoting angiogenesis contributes to the development of psoriasis.

Elevated IL-21 expression which can effectively induce Th17 cell differentiation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, but its role in angiogenesis remains poorly understood. PASI and PSI score assessment was applied to evaluate the severity of psoriatic lesions. The expression of IL-21, IL-21 receptor (IL-21R), CD31, VEGFA, MMP-9, and ICAM-1 in skin was determined by immunohistochemistry or quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The serum level of IL-21 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then, their correlation was analyzed statistically. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cocultured with conditional medium from normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) were treated with IL-21 and/or M5 cocktail (mixture of IL-1α, IL-17A, IL-22, TNF-α, and oncostatin M). The migration and tube formation of HUVECs were detected, and the levels of VEGFA, MMP-9, and ICAM-1 in NHEKs were measured by Western blotting or ELISA. Increased IL-21 and IL-21R expression was observed in psoriatic sera or skin specimens, with IL-21R mainly locating in keratinocytes and IL-21 in immune cells. Pearson analysis showed significantly positive correlation between IL-21/IL-21R and erythema scores/microvessel density in psoriatic lesions. Moreover, the expression of proangiogenic genes, VEGFA, ICAM-1, and MMP-9 was upregulated in skins of psoriasis. Additionally, in M5 microenvironment, migration and tube formation could be magnified in HUVECs using IL-21 pre-treated NHEK medium. Mechanically, the co-stimulation of IL-21 and M5 to NEHKs increased the expression of ICAM-1. IL-21 could regulate keratinocytes to secrete ICAM-1, thereby promoting angiogenesis in psoriasis.

Clinically uninvolved but not healthy-The skin of patients with atopic dermatitis is primed for itch and inflammation.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly prevalent inflammatory skin disorder characterized by episodic exacerbations and remissions. Why the clinically healthy skin of AD patients becomes rapidly inflamed and very pruritic is poorly understood. To investigate cowhage- and histamine-induced itch and skin expression levels of their target receptors in lesional and non-lesional skin of AD, compared to the skin of patients with psoriasis, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and healthy subjects. Patients with AD, psoriasis and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) as well as healthy control subjects (HC) (n = 20 each) were assessed for differences in itch parameters, neurogenic flare reaction and local blood flow responses to skin provocations with cowhage and histamine. Skin biopsies from 10 AD, 10 psoriasis,11 CSU and 12 HC were obtained to assess expression of protease-activated receptors 2 and 4 (PAR-2, PAR-4), histamine H1 and H4 receptors (H1R, H4R), and mast cells. Provocation of non-lesional skin of AD patients with cowhage resulted in prolonged itch (p = 0.020), which was not observed in psoriasis and CSU. Significantly prolonged and more intense cowhage- and histamine-induced itch (for duration, peak and overall intensity) was also observed in lesional AD skin. Diminished neurogenic flare reaction and blood flow after histamine provocation were shown in AD and psoriasis patients. Non-lesional AD skin along with lesional AD and psoriasis skin showed an increased expression of PAR-2 and PAR-4, H1R and H4R. Mast cell number was higher in lesional AD and psoriasis skin (p = 0.006 and p = 0.006, respectively). The non-lesional skin of AD patients markedly differs from healthy skin in cowhage-induced itch responses and the expression of receptors for proteases and histamine. Proactive therapeutic interventions that downregulate these receptors may prevent episodic exacerbation in AD.

Review of Piezoelectrical Materials Potentially Useful for Peripheral Nerve Repair.

It has increasingly been recognized that electrical currents play a pivotal role in cell migration and tissue repair, in a process named "galvanotaxis". In this review, we summarize the current evidence supporting the potential benefits of electric stimulation (ES) in the physiology of peripheral nerve repair (PNR). Moreover, we discuss the potential of piezoelectric materials in this context. The use of these materials has deserved great attention, as the movement of the body or of the external environment can be used to power internally the electrical properties of devices used for providing ES or acting as sensory receptors in artificial skin (e-skin). The fact that organic materials sustain spontaneous degradation inside the body means their piezoelectric effect is limited in duration. In the case of PNR, this is not necessarily problematic, as ES is only required during the regeneration period. Arguably, piezoelectric materials have the potential to revolutionize PNR with new biomedical devices that range from scaffolds and nerve-guiding conduits to sensory or efferent components of e-skin. However, much remains to be learned regarding piezoelectric materials, their use in manufacturing of biomedical devices, and their sterilization process, to fine-tune their safe, effective, and predictable in vivo application.

IL-33 potentiates histaminergic itch

Itch is a common symptom that can greatly diminish quality of life. Histamine is a potent endogenous pruritogen, and while antihistamines are often the first-line treatment for itch, in conditions like chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), many patients remain symptomatic while receiving maximal doses. Mechanisms that drive resistance to antihistamines are poorly defined. Signaling of the alarmin cytokine IL-33 in sensory neurons is postulated to drive chronic itch by inducing neuronal sensitization to pruritogens. Thus, we sought to determine if IL-33 can augment histamine-induced (histaminergic) itch. Itch behavior was assessed in response to histamine after IL-33 or saline administration. Various stimuli and conditional and global knockout mice were utilized to dissect cellular mechanisms. Multiple existing transcriptomic data sets were evaluated, including single-cell RNA sequencing of human and mouse skin, microarrays of isolated mouse mast cells at steady state and after stimulation with IL-33, and microarrays of skin biopsy samples from subjects with CSU and healthy controls. IL-33 amplifies histaminergic itch independent of IL-33 signaling in sensory neurons. Mast cells are the top expressors of the IL-33 receptor in both human and mouse skin. When stimulated by IL-33, mouse mast cells significantly increase IL-13 levels. Enhancement of histaminergic itch by IL-33 relies on a mast cell- and IL-13-dependent mechanism. IL-33 receptor expression is increased in lesional skin of subjects with CSU compared to healthy controls. Our findings suggest that IL-33 signaling may be a key driver of histaminergic itch in mast cell-associated pruritic conditions such as CSU.

200 Detection of native, activated Notch receptors in normal human apocrine-bearing skin and in hidradenitis suppurativa

200 Detection of native, activated Notch receptors in normal human apocrine-bearing skin and in hidradenitis suppurativa

Effectiveness of Sensory Integration and Conventional Therapy on Impaired Kinesthesia in Peripheral Neuropathy

Background: Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord. Over all prevalence in India varies from 5 - 2400 per 10,000 populations. Diabetic neuropathy is the most common type. Kinesthesia is the ability to sense the motion of a joint or limb. It is primarily influenced by muscle spindles and secondarily influenced by skin receptors and joint receptors. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of sensory integration on kinesthesia in peripheral neuropathy and to compare the effect of sensory integration with conventional therapy on kinesthesia in peripheral neuropathy. Materials And Methods: This was an experimental study conducted on 68 subjects in which Group A received conventional therapy (control) and another group received sensory integration along with conventional therapy (experimental). Simple Random Sampling technique was used. Pre intervention assessment was done and treatment was given for 6 weeks. Post intervention assessment was done with help of outcome measures. Statistical analysis was done using students t test. Results: Among the 68 subjects, Group B which received sensory integration along with conventional therapy showed extremely significant improvement in impaired kinesthesia. In the Weber two point discrimination test, the post intervention comparison (8.6 with group A and 5.98 with group B) showed that group was extremely significant in improving joint position sense. In joint position sense for plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, Group B showed extremely proximate results to range which was asked and the range which was performed by the subjects. Conclusion: Sensory integration therapy was found to be significantly effective on impaired kinesthesia in peripheral neuropathy.

Improving Robotic Tactile Localization Super-resolution via Spatiotemporal Continuity Learning and Overlapping Air Chambers

Human hand has amazing super-resolution ability in sensing the force and position of contact and this ability can be strengthened by practice. Inspired by this, we propose a method for robotic tactile super-resolution enhancement by learning spatiotemporal continuity of contact position and a tactile sensor composed of overlapping air chambers. Each overlapping air chamber is constructed of soft material and seals the barometer inside to mimic adapting receptors of human skin. Each barometer obtains the global receptive field of the contact surface with the pressure propagation in the hyperelastic seal overlapping air chambers. Neural networks with causal convolution are employed to resolve the pressure data sampled by barometers and to predict the contact position. The temporal consistency of spatial position contributes to the accuracy and stability of positioning. We obtain an average super-resolution (SR) factor of over 2500 with only four physical sensing nodes on the rubber surface (0.1 mm in the best case on 38 × 26 mm²), which outperforms the state-of-the-art. The effect of time series length on the location prediction accuracy of causal convolution is quantitatively analyzed in this article. We show that robots can accomplish challenging tasks such as haptic trajectory following, adaptive grasping, and human-robot interaction with the tactile sensor. This research provides new insight into tactile super-resolution sensing and could be beneficial to various applications in the robotics field.

Therapeutic Potential of a Bioactive Flavonoids Glycitin from Glycine max: A Review on Medicinal Importance, Pharmacological Activities and Analytical Aspects

Background: Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important industrial crop and fourth major crop in the world which are the richest source of isofavones including glycitein in human diet. Soybean has been associated with beneficial effects in prevention of cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and menopausal symptoms. Isoflavones class phytochemicals has been extensively studied in the scientific fields due to its estrogenic potential. Methods: Scientific information of glycitin for their biological potential and therapeutic effects has been collected and analyzed in the present work. Scientific data of glycitin has been collected from electronic databases such as Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus in the present work and analyzed for their therapeutic potential. Detailed pharmacological activities and analytical data of glycitin has been collected from these databases using term flavonoid and glycitin and analyzed. Results: Scientific data analysis revealed the biological importance and therapeutic benefit of glycitin in the medicine. Glycitin also called 4′-hydroxy-6-methoxyisoflavone-7-D-glucoside have been found to present in the Soy products. Glycitin exhibit chemo-preventive, cardio-protective and anti-osteoporosis effects. Glycitin revealed their beneficial effects on diabetes, acute lung injury, bone, cognitive performance, breast cancer, skin, immune system, enzymes, prostaglandin and taste receptors. However its ligand binding assay, cytoprotective effect and pharmacokinetic parameters were also studied in the present work. Analytical data signified the importance of analytical tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis of glycitin in the medicine. Conclusion: Scientific data analysis revealed the therapeutic effectiveness of glycitin in the medicine.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Increases the GABA in Rice Seed for Upregulation of Type I Collagen in the Skin

Biosynthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) can be achieved by naturally occurring microorganisms with the advantages of cost-effectiveness and safety. In this study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens EH-9 strain (B. amyloliquefaciens EH-9), a soil bacterium, was used to promote the accumulation of GABA in germinated rice seed. Further, the topical application of supernatant from rice seed co-cultivated with soil B. amyloliquefaciens EH-9 can significantly increase the production of type I collagen (COL1) in the dorsal skin of mice. The knocking down of the GABA-A receptor (GABAA) significantly reduced the production of COL1 in the NIH/3T3 cells and in the dorsal skin of mice. This result suggests that topical application of GABA can promote the biosynthesis of COL1 via its interaction with the GABAA receptor in the dorsal skin of mice. In summary, our findings illustrate for the first time that soil B. amyloliquefaciens EH-9 elicits GABA production in germinated rice seed to upregulate the formation of COL1 in the dorsal skin of mice. This study is translational because the result shows a potential remedy for skin aging by stimulating COL1 synthesis using biosynthetic GABA associated with B. amyloliquefaciens EH-9.

Non-Neuronal Kappa Opioid Pathway Profiling in the Skin of Different Chronic Pruritus–Associated Dermatoses

Recent studies argue for an important role of peripheral opioidergic signaling including cutaneous pathways in inflammation, neurons and itch ( Ádám et al., 2022 Ádám D Arany J Tóth KF Tóth BI Szöllősi AG Oláh A Opioidergic Signaling—A Neglected, Yet Potentially Important Player in Atopic Dermatitis. Int J Mol Sci. MDPI. 2022; Google Scholar ). Signal transduction induced by synthetic opiates and endogenous opioid peptides takes place via three types of opioid receptors (OR), the μ-OR (MOR), δ-OR (DOR) and the κ-OR (KOR) ( Tominaga et al., 2007 Tominaga M, Ogawa H, Takamori K. Possible Roles of Epidermal Opioid Systems in Pruritus of Atopic Dermatitis. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Elsevier Masson SAS; 2007;127(9):2228–2235 Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022202X15335387 Google Scholar ). A specific agonist/receptor combination is usually preferred for activation of the signaling cascade, e.g. morphine/MOR and dynorphin/KOR ( Snyder et al., 2018 Snyder LM, Chiang MC, Loeza-Alcocer E, Omori Y, Hachisuka J, Sheahan TD, et al. Kappa Opioid Receptor Distribution and Function in Primary Afferents. Neuron. Elsevier Inc.; 2018;99(6):1274-1288.e6 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.044 Google Scholar ). The nervous system is the predominant site of opioid receptor expression including their endogenous agonists (Rogers 2020). However, these can also be found in non-neuronal peripheral cells of the skin ( Kupczyk et al., 2017 Kupczyk P Reich A Hołysz M Gajda M Wysokińska E Kobuszewska A et al. Opioid receptors in psoriatic skin: Relationship with itch. Acta Derm Venereol. 2017; 97: 564-570 Crossref PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar ). So far, little is known about the cutaneous expression and function of endogenous opioid peptides and their receptors. This includes the κ-opioidergic system, which is in the current focus of the itch research and already resulted in the first approved peripherally acting KOR agonist difelikefalin. ( Fishbane et al., 2020 Fishbane S Jamal A Munera C Wen W Menzaghi F A Phase 3 Trial of Difelikefalin in Hemodialysis Patients with Pruritus. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020; 382: 222-232 Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar ; Inan et al., 2019 Inan S Huerta A Jensen L Dun N, Cowan A. Nalbuphine, a kappa opiod receptor agonist and mu opioid receptor antagonist attenuates pruritus, decreases IL-31, and increases IL-10 in mice with contact dermatitis. Eur J Pharmacol. 2019; : 864 Google Scholar ) . Interestingly, OPRK1 expression found to be reduced in lesional pruritic skin areas compared to non-lesional, non-pruritic skin areas in patients, with keratinocytes as predominant expression site. Based on these data, itch induced by a cutaneous imbalance in KOR expression with stable expression of MOR has been discussed, forcing the importance of KOR ( Kupczyk et al., 2017 Kupczyk P Reich A Hołysz M Gajda M Wysokińska E Kobuszewska A et al. Opioid receptors in psoriatic skin: Relationship with itch. Acta Derm Venereol. 2017; 97: 564-570 Crossref PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar ; Phan et al., 2012 Phan NQ Lotts T Antal A Bernhard JD Ständer S Systemic kappa Opioid receptor agonists in the treatment of chronic pruritus: A literature review. Acta Derm Venereol. 2012; 92: 555-560 Crossref PubMed Scopus (100) Google Scholar ). Therefore, we investigated the KOR, MOR and dynorphin expression in skin biopsies from patients with chronic pruritus-associated inflammatory skin diseases with different pathophysiology and different epidermal pathology. We selected the entities of atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis (PSO), chronic nodular prurigo (CNPG), lichen planus (LP), mastocytosis (MAST) and healthy controls.

Nonpatterned Soft Piezoresistive Films with Filamentous Conduction Paths for Mimicking Multiple-Resolution Receptors of Human Skin.

Soft pressure sensors play key roles as input devices of electronic skin (E-skin) to imitate real human skin. For efficient data acquisition according to stimulus types such as detailed pressure images or macroscopic strength of stimuli, soft pressure sensors can have variable spatial resolution, just like the uneven spatial distribution of pressure-sensing receptors on the human body. However, previous methods on soft pressure sensors cannot achieve such tunability of spatial resolution because their sensor materials and read-out electrodes need to be elaborately patterned for a specific sensor density. Here, we report a universal soft pressure-sensitive platform based on anisotropically self-assembled ferromagnetic particles embedded in elastomer matrices whose spatial resolution can be facilely tuned. Various spatial densities of pressure-sensing receptors of human body parts can be implemented by simply sandwiching the film between soft electrodes with different pitches. Since the anisotropically aligned nickel particles form independent filamentous conductive paths, the pressure sensors show spatial sensing ability without crosstalk, whose spatial resolution up to 100 dpi can be achieved from a single platform. The sensor array shows a wide dynamic range capable of detecting various pressure levels, such as liquid drops (∼30 Pa) and plantar (∼300 kPa) pressures. Our universal soft pressure-sensing platform would be a key enabling technology for actually imitating the receptor systems of human skin in robot and biomedical applications.

Autofluorescence identifies highly phagocytic tissue-resident macrophages in mouse and human skin and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Macrophages from human and mouse skin share phenotypic and functional features, but remain to be characterized in pathological skin conditions. Skin-resident macrophages are known to derive from embryonic precursors or from adult hematopoiesis. In this report, we investigated the origins, phenotypes and functions of macrophage subsets in mouse and human skin and in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) using the spectral flow cytometry technology that enables cell autofluorescence to be considered as a full-fledged parameter. Autofluorescence identifies macrophage subsets expressing the CD206 mannose receptor in human peri-tumoral skin and cSCC. In mouse, all AF+ macrophages express the CD206 marker, a subset of which also displaying the TIM-4 marker. While TIM-4-CD206+ AF+ macrophages can differentiate from bone-marrow monocytes and infiltrate skin and tumor, TIM-4 identifies exclusively a skin-resident AF+ macrophage subset that can derive from prenatal hematopoiesis which is absent in tumor core. In mouse and human, AF+ macrophages from perilesional skin and cSCC are highly phagocytic cells contrary to their AF- counterpart, thus identifying autofluorescence as a bona fide marker for phagocytosis. Our data bring to light autofluorescence as a functional marker characterizing subsets of phagocytic macrophages in skin and cSCC. Autofluorescence can thus be considered as an attractive marker of function of macrophage subsets in pathological context.

Expression of 5-HT1A receptors in skin of rats under dark deprivation

The aim of the investigation was to study the dynamics of serotonin 5-HT1A receptor expression in the skin of white male rats under dark deprivation. Material and methods. 20 outbred male rats 170–220 grams by mass were used in the experiment. The animals were divided into 2 groups. The intact group included animals under standard fixed lighting conditions (12 h light / 12 h dark). The experimental group consisted of animals with simulation of dark deprivation under conditions of round-the-clock illumination (24 h light). The duration of the study was 21 days. The object of the study was the skin of rats. Using immunohistochemistry, the features of the expression of 5-HT1A receptors were studied. Results. A strong circadian dependence of the expression of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors in the general integument has been established. In the cells of the epidermis, sebaceous glands and hair follicles throughout the experiment, a decrease in the proportion of immunopositive cells was observed with a simultaneous increase in the positivity of 5-HT1A expression. Conclusion. Throughout the experiment, a strong circadian dependence of the expression of serotonin 5-HTR1A receptors in the general integument was expressed, which, apparently, determines the mechanism of an adequate response to the destabilization of circadian rhythms.

LEVELS OF CERTAIN HORMONES AND RECEPTORS IN TUMOR AND PERITUMORAL AREA IN BALB/C NUDE FEMALE MICE WITH MULTIPLE PRIMARY MALIGNANT PROCESS DEVELOPING ON THE BACKGROUND OF PRIMARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY

Primary immunodeficiency is one of the reasons for the development of primary multiple malignant tumors.
 The aim of the study is to examine the levels of certain hormones and their receptors in the tissue and peritumoral area of B16/F10 melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in case of isolated and combined subcutaneous growth in female mice with T-cell immunodeficiency.
 Materials and Methods. BALB/c Nude mice were divided into groups: intact group; 2 control groups (Group 1 with B16/F10 subcutaneous inoculation, Group 2 with LLC subcutaneous inoculation); main group (animals with LLC+B16/F10 inoculation). The ELISA method was used to determine the levels of free testosterone (Tf.), estrone (E1), prolactin (PRL), estrogen receptors (REα and REβ), androgen receptors (RA) and progesterone receptors (RP4) (Cassabio, China). Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out on a personal computer using STATISTICA 10.0, parametric Student's test and nonparametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
 Results. In the main group, life expectancy reduced due to melanoma growth by 1.8 times and LLC decrease by 2.3 times. In animals with LLC+B16/F10, compared to those with an only one tumor growth variant, estrone level in tumors decreased, but free testosterone level increased. Melanoma growth in animals with LLC+B16/F10 was accompanied by an increase in prolactin level and some sex steroid receptors in the tumor tissue, its peritumoral area, and skin not affected by the malignant process. A decrease of Lewis carcinoma in females of the main group was accompanied by a decrease of all the studied receptors and hormones both in the tumor and its peritumoral area.
 Conclusions. Melanoma growth is probably associated with a high prolactin level and sex steroid receptors in unaffected skin, being a source of melanocytes, the cells from which this tumor develops.

Bioinspired Chromotropic Ionic Skin with In‐Plane Strain/Temperature/Pressure Multimodal Sensing and Ultrahigh Stimuli Discriminability

AbstractElectronic skins (e‐skins) mimic multimodal sensing capabilities of various tactile receptors in natural skin. Herein, a stretchable chromotropic ionic skin is rationally designed to simultaneously detect and decouple multiple stimuli, including in‐plane strain, temperature, and pressure. The mutually discriminating trimodal ionic skin consists of mechanochromic, thermoresistive and triboelectric layers that individually function as strain, temperature and pressure sensors, respectively. These three distinct capabilities are integrated into the ionic skin which demonstrates highly sensitive responses to selective external stimuli while upholding high insensitivity to unwanted ones. The structural colors derived from mechanochromic photonic crystals of magnetic ferroferric oxide‐carbon nanoparticles respond to strains by color‐switching in the full visible spectrum, exhibiting appealing potential in interactive stress visualization. The temperature detection with an exceptional sensitivity of 20.44% per °C is enabled by the thermoresistive effect of ionic hydrogel, while oriented polymer chains embedded in the hydrogel decouple temperature from extraneous stimuli. The multilayer structure consisting of an ionic hydrogel film, a wrinkle‐patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film with gradient modulus design and a carbon nanotubes/PDMS electrode displays an extraordinary triboelectric effect with a strain‐ and temperature‐insensitive pressure sensing capability. The chromotropic ionic skin facilitates simultaneously accurate measurements, high discriminability and quantitative mapping of complex stimuli, offering new insights into emerging E‐skins.

Investigating the online control of goal-directed actions to a tactile target on the body.

Movement corrections to somatosensory targets have been found to be shorter in latency and larger in magnitude than corrections to external visual targets. Somatosensory targets (e.g., body positions) can be identified using both tactile (i.e., skin receptors) and proprioceptive information (e.g., the sense of body position derived from sensory organs in the muscles and joints). Here, we investigated whether changes in tactile information alone, without changes in proprioception, can elicit shorter correction latencies and larger correction magnitudes than those to external visual targets. Participants made reaching movements to a myofilament touching the index finger of the non-reaching finger (i.e., a tactile target) and a light-emitting diode (i.e., visual target). In one-third of the trials, target perturbations occurred 100ms after movement onset, such that the target was displaced 3cm either away or toward the participant. We found that participants demonstrated larger correction magnitudes to visual than tactile target perturbations. Moreover, we found no differences in correction latency between movements to perturbed tactile and visual targets. Further, we found that while participants detected tactile stimuli earlier than visual stimuli, they took longer to initiate reaching movements to an unperturbed tactile target than an unperturbed visual target. These results provide evidence that additional processes may be required when planning movements to tactile versus visual targets and that corrections to changes in tactile target positions alone may not facilitate the latency and magnitude advantages observed for corrections to somatosensory targets (i.e., proprioceptive-tactile targets).