scholarly journals Aquaporin-3 in the epidermis: more than skin deep

2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (6) ◽  
pp. C1144-C1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy B. Bollag ◽  
Lorry Aitkens ◽  
Joseph White ◽  
Kelly A. Hyndman
Keyword(s):  
Skin Diseases ◽  
The Body ◽  
Microbial Infection ◽  
Keratinocyte Proliferation ◽  
Aquaporin 3 ◽  
Skin Cancers ◽  
Terrestrial Life ◽  
Water Glycerol ◽  
And Function ◽  
Barrier Repair

The skin is essential for terrestrial life. It is responsible for regulating water permeability and functions as a mechanical barrier that protects against environmental insults such as microbial infection, ultraviolet light, injury, and heat and cold, which could damage the cells of the body and compromise survival of the organism. This barrier is provided by the outer layer, the epidermis, which is composed predominantly of keratinocytes; keratinocytes undergo a program of differentiation to form the stratum corneum comprising the cornified squame “bricks” and lipid “mortar.” Dysregulation of this differentiation program can result in skin diseases, including psoriasis and nonmelanoma skin cancers, among others. Accumulating evidence in the literature indicates that the water-, glycerol-, and hydrogen peroxide-transporting channel aquaporin-3 (AQP3) plays a key role in various processes involved in keratinocyte function, and abnormalities in this channel have been observed in several human skin diseases. Here, we discuss the data linking AQP3 to keratinocyte proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival as well as its role in skin properties and functions like hydration, water retention, wound healing, and barrier repair. We also discuss the mechanisms regulating AQP3 levels, localization, and function and the anomalies in AQP3 that are associated with various skin diseases.

Opposing Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Skin Cancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanisa Kiatsurayanon ◽  
Ge Peng ◽  
François Niyonsaba
Keyword(s):  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
The Body ◽  
Skin Tumor ◽  
Host Defense Peptides ◽  
Skin Cancers ◽  
The Impact

: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are ubiquitous naturally occurring molecules secreted by various cell types of the body. In the skin, AMPs serve as a first-line innate immune defense against exogenous microorganisms, and they orchestrate adaptive immune responses to exert several immunomodulatory functions. Emerging evidence indicates that AMPs not only contribute to certain inflammatory skin diseases but also play a role in skin tumor carcinogenesis. Available data support the hypothesis that AMPs possess both pro-tumor and anti-neoplastic properties. Although inconsistent observations reported by multiple studies make it challenging to summarize the precise roles of AMPs in cancer, the differential expression of AMPs in skin cancers, such as the increased expression of human beta-defensins in squamous cell carcinoma and the ability of cathelicidin LL-37 to induce malignant melanoma cell invasion, implies they have procancer activities. On the other hand, the observation that certain AMPs show cytotoxic activity against cancer cells of the colon and kidney suggests their inherent antitumor properties. In this review, we describe the roles and mechanisms of AMPs in skin cancer development. We believe that further research is needed to elucidate the impact of these AMPs in skin cancer biology and to explore their potential roles as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and as novel therapeutic targets.

Influence of Ascorbic Acid on the Structure and Function of Alpha-2- macroglobulin: Investigations using Spectroscopic and Thermodynamic Techniques

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209
Author(s):  
Syed Saqib Ali ◽  
Mohammad Khalid Zia ◽  
Tooba Siddiqui ◽  
Haseeb Ahsan ◽  
Fahim Halim Khan
Keyword(s):  
Ascorbic Acid ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
The Body ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Plasma Ascorbic Acid ◽  
Dietary Antioxidant ◽  
And Function

Background: Ascorbic acid is a classic dietary antioxidant which plays an important role in the body of human beings. It is commonly found in various foods as well as taken as dietary supplement. Objective: The plasma ascorbic acid concentration may range from low, as in chronic or acute oxidative stress to high if delivered intravenously during cancer treatment. Sheep alpha-2- macroglobulin (α2M), a human α2M homologue is a large tetrameric glycoprotein of 630 kDa with antiproteinase activity, found in sheep’s blood. Methods: In the present study, the interaction of ascorbic acid with alpha-2-macroglobulin was explored in the presence of visible light by utilizing various spectroscopic techniques and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Results: UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy suggests the formation of a complex between ascorbic acid and α2M apparent by increased absorbance and decreased fluorescence. Secondary structural changes in the α2M were investigated by CD and FT-IR spectroscopy. Our findings suggest the induction of subtle conformational changes in α2M induced by ascorbic acid. Thermodynamics signatures of ascorbic acid and α2M interaction indicate that the binding is an enthalpy-driven process. Conclusion: It is possible that ascorbic acid binds and compromises antiproteinase activity of α2M by inducing changes in the secondary structure of the protein.

Molecular Targets of Phytochemicals for Skin Inflammation

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (14) ◽  
pp. 1533-1550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Eun Kim ◽  
Ki Won Lee
Keyword(s):  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Skin Inflammation ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cellular Damage ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance ◽  
Immune Mediated ◽  
Skin Conditions ◽  
Effects Of Aging

Skin is a protective organ and the largest of the human body. Due to its pivotal role in aesthetic appearance, skin health has a significant impact on quality of life. Chronic inflammation of the skin often marks the beginning of various skin diseases. Immune-mediated responses serve to protect the body from external insults and require succinct control, and can lead to ongoing cellular damage and various skin conditions if left unchecked. Studies have shown that phytochemicals can alter processes involved in skin inflammation and alleviate the effects of aging, cancer, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and vitiligo. Direct molecular targets of some phytochemicals have been identified and their precise mechanisms of action investigated. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the effects of phytochemicals on skin inflammation and the mechanisms of action involved.

Novel Nanolipoidal Systems for the Management of Skin Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-125
Author(s):  
Apoorva Singh ◽  
Nimisha
Keyword(s):  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Cancer Therapeutics ◽  
The Body ◽  
Surgical Removal ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Skin Cancers ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Abnormal Cells ◽  
The Stability

: Skin cancer, among the various kinds of cancers, is a type that emerges from skin due to the growth of abnormal cells. These cells are capable of spreading and invading the other parts of the body. The occurrence of non-melanoma and melanoma, which are the major types of skin cancers, has increased over the past decades. Exposure to ultraviolet radiations (UV) is the main associative cause of skin cancer. UV exposure can inactivate tumor suppressor genes while activating various oncogenes. The conventional techniques like surgical removal, chemotherapy and radiation therapy lack the potential for targeting cancer cells and harm the normal cells. However, the novel therapeutics show promising improvements in the effectiveness of treatment, survival rates and better quality of life for patients. Different methodologies are involved in the skin cancer therapeutics for delivering the active ingredients to the target sites. Nano carriers are very efficient as they have the ability to improve the stability of drugs and further enhance their penetration into the tumor cells. The recent developments and research in nanotechnology have entitled several targeting and therapeutic agents to be incorporated into nanoparticles for an enhancive treatment of skin cancer. To protect the research works in the field of nanolipoidal systems various patents have been introduced. Some of the patents acknowledge responsive liposomes for specific targeting, nanocarriers for the delivery or co-delivery of chemotherapeutics, nucleic acids as well as photosensitizers. Further recent patents on the novel delivery systems have also been included here.

A Guide to Old Spanish

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven N. Dworkin
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Standard Language ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Sound System ◽  
Old Spanish ◽  
And Function ◽  
Linguistic Structures ◽  
Verb Tense ◽  
Modern Standard

This book describes the linguistic structures that constitute Medieval or Old Spanish as preserved in texts written prior to the beginning of the sixteenth century. It emphasizes those structures that contrast with the modern standard language. Chapter 1 presents methodological issues raised by the study of a language preserved only in written sources. Chapter 2 examines questions involved in reconstructing the sound system of Old Spanish before discussing relevant phonetic and phonological details. The chapter ends with an overview of Old Spanish spelling practices. Chapter 3 presents in some detail the nominal, verbal, and pronominal morphology of the language, with attention to regional variants. Chapter 4 describes selected syntactic structures, with emphasis on the noun phrase, verb phrase, object pronoun placement, subject-verb-object word order, verb tense, aspect, and mood. Chapter 5 begins with an extensive list of Old Spanish nouns, adjectives, verbs, and function words that have not survived into the modern standard language. It then presents examples of coexisting variants (doublets) and changes of meaning, and finishes with an overview of the creation of neologisms in the medieval language through derivational morphology (prefixation, suffixation, compounding). The book concludes with an anthology composed of three extracts from Spanish prose texts, one each from the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. The extracts contain footnotes that highlight relevant morphological, syntactic, and lexical features, with cross references to the relevant sections in the body of the book.

scholarly journals Daily Lifestyle and Cutaneous Malignancies

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5227
Author(s):  
Yu Sawada ◽  
Motonobu Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Merkel Cell ◽  
Fundamental Part ◽  
Skin Cancers ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Daily lifestyle is a fundamental part of human life and its influence accumulates daily in the human body. We observe that a good daily lifestyle has a beneficial impact on our health; however, the actual effects of individual daily lifestyle factors on human skin diseases, especially skin cancers, have not been summarized. In this review, we focused on the influence of daily lifestyle on the development of skin cancer and described the detailed molecular mechanisms of the development or regulation of cutaneous malignancies. Several daily lifestyle factors, such as circadian rhythm disruption, smoking, alcohol, fatty acids, dietary fiber, obesity, and ultraviolet light, are known to be associated with the risk of cutaneous malignancies, malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Although the influence of some daily lifestyles on the risk of skin cancers is controversial, this review provides us a better understanding of the relationship between daily lifestyle factors and skin cancers.

scholarly journals Exploring the microbiome in health and disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 239784731774188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Scotti ◽  
Stéphanie Boué ◽  
Giuseppe Lo Sasso ◽  
Filippo Zanetti ◽  
Vincenzo Belcastro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Dynamics And Function ◽  
And Function

The analysis of human microbiome is an exciting and rapidly expanding field of research. In the past decade, the biological relevance of the microbiome for human health has become evident. Microbiome comprises a complex collection of microorganisms, with their genes and metabolites, colonizing different body niches. It is now well known that the microbiome interacts with its host, assisting in the bioconversion of nutrients and detoxification, supporting immunity, protecting against pathogenic microbes, and maintaining health. Remarkable new findings showed that our microbiome not only primarily affects the health and function of the gastrointestinal tract but also has a strong influence on general body health through its close interaction with the nervous system and the lung. Therefore, a perfect and sensitive balanced interaction of microbes with the host is required for a healthy body. In fact, growing evidence suggests that the dynamics and function of the indigenous microbiota can be influenced by many factors, including genetics, diet, age, and toxicological agents like cigarette smoke, environmental contaminants, and drugs. The disruption of this balance, that is called dysbiosis, is associated with a plethora of diseases, including metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, periodontitis, skin diseases, and neurological disorders. The importance of the host microbiome for the human health has also led to the emergence of novel therapeutic approaches focused on the intentional manipulation of the microbiota, either by restoring missing functions or eliminating harmful roles. In the present review, we outline recent studies devoted to elucidate not only the role of microbiome in health conditions and the possible link with various types of diseases but also the influence of various toxicological factors on the microbial composition and function.

scholarly journals Does Motor Training of the Nonparetic Side Influences Balance and Function in Chronic Stroke? A Pilot RCT

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanta Pandian ◽  
Kamal Narayan Arya ◽  
Dharmendra Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Functional Performance ◽  
Berg Balance Scale ◽  
Chronic Stroke ◽  
The Body ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Functional Reach Test ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
And Function ◽  
Experimental Group

Background. Balance and functional abilities are controlled by both sides of the body. The role of nonparetic side has never been explored for such skills.Objective. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of a motor therapy program primarily involving the nonparetic side on balance and function in chronic stroke.Method. A randomized controlled, double blinded trial was conducted on 39 poststroke hemiparetic subjects (21, men; mean age, 42 years; mean poststroke duration, 13 months). They were randomly divided into the experimental group(n=20)and control group(n=19). The participants received either motor therapy focusing on the nonparetic side along with the conventional program or conventional program alone for 8 weeks (3 session/week, 60 minutes each). The balance ability was assessed using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Functional Reach Test (FRT) while the functional performance was measured by Barthel Index (BI).Result. After intervention, the experimental group exhibited significant(P<0.05)change on BBS (5.65 versus 2.52) and BI (12.75 versus 2.16) scores in comparison to the control group.Conclusion. The motor therapy program incorporating the nonparetic side along with the affected side was found to be effective in enhancing balance and function in stroke.

scholarly journals Upregulation of Aquaporin-3 Is Involved in Keratinocyte Proliferation and Epidermal Hyperplasia

2011 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 865-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Nakahigashi ◽  
Kenji Kabashima ◽  
Akihiko Ikoma ◽  
Alan S. Verkman ◽  
Yoshiki Miyachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epidermal Hyperplasia ◽  
Keratinocyte Proliferation ◽  
Aquaporin 3

Mechanobiology and Adaptive Plasticity (MAP) Theory as a Potential Confounding Factor in Predicting Musculoskeletal Foot Function

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Physical Nature ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adaptive Plasticity ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Kinetic Information ◽  
Foot Function ◽  
Clinical Variation ◽  
And Function

There are many theoretical models that attempt to accurately and consistently link kinematic and kinetic information to musculoskeletal pain and deformity of the foot. Biomechanical theory of the foot lacks a consensual model: clinicians are enticed to draw from numerous paradigms, each having different levels of supportive evidence and contrasting methods of evaluation, in order to engage in clinical deduction and treatment planning. Contriving to find a link between form and function lies at the heart of most of these competing theories and the physical nature of the discipline has prompted an engineering approach. Physics is of great importance in biology and helps us to model the forces that the foot has to deal with in order for it to work effectively. However, the tissues of the body have complex processes that are in place to protect them and they are variable between individuals. Research is uncovering why these differences exist and how these processes are governed. The emerging explanations for adaptability of foot structure and musculoskeletal homeostasis offer new insights on how clinical variation in outcomes and treatment effects might arise. These biological processes underlie how variation in the performance and utilisation of common traits, even within apparently similar sub-groups, make anatomical distinction less meaningful and are likely to undermine the justification of a 'foot type'. Furthermore, mechanobiology introduces a probabilistic element to morphology based on genetic and epigenetic factors.

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