Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of dihydrotestosterone on the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in cultured sebocytes

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Dermatological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acne is a complex, chronic and common skin disorder of pilosebaceous units. Hyperkeratinization of keratinocytes, increased sebum excretion from sebocytes via androgen stimulation and inflammatory cytokines are the major factors involved in the pathophysiology of acne. In addition, it is known that keratinocytes play an important role in acne synthesizing a number of inflammatory cytokines. However, the nature of the association between inflammatory cytokines and sebocytes in acne remains unclear. Culture of sebocytes provides a new insight into the participation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the production of inflammatory cytokines in acne. To examine the possible involvement of DHT in the production of inflammatory cytokines in the cultured sebocytes, we used immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR to compare the expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Upregulation of IL-6 and TNF-α in immunohistochemistry, and increase in RNA amplification for IL-6 and TNF-α were observed after addition of DHT compared with the control. This study suggests that DHT may not only be involved in sebum production but also in production of proinflammatory cytokines in acne.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Akamatsu H, Zouboulis CC, Orfanos CE (1992) Control of human sebocyte proliferation in vitro by testosterone and 5-α-dihydrotestosterone is dependent on the localization of the sebaceous glands. J Invest Dermatol 99:509–511

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Choudhry R, Hodgins MB, Van der Kwast TH, Brinkmann AO, Boersma WJ (1992) Localization of androgen receptors in human skin by immunohistochemistry: implications for the hormonal regulation of hair growth, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. J Endocrinol 133:467–475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cunliffe WJ (1989) Acne. Martin Dunitz, London

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fujie T, Shikiji T, Uchida N, Urano Y, Nagae H, Arase S (1996) Culture of cells derived from the human sebaceous glands under serum-free conditions without a biological feeder layer or specific matrices. Arch Dermatol Res 288:703–708

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gonzales RJ, Duckles SP, Krause DN (2009) Dihydrotestosterone stimulates cerebrovascular inflammation through NFκB, modulating contractile function. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 28:244–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Guy R, Green MR, Kealey T (1996) Modeling acne in vitro. J Invest Dermatol 106:176–182

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Köch A, Schwarz T, Kirnbauer R, Urbanski A, Perry P, Ansel JC et al (1990) Human keratinocytes are a source for tumor necrosis factor α: evidence for synthesis and release upon stimulation with endotoxin or ultraviolet light. J Exp Med 172:1609–1614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lee WJ, Jung HD, Lee HJ, Kim BS, Lee SJ, Kim DW (2008) Influence of substance-P on cultured sebocytes. Arch Dermatol Res 300:311–316

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Luger TA, Schwarz T (1990) Evidence for an epidermal cytokine network. J Invest Dermatol 95:1005–1011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Mercurio MG, Gogstetter DS (2000) Androgen physiology and the cutaneous pilosebaceous unit. J Gend Specif Med 3:59–64

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nelson AM, Thiboutot DM (2008) Biology of sebaceous glands. In: Wolff K et al (eds) Fitzpatrick’s dermatology in general medicine, 7th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 687–690

    Google Scholar 

  12. Partridge M, Chantry D, Turner M, Feldmann M (1991) Production of IL-1 and and IL-6 by human keratinocytes and squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. J Invest Dermatol 96:771–776

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Sansone G, Reiser RM (1971) Differential rates of conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in acne and in normal human skin—a possible pathogenic factor in acne. J Invest Dermatol 56:366–372

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Singer KH, Tuck DT, Sampson HA, Hall RP (1989) Epidermal keratinocytes express the adhesion molecule intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in inflammatory dermatoses. J Invest Dermatol 93:746–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Strauss JS, Kligman AM, Pochi PE (1962) The effect of androgens and estrogens on human sebaceous glands. J Invest Dermatol 39:139–155

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Webster GF (2005) The pathophysiology of acne. Cutis 76:4–7

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Winston MH, Shalita AR (1991) Acne vulgaris. Pathogenesis and treatment. Pediatr Clin North Am 38:889–903

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Zouboulis CC (2004) Acne and sebaceous gland function. Clin Dermatol 22:360–366

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Zouboulis CC, Chen WC, Thornton MJ, Qin K, Rosenfield R (2007) Sexual hormones in human skin. Horm Metab Res 39:85–95

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Zouboulis CC, Xia L, Akamatsu H, Seltmann H, Fritsch M, Hornemann S et al (1998) The human sebocyte culture model provides new insights into development and management of seborrhea and acne. Dermatology 196:21–31

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zouboulis CC, Xia L, Detmar M, Bogdanoff B, Giannakopoulos G, Gollnick H et al (1991) Culture of human sebocytes and markers of sebocytic differentiation in vitro. Skin Pharmacol 4:74–83

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, 200, Dongduk-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea

    Weon Ju Lee, Hong Dae Jung, Seong Geun Chi, Byung Soo Kim, Seok-Jong Lee & Do Won Kim

  2. Department of Immunology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Jung-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea

    Moon Kyu Kim & Jung Chul Kim

Authors
  1. Weon Ju Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hong Dae Jung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seong Geun Chi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Byung Soo Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Seok-Jong Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Do Won Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Moon Kyu Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jung Chul Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weon Ju Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, W.J., Jung, H.D., Chi, S.G. et al. Effect of dihydrotestosterone on the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in cultured sebocytes. Arch Dermatol Res 302, 429–433 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-009-1019-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-009-1019-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation