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Inhibition of UVA-mediated melanogenesis by ascorbic acid through modulation of antioxidant defense and nitric oxide system

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Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA) has been well known as a skin whitening agent, although attempts have been made to evaluate its protective role against ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin hyperpigmentation or increased melanin production. While melanogenesis is a defense mechanism of the skin against UV irradiation, melanin overproduction may also contribute to melanoma initiation. UVA might play a role in melanogenesis through promoting oxidative stress, which occurs as the result of increased formation of oxidants and/or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) including nitric oxide (NO). Therefore, we investigated the antimelanogenic effect of AA (7.5–120 μM) in association with its inhibitory effect on UVA-induced oxidant formation, NO production through endothelial and inducible NO synthases (eNOS and iNOS) activation and impairment of antioxidant defense using G361 human melanoma cells. Our study demonstrated a comparable ability of AA with that of kojic acid, a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor in inhibiting mushroom tyrosinase. Melanin content was reduced by AA, but neither tyrosinase activity nor mRNA levels were reduced by AA at non-cytotoxic concentrations in UVA-irradiated G361 cells. AA was shown to inhibit UVA-mediated catalase (CAT) inactivation, glutathione (GSH) depletion, oxidant formation and NO production through suppression of eNOS and iNOS mRNA. We report herein that AA can protect against UVA-dependent melanogenesis possibly through the improvement of antioxidant defense capacity and inhibition of NO production through down-regulation of eNOS and iNOS mRNA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand

    Uraiwan Panich, Vanida Tangsupa-a-nan, Tasanee Onkoksoong, Kamolratana Kongtaphan, Kanda Kasetsinsombat, Pravit Akarasereenont & Adisak Wongkajornsilp

  2. Center of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand

    Pravit Akarasereenont

Authors
  1. Uraiwan Panich
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  2. Vanida Tangsupa-a-nan
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  3. Tasanee Onkoksoong
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  4. Kamolratana Kongtaphan
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  5. Kanda Kasetsinsombat
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  6. Pravit Akarasereenont
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  7. Adisak Wongkajornsilp
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Correspondence to Uraiwan Panich.

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Panich, U., Tangsupa-a-nan, V., Onkoksoong, T. et al. Inhibition of UVA-mediated melanogenesis by ascorbic acid through modulation of antioxidant defense and nitric oxide system. Arch. Pharm. Res. 34, 811–820 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12272-011-0515-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12272-011-0515-3

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