Statistical analyses were performed using parametric Student’s t-test or one-way ANOVA

ever, these effects were not directly due to UV absorption or sunscreen effects, because topical treatment with GTP does not prevent 10636248 the formation of CPD PP 242 price immediately after UVB irradiation. Only in skin samples obtained 24 h after UVB exposure were CPD-positive cells significantly reduced or repaired in treated versus untreated mice. In contrast, afzelin prevented UVBinduced CPD formation directly after UVB irradiation, which was probably due to its UV-absorbing effect. Besides UV-absorbing properties, we tried to investigate cellular activities of afzelin by treating cells with afzelin after UV irradiation. We examined the intracellular ROS scavenging effect of afzelin. Not only did afzelin reduce UVB-induced oxidative stress but it also displayed a cytoprotective effect in H2O2-treated cells, showing the marked antioxidant properties of afzelin. We also examined the apoptotic pathway initiated by UVB irradiation in HaCaT cells. A perturbation in redox status, as reflected by the modulation of intracellular ROS generation, MPT alterations, caspase-3 activation, cleavage of caspase target proteins, and DNA fragmentation, was observed. However, afzelin treatment significantly improved redox status and inhibited the entire 17526600 apoptotic pathway. These results indicate that the antioxidant effects of afzelin may be responsible for its anti-apoptotic effect against UV irradiation. Apoptosis is a cell suicide process with characteristic morphological features that include nuclear membrane breakdown, chromatin condensation and fragmentation, and apoptosis. Many apoptotic stimuli such as UV radiation, TNF-a, Fas ligand, and chemotherapeutic agents induce cell death by activating caspases. Bcl-2 is a member of the large Bcl-2 family and protects cells from apoptosis. Bcl-2 is found on the cytoplasmic face of the outer mitochondrial membrane, nuclear envelope, and endoplasmic reticulum, and other Bcl-2 family members either exist on one or more of these membranes or associate there during apoptosis. Several studies have suggested that Bax appears to permeabilize the outer mitochondrial membrane, allowing efflux of apoptogenic proteins. Bax binds to the mitochondrial membrane and induces cytochrome c release, which subsequently activates caspase-9 and caspase-3 leading to downstream apoptotic responses. The ratio between antiapoptotic and proapoptotic protein has been suggested as a primary event determining susceptibility to apoptosis by maintaining mitochondrial integrity and inhibiting activation of the caspase cascade. The changes casused by UV irradiation are compatible with mitochondrial failure, encompassing generation of ROS and accumulation of rhodamin 123 which reflect mitochondrial swelling or changes in the mitochondrial inner membrane. A clear suppression of such damages indicates that afzelin prevents a deterioration of bioeneragetic state. In our study, afzelin treatment after UVB irradiation recovered the changed Bcl-xL/Bax and Bcl-2/Bax ratio induced by UVB, consequently suppressing UV-caused cell death in HaCaT keratinocytes. The finding that afzelin protected cells from apoptotic cell damage appears to be applicable to protection of keratinocytes, which are the primary cell type in the epidermis and play a key role in the body’s initial line of defense. Afzelin also inhibited UVB-induced COX-2 expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HaCaT cells. We showed that these effects, at least in part, were mediated by inte