pescador775
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sept 20 - Treatment with forskolin, a plant-derived compound, can promote skin pigmentation and protect against the UV light-induced damage, according to a report in the September 21st issue of Nature.
Previous reports have suggested that "fair-skinned" individuals do not tan when exposed to UV light due to a defective melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). The present findings, however, suggest that a functional MC1R is not required to achieve skin pigmentation.
Dr. David E. Fisher, from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues investigated the effects of UV light in mice lacking a functional MC1R.
UV light exposure induced melanocyte stimulating hormone expression in the keratinocytes of these red/blonde-haired mice, but pigmentation did not take place. Topical application of forskolin, however, caused pigmentation to occur without the need for UV light, showing that functional MC1R is, in fact, not required.
Testing in skin cancer-prone mice showed that forskolin treatment protected the animals from UV light-induced cutaneous DNA damage. (clipped)
My comment: topical application has been shown to induce darkening in fair individuals and to have protective effects from sun induced skin damage. Presumably, this would include solar keratosis and skin cancer to some degree.
Previous reports have suggested that "fair-skinned" individuals do not tan when exposed to UV light due to a defective melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). The present findings, however, suggest that a functional MC1R is not required to achieve skin pigmentation.
Dr. David E. Fisher, from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues investigated the effects of UV light in mice lacking a functional MC1R.
UV light exposure induced melanocyte stimulating hormone expression in the keratinocytes of these red/blonde-haired mice, but pigmentation did not take place. Topical application of forskolin, however, caused pigmentation to occur without the need for UV light, showing that functional MC1R is, in fact, not required.
Testing in skin cancer-prone mice showed that forskolin treatment protected the animals from UV light-induced cutaneous DNA damage. (clipped)
My comment: topical application has been shown to induce darkening in fair individuals and to have protective effects from sun induced skin damage. Presumably, this would include solar keratosis and skin cancer to some degree.
