The δ-Opioid Receptor Affects Epidermal Homeostasis via ERK-Dependent Inhibition of Transcription Factor POU2F3.

Neuropeptides and their receptors are present in human skin, and their importance for cutaneous homeostasis and during wound healing is increasingly appreciated. However, there is currently a lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which their signaling modulates keratinocyte function. Here, we show that δ-opioid receptor (DOPr) activation inhibits proliferation of human keratinocytes, resulting in decreased epidermal thickness in an organotypic skin model. DOPr signaling markedly delayed induction of keratin intermediate filament (KRT10) during in vitro differentiation and abolished its induction in the organotypic skin model. This was accompanied by deregulation of involucrin (IVL), loricrin, and filaggrin. Analysis of the transcription factor POU2F3, which is involved in regulation of KRT10, IVL, and profilaggrin expression, revealed a DOPr-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dependent downregulation of this factor. We propose that DOPr signaling specifically activates the ERK 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway to regulate keratinocyte functions. Complementing our earlier studies in DOPr-deficient mice, these data suggest that DOPr activation in human keratinocytes profoundly influences epidermal morphogenesis and homeostasis

Atopic patients who fulfilled Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndRome had higher animal danders sensitization

10.5056/jnm19181Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility262267-27

Structural and functional analysis of intact hair follicles and pilosebaceous units by volumetric multispectral optoacoustic tomography.

Visualizing anatomical and functional features of hair follicle development in their unperturbed environment is key in understanding complex mechanisms of hair pathophysiology and in discovery of novel therapies. Of particular interest is in-vivo visualization of the intact pilosebaceous unit, vascularization of the hair bulb and evaluation of the hair cycle particularly in humans. Furthermore, non-invasive visualization of the sebaceous glands could offer crucial insight into pathophysiology of follicle-related diseases, dry or seborrhoic skin, in particular by combining in-vivo imaging with other phenotyping, genotyping and microbial analyses. The available imaging techniques are limited in their ability for deep tissue in-vivo imaging of hair follicles and lipid-rich sebaceous glands in their entirety without biopsy. We developed a non-invasive, painless and risk-free volumetric multispectral optoacoustic tomography (vMSOT) method for deep tissue three-dimensional visualization of whole hair follicles and surrounding structures with high spatial resolution below 70μm. Herein we demonstrate on-the-fly assessment of key morphometric parameters of follicles and lipid content as well as functional oxygenation parameters of the associated capillary bed. The ease of handheld operation and versatility of the newly-developed approach poise it as an indispensable tool for early diagnosis of disorders of the pilosebaceous unit and surrounding structures, and for monitoring the efficacy of cosmetic and therapeutic interventions

Evaluation of the applicability of the Immuno-solidphase allergen chip (ISAC) assay in atopic patients in Singapore

10.1186/s13601-015-0053-zClinical and Translational Allergy51