Short-time UVA exposure to human keratinocytes instigated polyunsaturated fatty acid without inducing lipid peroxidation

Abstract

Short-term exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation can directly injure our skin through inflammatory response and indirectly through oxidative stress, triggering polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) peroxidation in skin cell membrane and formation of DNA adduct, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). It is known that UVA exposure leads to photoaging, immunosuppression and skin cancer. However, the changes in PUFA and its oxidized metabolites, and cell cycle after short UVA exposure, are debatable. In this study, human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were exposed to low dose (5 J/cm²) and high dose (20 J/cm²) of UVA and assessed immediately, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h post-treatment. Both doses showed a transient suppression in S-phase after 8 h of UVA exposure, and G₂/M phase arrest after 12-h UVA exposure in the cell cycle but subsequently returned to normal cycle. Also, no observable DNA damage took place, where 8-OHdG levels were below par after 24-h UVA exposure. A dose of 20 J/cm² UVA stimulated significant amount of arachidonic acid, n-3 docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) but lowered adrenic acid and eicospentaenoic acid after 24-h exposure. Among the 43 oxidized PUFA products determined, enzyme-dependent oxidized PUFAs, namely, 14-hydroxy-DHA (HDoHE) level reduced, and 8- and 13-HDoHE levels elevated significantly in a linear trend with post-treatment time. Out of the nonenzymatic oxidized PUFAs, a significant linear trend with post-treatment time was shown on the reduction of 5-F_2t-Isoprostane (IsoP), 15-F_2t-IsoP, Isofurans, 5-F_3t-IsoP, Neurofurans, and 20-HDoHE. Our observations indicate oxidative stress through short UVA exposure on human keratinocytes did not have detrimental consequences.

Keywords:

• Isoprostanes
• HaCaT
• UVA
• skin peroxidation
• polyunsaturated fatty acids

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Small Project Fund (grant No. 104003748) from The University of Hong Kong for the support of this work.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

We would like to thank Small Project Fund [grant No. 104003748] from The University of Hong Kong for the support of this work.