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Inhibition of sebum production and Propionibacterium acnes lipase activity by fullerenol, a novel polyhydroxylated fullerene: Potential as a therapeutic reagent for acne
Abstract
Oxidative stress plays a major role in acne formation; this suggests that oxygen-radical scavengers could be potential therapeutic agents. Fullerenol C60(OH)44, a recently developed polyhydroxylated fullerene, is a spherical carbon molecule that has many hydroxyl groups capable of potent radical-scavenging activity. We have investigated its inhibitory effects in vitro on sebum production in hamster sebocytes and in Propionibacterium acnes lipase activity. Sebum production was significantly reduced by 1.5 microM of fullerenol in cells that had been irradiated with 10 mJ/cm2 UVB, although it was not altered in the non-irradiated cells, indicating that fullerene is a sebum suppressor for sebocytes under oxidative stress, such as that induced by UVB. It was also found that fullerenol has inhibitory activity against P. acnes lipase. These results suggest that fullerenol could be a beneficial skin care reagent for controlling acne vulgaris by suppressing sebum in the inflammatory response and by reducing P. acnes lipase activity.
... Half of all the published studies are related to the antioxidative properties of FRL used in different systems, where free radical creation was detected and cell damage was observed. [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73] Every study confirmed the powerful antioxidant activity and cell protection in case of an oxidative imbalance. Therefore, future investigations should focus on diseases in which oxidative stress might be one of the key causes or consequences. ...
... Therefore, future investigations should focus on diseases in which oxidative stress might be one of the key causes or consequences. The past 2 decades have confirmed the potential use of FRL in some CNS diseases, 54,55,68,72 infections, 57,65,73,74 ophthalmology, 63 dermatology, 66,69 respiratory, 58 gynecology, 59 osteoporosis, 60,71 alcoholism, 62 thrombosis, 64 and diabetes. 67 Several studies have focused on the central nervous system (CNS), where the antioxidative properties of FRL may have a positive influence on patients with depression, 54 Alzheimer's disease, 55,72 and brain stroke. ...
... In addition to the previous study, 74 which was potentially used for dermatological purposes, 2 other studies have been reported in the same category, covering skin anti-aging therapy 66 and the inhibition of sebum as a therapeutic agent for acne. 69 In the present study, 66 the anti-aging effects of FRL on skin-derived stem cells were assessed in a mouse model. Mice were treated with the d-galactose-induced aging model, and after 2 weeks of acclimation, the FRL group was Pro-inflammatory pro-apoptotic effects Study of the effects of a C 60 water suspension at 4 μg/mL (nC (60) ) and the water-soluble FRL C 60 (OH) 24 The antimicrobial activities of C 60 and its derivatives against 6 kinds of bacteria and 2 kinds of fungi were evaluated; samples were water-soluble fullerenes and 3 types of FRLs (C 60 (OH) 12 administered a subcutaneous injection of 100 mg/kg FRL. ...
Fullerenes are carbon molecules that are found in nature in various forms. They are composed of hexagonal and pentagonal rings that create closed structures. Almost 4 decades ago, fullerenes were identified in the form of C 60 and C 70 , and following the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this discovery in 1996, many laboratories started working on their water-soluble derivatives that could be used in different industries, including pharmaceutical industries. One of the first fullerene forms that was the focus of different research groups was fullerenol, C 60 (OH) n ( n = 2-44). Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies have shown that polyhydroxylate fullerene derivatives can potentially be used as either antioxidative agents or cytostatics (depending on their co-administration, forms, and concentration/dose) in biological systems. The current review aimed to present a critical view of the potential applications and limitations of fullerenols in oncology, as understood from the past 2 decades of research.
... To evaluate the inhibitory activities of bacterial lipase enzyme, modified fluorescent assay was performed [32]. C. acnes was activated in the BHIB medium at 37 o C for 24 h. ...
This study aimed to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant activities of soymilk fermented with probiotic Lactobacillus strains and to investigate the production of related bioactive compounds. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KML06 (KML06) was selected for the fermentation of soymilk because it has the highest antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, and β-glucosidase activities among the 10 Lactobacillus strains isolated from kimchi. The genomic information of strain KML06 was analyzed. Moreover, soymilk fermented with KML06 was evaluated for growth kinetics, metabolism, and functional characteristics during the fermentation period. The number of viable cells, which was similar to the results of radical scavenging activities and cholesterol assimilation, as well as the amount of soy isoflavone aglycones, daidzein, and genistein, was the highest at 12 h of fermentation. These results indicate that soymilk fermented with KML06 can prevent oxidative stress and cholesterol-related problems through the production of soy isoflavone aglycones.
... To evaluate the inhibitory activities of bacterial lipase enzyme, modified fluorescent assay was performed [32]. C. acnes was activated in the BHIB medium at 37 o C for 24 h. ...
This study evaluated the biological properties of lemongrass (Cymbopogen citratus) extracts. The EtOAc extract of lemongrass had DPPH, TEAC, and nitric oxide-scavenging activity assay results of 58.06, 44.14, and 41.08% at the concentration of 50, 10, and 50 μg/mL, respectively. The EtOAc extract had higher elastase and collagenase inhibitory activities than the 80% MeOH, n-hexane, BuOH, and water extracts and comparable whitening activity toward monophenolase or diphenolase. Also, the EtOAc fraction had higher lipase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities against Cutibacterium acnes among extracts which is known to an important contributor to the progression of inflammatory acne vulgaris, and an opportunistic pathogen present in human skin. Total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations in the EtOAc extract were 132.31 mg CAE/g extract and 104.50 mg NE/g extract, respectively. Biologically active compounds in lemongrass extracts were analyzed by LC-MS. This study confirms that lemongrass extracts have potential use as cosmetic skincare ingredients. Thus, lemongrass can be considered a promising natural source of readily available, low-cost extracts rich in antioxidant, skincare, and antimicrobial compounds that might be suitable for replacing synthetic compounds in the cosmeceutical industry.
... The lipase of C. acnes biofilm (culturing for 3 d) was extracted following a published work (Inui et al., 2012), and the lipase activity was measured using a kit (Jianchen Biosystem, Nanjing, China). The different final concentrations of S A , S B or S AB were 0.1MIC, 0.2MIC, 0.5MIC. ...
Sapindus saponins extracted from Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. have been reported to exert antibacterial activity against Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes). However, there are no reports about their potentials against its biofilm, which is a major contributor to the antibiotic resistance of C. acnes. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic antibiofilm activity and action of the combination of Sapindoside A and B (SAB) against C. acnes. SAB with sub-MICs significantly inhibited the early-formed and mature biofilm of C. acnes and decreased the adhesion and cell surface hydrophobicity (p < 0.05). Also, SAB greatly reduced the production of exopolysaccharide and lipase (p < 0.05), and the binding mode of SAB and lipase was predicted by molecular docking, via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Biofilm observed with electron microscopies further confirmed the high antibiofilm activity of SAB against C. acnes. Furthermore, a significant down-regulation of biofilm biosynthesis-associated genes was observed. The combination index explained the synergistic effects of SAB leading to the above results, and the contribution of SA was greater than that of SB. The current results showed that SAB had synergistic antibiofilm activity against C. acnes, and the Sapindoside A played a major role, indicating that SAB could be a natural antiacne additive against C. acnes biofilm-associated infections.
... They tested their formulation in-vitro on sebum production in hamster sebocytes and the results showed that fullerenes are a potent system for the treatment of acne vulgaris and are beneficial in skincare. 93 Selection of nano-carrier based on drug properties Every nanocarrier system is not suitable for transportation of all kinds of drug molecules, therefore the suitable nanocarrier system is selected keeping in mind the physiochemical properties of the drug molecules. Liposomes comprise of a lipid bilayer, thus they are suitable carriers for both lipophilic and hydrophilic drug molecules. ...
Transdermal delivery over the past decade has become the field of interest for drug delivery due to its various advantages such as no first-pass metabolism, increased drug bioavailability, and easy administration. Different vesicle systems like ethosomes, liposomes, niosomes, and transferosomes along with particle systems like lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes have been developed. These vesicles and particle systems have been developed using various easy and effective methods like cold injection method, rotary film evaporation, thin film hydration, high shear homogenization, solvent extraction method, and many more. These drug delivery systems are a very effective and feasible option for transdermal drug delivery and further developments can be made to increase their use. This article explains in detail the preparation methods and applications for these drug delivery systems.
... Moreover, fullerenes also show an increased penetration into epidermis without causing skin irritation, which makes them a good option for the development of topical formulations to treat acne vulgaris (Inui et al., 2011). As a matter of fact, there is a fullerene derivate called fullerenol, C 60 (OH) 24, that has shown anti-microbial properties against P. acnes and sebum production suppression (Aoshima et al., 2009;Inui et al., 2012). In addition, fullerenes have been reported to possess hair growth stimulation activity, but the responsible mechanism is not clear yet. ...
Cosmeceuticals are a type of cosmetic products distinguished by the presence of active ingredients that, in addition to their cosmetic effects, also hold therapeutic outcomes. This review is focused on phytocompounds (PHYTOCs)-based cosmeceuticals, an established segment of cosmetic industry, due to the great demand for vitamins and plant-derived products. PHYTOCs beauty and health-related applications are due to their anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, wound-healing, anti-aging, sun protection, cytoprotective, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. However, PHYTOCs present disadvantages, precisely the poor solubility, instability, reduced skin permeation and low skin retention time, which strongly restrict their topical application. Therefore, and since the cosmetic industry constantly pursues groundbreaking technological products, nanotechnology emerges as an innovative strategy to tackle the PHYTOCs recognized limitations. Nanotechnology manipulates and reduces materials size to 1 and 100 nm, creating structures able to encapsulate active ingredients, such as PHYTOCs, with the purpose of overcoming their limitations and delivering them in a controlled manner to the skin.
This review highlights the potential properties of PHYTOCs loaded in several types of nanocarriers (liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes, transferosomes, cubosomes, phytosomes, nanoemulsions, nanocrystals, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and dendrimers) used to overcome PHYTOCs free form limitations and potentiate their cosmeceutical properties. An approach to the “green” chemical synthesis of metallic nanoparticles taking advantage of PHYTOCS as natural reducing agents is exposed as well. Nanocosmeceuticals toxicity concerns and regulatory aspects are also addressed.
... Он обладает высокой антиоксидантной активностью, может проникать в эпидермис и работать как носитель для улучшения доставки лекарственных веществ [70]. Кроме того, было показано, что фуллеренол C 60 (OH) 24 может подавлять образование кожного сала [71] и проявляет антимикробную активность в отношении P. acne [72]. S. Inui et al. исследовали роль фуллеренов в клинике акне [73]. ...
The review focuses on the possibilities and prospects of the use of fullerenes and their derivatives in cosmetics, the only industrial area where fullerenes have found practical application today. Based on the literary data and the results of their own experiments, the authors substantiate the safety of using fullerene for living organisms, as well as the usefulness of introducing fullerene as antioxidant in cosmetic compositions. Other useful properties of fullerene used in cosmetics and dermatology are discussed.
... So far, a variety of therapeutic agents have been demonstrated to reduce sebum production, inflammation, and bacterial counts (Becerro de Bengoa Vallejo, Losa Iglesias, Alou Cervera, Sevillano Fernandez, & Prieto Prieto, 2009;Inui, Aoshima, Ito, Kobuko, & Itami, 2012;Uppal, Singhi, Singhi, & Aggarwal, 2017). These chemicals are used either topically or systemically based on the severity of the acne lesion. ...
Background and Purpose
Propionibacterium acnes is a Gram‐positive bacterium associated with the skin disorder acne. In this study, as fatty acids are considered to be important in the life habitat of P. acnes, we tested our lipopeptide library in an attempt to create potent P. acnes‐specific antimicrobial agents.
Experimental Approach
The antimicrobial activity of various lipopeptides was determined by measuring their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Lipids from P. acnes were used to explore their mode of action. RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS and P. acnes respectively were used to measure their anti‐inflammatory activity. Mice ears injected with P. acnes were used to assess the antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory effects of the peptides tested in vivo.
Key Results
The most potent candidate, C16‐KWKW, was observed to be more active against P. acnes than against other non‐targeted bacterial strains, such as Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The mode of action of C16‐KWKW was observed to be through interference with the integrity of the bacterial membrane, thereby impairing membrane permeability and causing leakage of inner contents of bacterial cells. Furthermore, C16‐KWKW inhibited the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and inducible NOS stimulated by both LPS and P. acnes, thus showing potential anti‐inflammatory activity, which was further verified in the in vivo animal studies.
Conclusions and Implications
C16‐KWKW is a lipopeptide displaying both anti‐P. acnes and anti‐inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo and shows potential as a treatment for acne vulgaris induced by P. acnes.
Nanotechnology is a relatively new field of engineering that has led to the development of nanomedicine. Many of the benefits and risks surrounding nanotechnology concern the skin, and research over the last few decades has led to a better understanding of the potential role for nanotechnology in dermatology. As this field is rapidly evolving, practitioners must stay up to date on current research. This chapter will discuss the current uses and future direction of nanomaterials in cosmetic, diagnostic, and therapeutic dermatology.
Polyhydroxylated fullerene derivatives (fullerenols: C60(OH)12 and C60(OH)36) exhibit excellent stabilizing matrices for the gold nanoparticles. Au:C60(OH)12 and Au:C60(OH)36 form hydrophilic colloids and are well dispersed in H2O, even though C60(OH)12 itself is scarcely dissolved in H2O. It was estimated that C60(OH)12 form a two‐ to three‐layered structure with 3D O–H···O hydrogen bonding networks, surrounding approximately 3 nm‐sized Au NP. The thus‐prepared Au:C60(OH)n colloids exhibited high catalytic activity toward the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol. Short induction period, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters indicated the dynamic mobility of the fullerenol matrix and the hydrophobic nature of the interface between the Au surface and the matrix.
Acne vulgaris is one of the common dermatological diseases and its pathogenesis is multifactorial. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of oxidative stress in acne vulgaris.
The study involved 32 patients with acne vulgaris in the patient group and 34 healthy adults in the control group. The parameters of oxidative stress such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the venous blood of patients were measured spectrophotometrically. The values were compared with those of the control group.
The serum levels of MDA and XO activity in the patients with acne vulgaris were significantly higher than those of the controls. A significantly lower SOD and CAT activity was found in the patient group than in the control group. Although the patient group had higher serum levels of NO than the control group, the difference was not statistically significant.
These results suggest that oxidative damage may play a role in the pathogenesis of acne; therefore, significant alterations may occur in the antioxidant defence system.
The biological properties of fullerene nanostructures as potential health risk due to a free radical scavenging activity were assessed. Two methods were chosen that are routinely applied in dermatological testing of skin sensitivity. Thirty volunteers reporting various irritation and allergy susceptibilities were subjected to a patch test and controlled during 96 hours. In the second method, the modified Draize rabbit eye test was carried out. The results showed that working with fullerene soot is unlikely to be associated with any risk of skin irritation and allergy. Thus, no special precautions have to be taken while working with fullerene nanostructures.
A new fluorimetric method for measuring lipase activity is described. The fluorescent compound umbelliferone (UMB) was esterified
with various unsaturated and saturated fatty acids of different carbon chain lengths, and the non-fluorescent esters were
used as substrates for measuring the activity of two lipases purified fromRhizopus delemar andCandida cylindracea. The fluorescence intensity of UMB liberated by hydrolysis of the substrates gives an indication of the lipase activity towards
the respective esters. UMB was found to be somewhat more sensitive and stable than 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), which has
been used previously. The highly sensitive method (nmoles UMB/mL/hr) described here was tested on five different esters. The
method has the advantage of not requiring extraction of the lipolysis products. It also can be carried out quickly, in two
to three minutes, and thus lends itself to the screening of lipase-producing micro-organisms. The method offers an interesting
alternative or can be complementary to assays based on the use of 4-methylumbelliferone esters as substrates.
A water-soluble polyhydroxylated fullerene, i.e. a fullerenol, with 44 hydroxyl groups and 8 secondary bound water molecules,
C60(OH)44·8H2O (estimated average structure), has been synthesized in a facile one step reaction from pristine C60 by hydroxylation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst, tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide (TBAH), under organic/aqueous bilayer conditions. The fullerenol exhibited high water solubility,
up to 64.9 mg/mL, under neutral (pH = 7) conditions. Dynamic light-scattering (DLS) analysis showed a narrow particle size
distribution, of 1–2 nm, indicating that the fullerenol had high dispersion properties in water. The results of particle size
analyses, which both focused on a single nanoregion and were conducted using a novel induced grating (IG) method and a scanning
probe microscope (SPM), were consistent with the DLS results. A plausible reaction mechanism, which includes fullerene oxide
intermediates detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), has been proposed.
KeywordsFullerene–fullerenol–hydroxyl group–nanoparticle–water solubility
Polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols: C(60)(OH)(n)) are known as the major water-soluble fullerene derivatives which possess particular significance as free radical scavengers or antioxidants in biological systems. Recently, the novel polyhydroxylated fullerene (C(60) (OH)(44)·8H(2)O: SHH-F) was successfully synthesized. In the present study, we investigated the radical-scavenging effects and cytoprotective effects of three types of fullerenols (C(60)(OH)(6-12): LH-F, C(60) (OH)(32-34)·7H(2)O: HH-F, and C(60) (OH)(44)·8H(2)O: SHH-F) on UV-irradiation-induced cell injuries. HH-F and SHH-F exerted hydroxyl-radical scavenging activities as shown by DMPO-spin trap/ESR method, more markedly than LH-F. UVA or UVB irradiation-induced injuries in human skin keratinocytes HaCaT were significantly suppressed by HH-F and SHH-F, but scarcely by LF-H. The cytoprotective effects of SHH-F had a tendency to be superior to that of HH-F. And the cytoprotective effects of SHH-F against UVB-induced injuries were more effective than those of UVA. Irradiation with UVB to HaCaT cells was shown to cause rapid increases in cell-injury-associated symptoms such as intracellular oxidative stress levels, the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and chromatin condensation, all of which were repressed by SHH-F. Thus, UVB-induced diverse harmful effects could be prevented by SHH-F, which was suggested to exert the cytoprotective effects through intracellular reactive oxygen species-scavenging in the keratinocytes.
Unlabelled:
Oxidative stress plays a major role in acne formation, suggesting that oxygen radical scavengers are potential therapeutic agents. Fullerene is a spherical carbon molecule with strong radical sponge activity; therefore, we studied the effectiveness of fullerene gel in treating acne vulgaris. We performed an open trial using a fullerene gel twice a day; at 4 and 8 weeks, the mean number of inflammatory lesions (erythematous papules and pustules) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 16.09 ± 9.08 to 12.36 ± 7.03 (reduction rate 23.2%) and 10.0 ± 5.62 (reduction rate 37.8%), respectively. The number of pustules, consisting of accumulation of neutrophils, was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 1.45 ± 1.13 to 0.18 ± 0.60 (reduction rate 87.6%), and further in vitro assays of sebum production in hamster sebocytes revealed that 75 μM polyvinylpyrrolidone-fullerene inhibits sebum production, suggesting that fullerene suppresses acne through decreasing neutrophil infiltration and sebum production. After treatment for 8 weeks, the water content of the skin significantly (P < 0.05) increased from 51.7 ± 7.9 to 60.4 ± 10.3 instrumental units. Therefore, the fullerene gel may help in controlling acne vulgaris with skin care benefit.
From the clinical editor:
Fullerenes, spherical carbon cages with strong oxygen radical scavenging, with formulated into a gel and used to successfully treat acne vulgaris, an inflammatory disease associated oxidative stress.
Along with differentiation of mouse stromal preadipocytes OP9 into adipocytes, intracellular ROS, especially superoxide anion radicals detected by NBT reduction assay, were found to appreciably increase, mainly in cytoplasmic area, parallelling with increases in intracellular lipid-droplet accumulation, whereas undifferentiated OP9 cells kept lower levels of ROS and lipid-droplets. beta-Carotene bleaching assay showed that super-highly hydroxylated fullerene (SHH-F; C(60) (OH)(44)) exerted higher antioxidant ability than highly hydroxylated fullerene (HH-F; C(60) (OH)(32-34)) or lowly hydroxylated fullerene (LH-F; C(60) (OH)(6-12)). Differentiation-dependent lipid-droplet accumulation was suppressed by SHH-F or HH-F more efficiently than LH-F. Furthermore, SHH-F significantly repressed intracellular ROS generation accompanied by adipocyte differentiation. Thus, lipid-droplet accumulation was shown to positively correlate with ROS upon the differentiation of OP9 preadipocytes into adipocytes and SHH-F significantly suppressed intracellular ROS together with repression of intracellular lipid accumulation.
Antioxidant ability of the water-soluble derivative of fullerene (C60), prepared by high-degree hydroxylation [C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O] or C60/gamma-cyclodextrin (1:2 mol/mol) clathrate formation [C60/(gamma-CD)(2)], was assessed by electron spin resonance method and beta-carotene bleaching assay. These C60 derivatives have an ability to diminish a 1:2:2:1 quartet ESR spectrum attributed to hydroxyl radicals ((.)OH) as shown by DMPO-spin trap/ESR method. Meanwhile, a singlet radical-signal different from ()OH-attributed signals increased in a manner dependent on concentrations of C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O. This might suggest that C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O scavenges (.)OH owing to dehydrogenation of C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O, and is simultaneously oxidized to a stable radical species, which may be a dehydrogenated fullerenol radical (C60-O(.)). Furthermore, these water-soluble derivatives of C60 suppressed fading of yellowish color characteristic of intact beta-carotene in beta-carotene bleaching assay. Antioxidant abilities of these derivatives were assessed as retention of yellowish color (viz absorbance at 470 nm) for 180 min. Namely, beta-carotene-attributed chromaticity (% relative absorbance at 470 nm compared with the control) after 180 min was 69% for C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O (400 microM: C60-eq.), and 32% for C60/(gamma-CD)(2) (400 microM: C60-eq.), whereas it was 6% for l(+)-ascorbic acid (400 microM) which is hydrophilic, and 85% for (+/-)-alpha-tocopherol (400 microM) which is lipophilic, respectively. Thus C60-(OH)(32) x 8H(2)O and C60/(gamma-CD)(2) can scavenge (.)OH, and have a distinct antioxidative activity in the aqueous system containing linoleic acid which is abundantly contained in the cell membrane together with other unsaturated lipids. These C60 derivatives have a potential to protect the cell membrane from oxidative stress due to (.)OH.
Using a novel hydrogen peroxide heating method, we synthesized milky white, water-soluble polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols) with 36-40 hydroxyl groups (estimated average) along with 8-9 secondary bound water molecules. The fullerenols exhibited high water solubility up to 58.9 mg/mL in a neutral (pH = 7) condition. Dynamic light scattering analysis showed a high dispersion property, to give a narrow particle size distribution within 0.7-2.0 nm.
Acne vulgaris is one of the commonest dermatological diseases and its pathogenesis is multifactorial.
To determine the role of oxidative stress in acne vulgaris and to determine a possible link with the clinical severity.
Twenty-three patients with different grades of acne vulgaris and 23 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured spectrophotometrically at tissue and blood levels.
There were no significant differences in SOD activities and MDA levels between patients and controls. However, significant differences were found in patients with severe acne in comparison with those with mild and moderate acne. Moreover, comparison between different patient subgroups and controls revealed statistically significantly higher SOD activities in patients with mild acne in comparison with patients with moderate and severe acne, and with controls. Furthermore, severe acne showed statistically significantly lower SOD activities and higher MDA levels when compared with other patient subgroups and controls.
Oxidative stress exists in patients with acne vulgaris and may play a role in aetiopathogenesis and/or progression of the disease. The addition of drugs with antioxidative effects seems to be valuable in the treatment of acne vulgaris.