PUBLICATION

The Henna pigment Lawsone activates the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and impacts skin homeostasis

Authors

Lozza, L., Moura-Alves, P., Domaszewska, T., Lage Crespo, C., Streata, I., Kreuchwig, A., Puyskens, A., Bechtle, M., Klemm, M., Zedler, U., Silviu Ungureanu, B., Guhlich-Bornhof, U., Koehler, A.B., Stäber, M., Mollenkopf, H.J., Hurwitz, R., Furkert, J., Krause, G., Weiner, J., Jacinto, A., Mihai, I., Leite-de-Moraes, M., Siebenhaar, F., Maurer, M., Kaufmann, S.H.E.

ID

ZDB-PUB-190729-13

Date

2019

Source

Scientific Reports 9: 10878 (Journal)

Registered Authors

Keywords

none

MeSH Terms

Dermatitis/drug therapy*
Animals
Naphthoquinones/metabolism*
Naphthoquinones/therapeutic use
Mice
Zebrafish
Models, Animal
Lawsonia Plant
Wound Healing
Keratinocytes/metabolism*
Homeostasis
Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/metabolism*
Humans
Skin/drug effects
Skin/metabolism*
Skin/pathology
Guided Tissue Regeneration
Cells, Cultured

PubMed

31350436 Full text @ Sci. Rep.

Abstract

As a first host barrier, the skin is constantly exposed to environmental insults that perturb its integrity. Tight regulation of skin homeostasis is largely controlled by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Here, we demonstrate that Henna and its major pigment, the naphthoquinone Lawsone activate AhR, both in vitro and in vivo. In human keratinocytes and epidermis equivalents, Lawsone exposure enhances the production of late epidermal proteins, impacts keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation, and regulates skin inflammation. To determine the potential use of Lawsone for therapeutic application, we harnessed human, murine and zebrafish models. In skin regeneration models, Lawsone interferes with physiological tissue regeneration and inhibits wound healing. Conversely, in a human acute dermatitis model, topical application of a Lawsone-containing cream ameliorates skin irritation. Altogether, our study reveals how a widely used natural plant pigment is sensed by the host receptor AhR, and how the physiopathological context determines beneficial and detrimental outcomes.

Errata / Notes

This article is corrected by ZDB-PUB-220906-205 .

Genes / Markers

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