The effect of β‐carotene on the expression of interleukin‐6 and heme oxygenase‐1 in UV‐irradiated human skin fibroblasts in vitro

Abstract
β-Carotene is discussed as an anti-oxidant micronutrient and singlet oxygen quencher in human skin, protecting against UV light-induced damage. However, we recently demonstrated that β-carotene has a pro-oxidant potential in cultured human skin fibroblasts because it enhances the UVA induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Herein, we further show that β-carotene also strongly promotes the UVA induction of pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) in skin fibroblasts in vitro. Singlet oxygen quencher sodium azide abrogated up-regulation of IL-6, and likewise also of HO-1. In UVB-irradiated cells, β-carotene did not modulate levels of IL-6 and HO-1. The observed effects might be relevant for UV-induced inflammatory processes

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