Factors of skin ageing share common mechanisms

Ageing has been defined as the accumulation of molecular modifications which manifest as macroscopic clinical changes. Human skin, unique among mammalians insofar as it is deprived of fur, is particularly sensitive to environmental stress. Major environmental factors have been recognized to induce modifications of the morphological and biophysical properties of the skin. Metabolites from ingested or inhaled substances do affect skin, which is also sensitive to endogenous hormone levels. Factors as diverse as ultraviolet radiation, atmospheric pollution, wounds, infections, traumatisms, anoxya, cigarette smoke, and hormonal status have a role in increasing the rate of accumulation of molecular modifications and have thus been termed 'factors of ageing'. All these factors share as a common feature, the capability to directly or indirectly induce one of the steps of the micro-inflammatory cycle, which includes the expression of ICAM-1 in endothelial cells. This triggers a process leading to the accumulation of damages in the skin resulting in skin ageing since ICAM-1 expression provokes recruitment and diapedesis of circulating immune cells, which digest the extracellular matrix (ECM) by secreting collagenases, myeloperoxidases and reactive oxygen species. The activation of these lytic processes provokes random damage to resident cells, which in turn secrete prostaglandines and leukotrienes. These signaling molecules induce the degranulation of resident mast cells which release the autacoid histamine and the cytokine TNF-alpha thus activating endothelial cells lining adjacent capillaries which release P-selectin and synthesize ICAM-1. This closes a self-maintained micro-inflammatory cycle, which results in the accumulation of ECM damage, i.e. skin aging. In this paper we review the evidence that two factors able to induce macroscopical and molecular modifications in the skin, protein glycation and stretch, activate the micro-inflammatory cycle. We further present evidence that three additional factors, two external factors (electromagnetic fields and psychological stressors) and one internal factor (neuropeptides) also activate the micro-inflammatory cycles and may therefore be considered as factors of skin ageing.