Screening tests for free radical scavengers on cutaneous cultured cells

Synopsis Numerous studies discuss the important development of free radicals in human skin after exposure to UV irradiation. They suggest that these reactive molecules are responsible for sun-accelerated cutaneous aging. We reproduced two types of radical agression on cutaneous human cell cultures. The first brings into action oxygen radicals generated by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system and the second involves the use of UV radiation. These complementary models may be used as screening methods for antioxidant molecule research because they allow the distinction between molecules with filtering properties and free radical scavengers. The possibility of introducing molecules at different stages (before, during and after exposure to agression) permits the study of the molecular mecanism. These models were tested on silymarin, catechin, ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol.