Fibroblasts behavior after N-acetylcysteine and amino acids exposure: extracellular matrix gene expression

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are chemically reactive molecules with impaired electrons that make them unstable and able to react easily with a great variety of molecules. The main targets of ROS are DNA, proteins, and membrane phospholipids. In the skin, ROS are able to affect the production of collagen and elastin, the main components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This action contributes to the skin's aging. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is an acetylated cysteine residue with excellent anti-oxidant activity that boosts glutathione (GSH) levels. This study evaluates the effect of a solution of NAC and amino acids, which is used in aesthetic medicine as an intra-dermal injective treatment, on fibroblast behavior. To this aim, the expression levels of some ECM-related genes (HAS1, HYAL1 ELN, ELANE, MMP2, MMP3, MMP13, COL1A1, COL3A1) were analyzed on cultured dermal fibroblasts using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All but two collagen genes were up-regulated after 24 hr of treatment.