HYALURONIC ACID: THE USE OF ITS PRECURSOR IN SKIN BIO-STIMULATION

Bio-stimulation is an injective therapy aimed to boost the anabolic functions of dermal fibroblasts to obtain skin improvement. It can be achieved with multiple intradermal injections (0.05–0.1 ml each) of a solution of 400 mg (3 ml) of injectable glucosamine sulphate, plus 5.623 mg (3 ml) of polideoxyribonucleotide, 1 ml of lidocaine and 0.5–1 ml of sodium bicarbonate, to repeat every 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The administration of glucosamine sulphate to skin fibroblasts is believed to lead to its incorporation in glycosaminoglycans, and thereby to the stimulation of extracellular matrix synthesis, whereas polideoxyribonucleotide possesses anti-inflammatory and regenerative capability. This study aims to elucidate the in-vitro effects of this treatment by studying what happens to several genes related to connective tissue integrity. Human dermal fibroblasts were seeded in a culture medium enriched with either two drugs alone or combined: glucosamine sulphate and/or polideoxyribonucleotide. After the end of the exposure time of 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, the cells were trypsinized and lysed for RNA extraction. Reverse transcription to cDNA was performed directly from cultured cell lysate. Finally, the cDNA was amplified by real-time PCR and a panel of genes involved in dermal integrity was tested. Gene expression of Hyaluronan synthase 1 (HAS1), Elastine (ELN), Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1), Growth differentiation factor 6 (GDF6) and of a series of catabolic enzymes, such as Metalloproteases (MMP) 2, 3 and 13, the neutrophyl expressed Elastase (ELANE) and the Hyaluronidase 1 (HYAL1) were tested after 24, 48 and 72 hours of exposure to glucosamine sulphate and polideoxyribonucleotide alone or combined. All the tested genes but one were up-regulated. A negative synergism on several enzymes (particularly appreciable for Insulin-like growth factor 1 and metalloprotease 13) was observed when the two drugs were delivered together. Glucosamine sulphate acts not only as building block in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan chains, but also as a booster of hyaluronan synthase 1. The association of glucosamine sulphate and polideoxyribonucleotide, used in bio-stimulation therapy protocol, has a negative synergism on catabolic genes in dermal fibroblast cultures. The present observations produce further insight into the effects of glucosamine sulphate in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan chains.