Mucopolysaccharide polysulfate increases local skin blood volume through nitric oxide production

Area of Science:

• Dermatology and Vascular Biology
• Pharmacology of Topical Agents

Background:

• Mucopolysaccharide polysulfate (MPS) is a common topical treatment for skin conditions like asteatosis.
• While MPS is known to increase cutaneous blood flow (CBF), the exact mechanism is not well understood.
• Investigating the role of nitric oxide (NO) is crucial for understanding MPS's effects on CBF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the mechanism by which MPS increases CBF.
• To investigate the association between nitric oxide (NO) and MPS-induced blood flow acceleration.
• To examine the effect of MPS on NO production in key skin cell types: keratinocytes (KCs), endothelial cells (ECs), and dermal fibroblasts (DFs).

Main Methods:

• Utilized raster-scanning optoacoustic imaging mesoscopy for in vivo observation of skin blood volume changes.
• Quantified NO production in individual cells using a specific NO indicator.
• Employed enzyme-linked immunoassay to measure phosphorylated nitric oxide synthase (NOS) levels in ECs, DFs, and KCs.

Main Results:

• Topical MPS application significantly increased skin blood volume in mice.
• The observed increase in blood volume was negated by the administration of NOS inhibitors.
• MPS demonstrated dose-dependent promotion of NO production across various skin cell types, altering NOS phosphorylation.

Conclusions:

• MPS enhances skin blood volume and stimulates NO production in multiple skin cell types.
• The findings suggest that MPS accelerates CBF via the NO biosynthesis pathway.
• This research provides mechanistic insight into the therapeutic effects of MPS on skin circulation.