Noninsulated Microneedle Radiofrequency for Skin Rejuvenation: A Histological, Transcriptomic and Clinical Study

The efficacy and safety of microneedle radiofrequency (MRF) for antiaging skin treatment has already been demonstrated. This study aims to, for the first time, comprehensively interpret the short and long-term effects of MRF by combining histology, high-throughput molecular analysis, and clinical evaluation.

At 1, 3, and 6 months after MRF in different parameters, the skin samples were taken for HE staining, Masson staining, and Victoria blue staining to observe the overall histological changes. Real-time PCR and WB were used to evaluate the quantitative changes of collagen I and III, MMP-2 and TGF-β1 at the different time periods. After transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify important biological processes related to skin after MRF treatment. At the same time, patients who had undergone facial MRF treatment in our department between 2020 and 2023 were collected for clinical review within half a year after treatment. Patient satisfaction score and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) were collected.

The histological sections showed that collagen and elastic fibers regenerated and the density increased after MRF. The mRNA and protein levels of collagen in each treatment group also showed an upward trend after treatment, especially in Group A. However, there was no significant difference among the treatment groups and compared with the blank control group. Transcriptome analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in collagen regeneration-related pathways at 1 month after treatment, then gradually decreased at 6 months. The clinical data showed that after MRF treatment, patients mainly rated the effect of skin rejuvenation as "3 - satisfied." The GAIS score showed that the long-term effect after MRF was better than the short-term effect (p = 0.040).

MRF can stimulate collagen rearrangement and rejuvenation in facial rejuvenation. The long-term rejuvenation effect of MRF can last at least 6 months and is better than the short-term effect.