Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Assessment of Oxidative Damage in the Primary Mouse Ocular Surface Cells/Stem Cells in Response to Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) Damage
Published on: February 15, 2020
Protection against UVA damage and effects on neutrophil-derived reactive oxygen species by beta-carotene
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany. Marisela.bohne@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Objective:
Phagocyte-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in microbicidal activities as well as in tissue damage at sites of inflammation. Carotenoids play an important function in protecting cells from oxidant damage. We investigated the in vitro and in vivo effect of 13-cis and 9-cis-beta-carotene on human neutrophils.
Methods:
Neutrophils from healthy donors in the presence of 0.25 mumol/L-1 mumol/l beta-carotene and from subjects under beta-carotene supplementation and UVA or UVA/B exposure were stimulated by opsonized zymosan and the generation of ROS was measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.
Results:
Our in vitro results show different effects of the two isomers on stimulated neutrophils. 9-cis-beta-carotene did not produce any change, whereas 13-cis-beta-carotene significantly and concentration-dependent inhibited the ROS generation by stimulated neutrophils. Further, in a controlled study, we were able to demonstrate an in vivo protective effect of beta-carotene on neutrophils against UVA damage by beta-carotene supplemented subjects.
Related Concept Videos
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Mutations
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Radical Autoxidation
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Pigmentation
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity

