Stimulation of pheomelanogenesis in cultured B16 melanoma cells by 4-tertiary butylcatechol.
Intermediates of pheomelanin in tissue cultured B16 melanoma cells were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, and reduced glutathione (GSH), L-dopa, 2-[(L)-S-cysteinyl]-L-dopa (2-SCD) and 5-[(L)-S-cysteinyl]-L-dopa (5-SCD) were quantified. The effects of 4-tertiary butylcatechol (TBC), an antioxidant which causes skin depigmentation, on the levels of the intermediate were then examined. A concentration of 10(-4) M TBC increased the intracellular levels of GSH, 2-SCD and 5-SCD, whereas the L-dopa level was unchanged. The time-course of the increased intermediates corresponded to the elevation of glutathione-metabolizing enzyme activities previously reported by Kawashima et al. [J. invest. Derm. 82, 53 (1984)] in the same cell line exposed to 10(-4) M TBC. The findings establish chemical evidence that TBC stimulates pheomelanogenesis in melanocytes.
D000818:Animals; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003548:Cysteinyldopa / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice
D002396:Catechols; D008543:Melanins; C018362:pheomelanin; D003548:Cysteinyldopa; C034513:2-S-cysteinyldopa; D007980:Levodopa; C015047:p-tert-butyl catechol; D005978:Glutathione