title: Autoradiographic localization of 8-methoxypsoralen in psoriasis skin in vitro.
abstract: Slices of psoriatic (Pso) skin were incubated with tritiated 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and exposed to UVA irradiation. The photobinding of 8-MOP was studied by autoradiography at the cellular level and in the different layers of the epidermis and in the dermis. Silver grains were found in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the various cell types. Keratin, collagen and lipoproteins were also labelled. The upper malpighian cells and the parakeratotic cells showed a greater degree of labelling than did the basal layers. In skin incubated with [3H]8-MOP and unirradiated, no measurable labelling was detected. These results suggest that the targets responsible for the therapeutic activity of 8-MOP might be not only nucleic acids, but also proteins.
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D006801:Humans; D008730:Methoxsalen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D008730:Methoxsalen