title: Variation in melanin content and composition in type V and VI photoexposed and photoprotected human skin: the dominant role of DHI.
abstract: A combination of techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectrophotometric measurements, and a novel method for quantifying melanosome morphology, were applied to the analysis of melanin content and composition in highly pigmented (Fitzpatrick type V and VI) human skin. We found that total epidermal melanin content is significantly elevated in photoexposed type V and VI skin (approximately 1.6 x), while analysis of individual melanin components suggests that pheomelanin content increases only slightly, whereas 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-eumelanin and to a greater extent 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-eumelanin content are both markedly elevated. Analysis of the relative composition of epidermal melanin in these subjects revealed that DHI-eumelanin is the largest single component (approximately 60-70%), followed by DHICA-eumelanin (25-35%), with pheomelanin being a relatively minor component (2-8%). Moreover, there was a comparative enrichment of DHI-eumelanin at photoexposed sites, with a corresponding decline in the relative contributions from DHICA-eumelanin and pheomelanin. There was also a good correlation and close agreement between the concentration of spheroidal melanosomes determined by morphological image analysis and the concentration of pheomelanin determined by a combination of HPLC and spectrophotometric analysis (r = 0.89, P < 0.02). This study demonstrates the usefulness of melanosome morphology analysis as a sensitive new method for the quantification of melanin composition in human skin. The data also suggest that DHI-eumelanin formation is the dominant pathway for melanin synthesis in heavily pigmented (Fitzpatrick V and VI) skin types in vivo, and is the favoured pathway when melanin production is increased in chronically photoexposed skin.
authors.affiliation: Unilever Research, Colworth Laboratory, Sharnbrook, Bedford, United Kingdom. simon.alaluf@unilever.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alaluf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahalingam
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smit
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D008027:Light; D008543:Melanins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D008543:Melanins; C030692:5,6-dihydroxy-2-indolylcarboxylic acid; C033871:5,6-dihydroxyindole