title: Human β-defensin-2 and psoriasin, two new innate immunity targets of zinc gluconate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a large family of peptides implicated in innate immunity, especially in the epidermis. Zinc gluconate has been proven to be efficient to treat inflammatory dermatoses, such as acne vulgaris.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our work was to determine whether AMPs could be new targets of zinc gluconate treatment in inflammatory dermatoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test this hypothesis, we used an ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory skin explant model, with or without zinc gluconate pretreatment. We evaluated human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2), human β-defensin-4 (hBD-4) and psoriasin protein expression and release by immunohistochemistry and ELISA, as well as the mRNA expression level by quantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that hBD-2 and psoriasin mRNA expression levels and hBD-2 extracellular release, but not hBD-4 expression and release, were significantly upregulated by zinc gluconate in LPS-stimulated inflammatory skin explants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that hBD-2 and psoriasin may be two main targets of zinc gluconate, involved in its anti-inflammatory activity in dermatoses.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U892, Department of Dermato-Oncology Nantes University Hospital, 1 Place Alexis-Ricordeau, 44093 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poiraud
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quereux
authors.forename: Anne-Chantal
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Knol
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.forename: Rémy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allix
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khammari
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dreno
mesh_terms: D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005942:Gluconates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D005942:Gluconates; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins; C089242:S100A7 protein, human; D023083:beta-Defensins; C030691:gluconic acid