title: Skin Exposure to Ultraviolet B Rapidly Activates Systemic Neuroendocrine and Immunosuppressive Responses.
abstract: The back skin of C57BL/6 mice was exposed to a single 400 mJ cm-2dose of ultraviolet B (UVB), and parameters of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in relation to immune activity were tested after 30-90 min following irradiation. Levels of brain and/or plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), β-endorphin, ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) were enhanced by UVB. Hypophysectomy had no effect on UVB-induced increases of CORT. Mitogen-induced IFNγ production by splenocytes from UVB-treated mice was inhibited at 30, 90 min and after 24 h. UVB also led to inhibition of IL-10 production indicating an immunosuppressive effect on both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Conditioned media from splenocytes isolated from UVB-treated animals had no effect on IFNγ production in cultured normal splenocytes; however, IFNγ increased with conditioned media from sham-irradiated animals. Sera from UVB-treated mice suppressed T-cell mitogen-induced IFNγ production as compared to sera from sham-treated mice. IFNγ production was inhibited in splenocytes isolated from UVB-treated animals with intact pituitary, while stimulated in splenocytes from UVB-treated hypophysectomized mice. Thus, cutaneous exposure to UVB rapidly stimulates systemic CRH, ACTH, β-endorphin and CORT production accompanied by rapid immunosuppressive effects in splenocytes that appear to be independent of the HPA axis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.|Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
authors.forename: Cezary
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skobowiat
authors.affiliation: Division of Connective Tissue Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN.|Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN.
authors.forename: Arnold E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Postlethwaite
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.|Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Chemoprevention Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.|Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL.
authors.forename: Andrzej T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Slominski
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005260:Female; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone