BACKGROUND: The effects of melanocyte stimulating hormone(MSH) on the integument of many species, including mammals, are well known. The significance of MSH as a physiological regulator of cutaneous pigmentation in humans is still controversial. Although the administration of MSH results in skin darkening, previous reports suggest that cultured human melanocytes are relatively unresponsive to this peptide. This may be related to the conditions under which the melanocytes were cultured. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of alpha-MSH on the morphological changes, survival, and melanization of cultured human melanocytes in a basal medium without any mitogen. METHOD: We examined the morphological changes, number and melanin contents of cultured human melanocytes in control(absence of alpha-MSH) and experimental groups(presence of 10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, and 10(-6) M alpha-MSH). RESULTS: 1. There were no significant morphological changes of cells between the control and experimental groups after 24, 48, and 72 hours' culture. The number and length of melanocyte dendrites showed no significant difference between the groups after 24, 48, and 72 hours' culture. 2. The number of melanocytes in the experimental groups(presence of 10(-7) M, and 10(-6) M alpha-MSH) were significantly higher than the number of melanocytes in control group after 72 hours culture(p<0.05). This effect of alpha-MSH was dose-related. 3. The melanin contents slightly increased in the experimental groups. The significant difference between the groups was showed in the presence of 10(-8) M alpha-MSH. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-MSH has no effect on the morphology, but increases the survival of cultured human melanocytes and has a melanogenic effect.
alpha-MSH* ; Dendrites ; Humans* ; Mammals ; Melanins ; Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones ; Melanocytes* ; Pigmentation ; Skin

No abstract available.
Puberty, Delayed*

No abstract available.
Central Nervous System* ; Somatomedins*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Skin color is determined by many factors including melanin and nonmelanin pigments like hemoglobin and extraneous chemicals. Various factors such as race, sex, and age have been reported to have an influence on skin color. METHODS: Measurement of malanin index (M-index) was made by reflectance spectropho-tometer at three different sites including forehead, abdomen and forearm in total 800 healthy subjects consisting of 100 males and 100 females of neonates (three days after birth) and children (male:8.08±0.84, female:8.03±0.80, total :8.06±0.82 years of age), ado-lescence (mate:13.89± 0.76, female:13.96±0.79, total:13.93±0.78 years of age), and adults(male:24.26±0.82, female:24.40±0.89, total:24.33±0.86 years of age). We also investigated the change of M-index by each skin phototype of college students determined by Fitzpatrick classification. RESULTS: From the birth to the puberty, sex difference of melanin index was generally not not-ed, but adult females showed lower levels of melanin index in all sites measured. M-index in-creased from birth to adolescence, and decreased after adulthood. Forehead showed highest melanin index compared with other sites. Increase of M-index was noted as skin phototype goes from III to V. CONCLUSIONS: Factors including sex, age, body sites and skin phototype have a significant in-fluence on the changes of skin color in humans.
Abdomen ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Classification ; Continental Population Groups ; Female ; Forearm ; Forehead ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Melanins* ; Parturition ; Puberty ; Sex Characteristics ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Each kind of human cell has its own characteristic morphological and functional property. In the skin, epidermal cells, including keratinocyte and melanocyte, also have their own functional characteristics. Thus, it is expected that there are some different responses to external stimuli, such as ionizing radiatio,, free radicals, and cytokines between these cells. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To im estigate whether there are different effects of UV light on the viability of cultured human ker tinocytes and rnelanocytes. Cultured human keratinocytes and melanocytes are irradiated by UVB at 5, 25, 50, and 100mJ/cm, and examined by Methylthiazole tetrazollium assay at 0, 1, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after UVB exposure. RESULTS: 1. The effects on viability according to the doses of UVB are as follows: 1) In the keratinocytes, the viability was increased in most of the UVB exposure groups within 24 hours after UVB exposure, and was significantly increased at 25, 50, and 100mJ/cm of UVB at 3 hours after UVB exposur.(p<0.05). However, the viability was significantly decreased at relatively high doses of UVB (50, 100mJ/cm) from 48 hours after UVB exposure (p<0.05). 2) In the melanocytes, the viability was decreased in all of the UVB exposure groups within 3 hours, and was significantly decreased in all of the UVB exposure groups at, 1 hour after UVB exposure (p<0.05). The viability was increased from 6 to 24 hours, which was significantly decreased at 100mJ/cm of UVB from 48 hours after UVB exposure (p<0.05). 2. The effects on viability according to the time after UVB exposure at the same dose of UUB In both cells, the viability was increased as time went by. The slopes of the viability curve gradually decreased according to the increment of UVB doses. CONCLUSION: The viability of keratinocyte was decreased at 50mJ/cm of UVB which melanocyte did not show decrease. Melanocyte was more easily damaged than keratinocyte in relatively earlier time period after UVB exposure. These results suggest that the change of viability in cultured keratinocyte and melanocyte after UVB exposure at the dose of less than 100mJ/cm is related to the time course after UVB exposure as well as to the UVB dose.
Cytokines ; Free Radicals ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes* ; Melanocytes* ; Skin ; Ultraviolet Rays

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is a benign, uncommon disorder of unknown etiology, that usunlly appears as papules or nodules on the head and neck. Histopathologically, ALHE is a angioproliferating lesion which shows characteristically plump epithelioid or histiocytoid endothelial cells, accompanied by an inflammatory infiltrate that mainly consists of lymphocytes and eosinophils. We report a case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophila associated with arteriovenous malformations in a 23-year-old man. In our patient, we observed arteriovenous malformation, changes which could have occurred by vascular repair due to a vascular malformation.
Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Endothelial Cells ; Eosinophils ; Head ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Lymphocytes ; Neck ; Vascular Malformations ; Young Adult

No abstract available.

Afloqualone is a centrally acting muscle relaxant and has been used in therapy for musculotensive diseases. A 35-year-old female had been taking afloqulaone for a left hemifacial spasm for one month. The patient visited our hospital with erythematous papules and patches on the sun exposed area. A photopatch test with afloqualone ointment with the concentration of 0.1%, 1%, 5% turned out negative. An oral provocation test was also done and it showed a positive result with a decrease of MED to UVA (10 J/cm²).
Adult ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic* ; Female ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Solar System

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*