Biomolecules & Therapeutics  https://doi.org/10.4062/biomolther.2023.085
The Effect of γ-Aminobutyric Acid Intake on UVB- Induced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice
Hairu Zhao1,†, Bomi Park1,†, Min-Jung Kim2, Seok-Hyun Hwang2, Tae-Jong Kim2, Seung-Un Kim2,*, Iksun Kwon1 and Jae Sung Hwang1,*
1Department of Genetic & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Youngin 17104, 2Research and Development, EVERSPRING Co., Ltd., Seongnam 13207, Republic of Korea
*E-mail: jshwang@khu.ac.kr (Hwang JS), skim@everspringlab.com (Kim SU)
Tel: +82-31-201-3797 (Hwang JS), +82-31-698-3173 (Kim SU)
Fax: +82-31-204-2629 (Hwang JS), +82-70-4850-8626 (Kim SU)
†The first two authors contributed equally to this work.
Received: April 18, 2023; Revised: July 3, 2023; Accepted: July 4, 2023; Published online: August 1, 2023.
© The Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology. All rights reserved.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The skin, the largest organ in the body, undergoes age-related changes influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The primary external factor is photoaging which causes hyperpigmentation, uneven skin surface, deep wrinkles, and markedly enlarged capillaries. In the human dermis, it decreases fibroblast function, resulting in a lack of collagen structure and also decreases keratinocyte function, which compromises the strength of the protective barrier. In this study, we found that treatment with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) had no toxicity to skin fibroblasts and GABA enhanced their migration ability, which can accelerate skin wound healing. UVB radiation was found to significantly induce the production of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), but treatment with GABA resulted in the inhibition of MMP-1 production. We also investigated the enhancement of filaggrin and aquaporin 3 in keratinocytes after treatment with GABA, showing that GABA can effectively improve skin moisturization. In vivo experiments showed that oral administration of GABA significantly improved skin wrinkles and epidermal thickness. After the intake of GABA, there was a significant decrease observed in the increase of skin thickness measured by calipers and erythema. Additionally, the decrease in skin moisture and elasticity in hairless mice exposed to UVB radiation was also significantly restored. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of GABA as functional food material for improving skin aging and moisturizing.
Keywords: γ-Aminobutyric acid, Aging, Collagen, MMP-1, Filaggrin, AQP3

This Article


Cited By Articles
  • CrossRef (0)

e-submission

Archives