Effect of sandalwood and rose absolute oil on the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes = Effect of sandalwood and rose absolute oil on the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The most important role of skin is regarded as a vital barrier against fluid loss, chemical and infectious agents, and UV light. Much of this protective function is dependent on the epidermis, a multi-layered epithelium that is composed of various cell types, including keratinocytes and melanocytes. Keratinocytes are the major cells in the epidermis that make the water-insoluble cornified cell envelope (CE), a key component of skin barrier, through highly sophisticated and tightly regulated process of differentiation. It is important to develop new materials for strengthening the skin texture, thereby providing the additive protective role for maintenance of healthy skin. Recently, a lot of interest has been given to plant-originated oils, because they could be used safely and effectively to protect the skin surface. In this study, we investigated the potential effect of plant oils, which are derived from sandalwood and rose. First, the effect on keratinocyte proliferation was determined by thymidine incorporation assay. Rose absolute oil reduced the cell growth, while sandalwood oil did not affect the growth of cultured keratinocytes. Interestingly, the morphology of rose absolute oil-treated keratinocytes was somewhat similar to that of calcium-treated cells. Thus, we speculated that rose absolute oil has a potential for promoting the keratinocyte differentiation. To test this idea, we next determine the effect of rose absolute oil on keratinocyte differentiation by Western blot analysis. As expected, rose absolute oil induced the expression of involucrin, an important marker for keratinocyte differentiation. Sandalwood oil did not affect the involucrin level, either. We then examine the rose absolute oil effect on the activity of involucrin promoter, by adenoviral transduction of reporter gene. As a result, involucrin promoter activity was increased by rose absolute oil, but sandalwood did not affect the promoter activity. These results suggest that rose absolute oil could be applied for the strengthening of skin texture.