PURPOSE Controversy exists over melanogenesis of adult human RPE cells in vitro. This study investigated melanin content and production and expression of tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related-protein-1 (TRP1), tyrosinase-related-protein-2 (TRP2), and P gene in cultured human RPE cells and uveal melanoma cells. METHODS RPE cells were isolated and cultured from three adult donor eyes. A continuo...

Do genetic correlations among phenotypic characters reflect developmental organization or functional coadaptation of the characters? We test these hypotheses for the wing melanin pattern of Pieris occidentalis butterflies, by comparing estimated genetic correlations among wing melanin characters with a priori predictions of the developmental organization and the functional (thermoregulatory) or...

Cultured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can phagocytize large foreign particles. Heterogeneous melanin aggregates from Sepia officinalis, a species of cuttlefish, were fed to cultured human RPE cells to produce cells laden with Sepia melanin. Blue light-induced apoptosis (BLIA) assays were performed by flow cytometry on parallel cultures consisting of RPE cells isolated from independent...

In Oriental countries, such as China, Korea and Japan, a female beauty criterion since ancient times has been a face with fair skin, and the admiration of women with young, healthy, bright and fair skin has created a whitening cosmetics market. The color of human skin and hair is determined by a number of factors. Biosynthesis of the melanin pigment, namely melanogenesis, is the most important ...

Photoacoustic tomography is a hybrid modality based on optical absorption excitation and ultrasonic detection. It is sensitive to melanin, one of the primary absorbers in skin. For cells that do not naturally contain melanin, melanin production can be induced by introducing the gene for tyrosinase, the primary enzyme responsible for expression of melanin in melanogenic cells. Optical resolution...

Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skins outermost surface to help maintain healthy skin. The most serious form of skin cancer is caused by excessive exposure to the sun (ultraviolet radiation). Skin cells that are damaged are at greater risk of becoming abnormal and cancerous.Herbal skin exfoliates enriched with flavanoids penetrate deep into the skin, nouris...

The authors examined spectrophotometrically the ability of drugs to bind with ocular acid-insoluble melanin. Each drug, at 5 X 10(-5) M, was incubated at 37 degrees C for 8 hr with 4 mg of melanin in 20 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4 and 8.0) or in 20 mM acetate buffer (pH 4.8). The authors findings showed that chloroquine, thioridazine, befunolol, pindolol, daunomycin, and 5-fluorouraci...

Melanin is a pigment that determines the skin/hair color and protects human skin from UV rays. The synthesis of melanin complex process regulated by variety enzymes, signaling pathways, transcription factors. Among them, metabolic utilization fatty acids in mitochondria considered one main sources energy. extra oxidase stress produced mitochondrial has thought to be vital factor for pathogenesi...

We reported earlier the delivery of antiangiogenic single chain antibodies by using oncolytic vaccinia virus strains to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Here, we provide evidence that gene-evoked production of melanin can be used as a therapeutic and diagnostic mediator, as exemplified by insertion of only one or two genes into the genome of an oncolytic vaccinia virus strain. We found that ...

In development of cosmetic essence, measurement of melanin distribution is required to evaluate the effect of cosmetic essences. However, exact measurement of the melanin distribution is very difficult because it is affected by other pigmentations. In this paper, the decrease of melanin component is analyzed by extracting the melanin distribution from digital color images. The independent compo...