Demet Cicek, Betul Demir, Cemal Orhan, Mehmet Tuzcu, Ibrahim Hanifi Ozercan, Nurhan Sahin, James Komorowski, Sara Perez Ojalvo, Sarah Sylla, Kazim Sahin
The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of a novel combination of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate complex (ASI) and magnesium biotinate (MgB) on the prevention of skin damage after UVB exposure in rats. Forty-nine Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into one of the following groups: (1) NC, normal control, (2) SC, shaved control, (3) UVB (exposed to UVB radiation), (4) ASI+MgB-L (Low Dose), (5) ASI+MgB-H (High Dose), (6) ASI+MgB-L+MgB cream, (7) ASI+MgB-H+MgB cream. The results showed that ASI+MgB treatment alleviated the macroscopic and histopathological damages in the skin of rats caused by UVB exposure. Skin elasticity evaluation showed a similar trend. ASI+MgB increased serum Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Si, biotin, and arginine concentrations and skin hydroxyproline and biotinidase levels while decreasing skin elastase activity ( < 0.05) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration ( < 0.001). Moreover, ASI+MgB treatment increased skin levels of biotin-dependent carboxylases (ACC1, ACC2, PC, PCC, MCC) and decreased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways and matrix metalloproteinase protein levels by the regulation of the activator protein 1 (AP-1), and mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways. In addition, ASI+MgB caused lower levels of inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, NFκB, IL-6, IL-8, and COX-2 in the skin samples ( < 0.05). The levels of Bax and caspase-3 were increased, while anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was decreased by UVB exposure, which was reversed by ASI+MgB treatment. These results show that treatment with ASI and MgB protects against skin damage by improving skin appearance, elasticity, inflammation, apoptosis, and overall health.
