Biomaterial Database

The effects of psoralen and UVA (PUVA) on epidermal melanocytes of the tail in C57BL mice. 1979

F B Blog, and G Szabo

The morphological and numerical changes in epidermal melanocytes in tail skin of C57BL mice after exposure to psoralen followed by UVA irradiation were studied. The dorsal aspect of the tail was painted daily for 5 days a week with 0.1 ml methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen) in acetone, followed by UVA irradiation (peak 365 nm) after 2 hr with increasing energies up to a maximum of 2.0 J/cm2 daily. Control animals received UVA or acetone treatment only. The total duration of the experiment was 8 weeks. Biopsies taken after 1 and 3 days, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks were studied by the combined skin-splitting DOPA techniques. After 2 weeks of PUVA treatment the original brick like arrangement of melanocytes was obliterated and replaced by a confluent layer of melanocytes, and after 4 weeks the number of melanocytes had tipled and these cells also appeared on the epithelium covering the pilosebaceous units. UVA treatment alone did not show these effects. Inflammation and denuding of the skin after 4 weeks was followed by regeneration of the epidermis and the melanocyte system, in spite of continuing PUVA treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008544	Melanocytes	Mammalian pigment cells that produce MELANINS, pigments found mainly in the EPIDERMIS, but also in the eyes and the hair, by a process called melanogenesis. Coloration can be altered by the number of melanocytes or the amount of pigment produced and stored in the organelles called MELANOSOMES. The large non-mammalian melanin-containing cells are called MELANOPHORES.	Melanocyte
D010778	Photochemotherapy	Therapy using oral or topical photosensitizing agents with subsequent exposure to light.	Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy,Photodynamic Therapy,Red Light PDT,Red Light Photodynamic Therapy,Therapy, Photodynamic,Light PDT, Red,PDT, Red Light,Photochemotherapies,Photodynamic Therapies,Therapies, Photodynamic
D011564	Furocoumarins	Polycyclic compounds consisting of a furan ring fused with coumarin. They commonly occur in PLANTS, especially UMBELLIFERAE and RUTACEAE, as well as PSORALEA.	Furanocoumarin,Furanocoumarins,Furocoumarin,Psoralens,Angelicins
D005260	Female		Females
D005363	Ficusin	A naturally occurring furocoumarin, found in PSORALEA. After photoactivation with UV radiation, it binds DNA via single and double-stranded cross-linking.	Psoralen,Psoralene
D000096	Acetone	A colorless liquid used as a solvent and an antiseptic. It is one of the ketone bodies produced during ketoacidosis.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D014466	Ultraviolet Rays	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum immediately below the visible range and extending into the x-ray frequencies. The longer wavelengths (near-UV or biotic or vital rays) are necessary for the endogenous synthesis of vitamin D and are also called antirachitic rays; the shorter, ionizing wavelengths (far-UV or abiotic or extravital rays) are viricidal, bactericidal, mutagenic, and carcinogenic and are used as disinfectants.	Actinic Rays,Black Light, Ultraviolet,UV Light,UV Radiation,Ultra-Violet Rays,Ultraviolet Light,Ultraviolet Radiation,Actinic Ray,Light, UV,Light, Ultraviolet,Radiation, UV,Radiation, Ultraviolet,Ray, Actinic,Ray, Ultra-Violet,Ray, Ultraviolet,Ultra Violet Rays,Ultra-Violet Ray,Ultraviolet Black Light,Ultraviolet Black Lights,Ultraviolet Radiations,Ultraviolet Ray
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus