Fermented fish oil derived from mackerel protects skin cell damage by UVB-induced oxidative stress

Abstract

Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation causes skin diseases by oxidative stress. This study investigated the protective effect of mackerel-derived fermented fish oil (FFO) against UVB radiation-induced oxidative stress in human HaCaT keratinocytes and mouse skin tissue. HaCaT cells were exposed to 30 mJ/cm2 of UVB radiation for 24h with or without FFO treatment, which showed cytoprotective effects by scavenging UVB-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species. FFO treatment attenuated UVB-induced oxidative modifications including lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and DNA damage. FFO treatment also reduced UVB-induced apoptosis by reducing apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation, caspase activation ,and proapoptotic protein expression. UVB radiation activated mitogen-activated protein kinases, phosphorylated (phospho)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and phospho-p38. FFO had a more cytoprotective effect than docosahexaenoic acid, the main component of fish oil, against UVB exposure-induced cell damage. Furthermore, the cytoprotective effect of FFO was evident in both UVB-exposed HaCaT cell and mouse models. Overall, these results demonstrate that FFO protects the skin against UVB-induced oxidative stress through antioxidant effects. FFO may be developed as a preventive/therapeutic drug against UVB-induced skin damage.