Inhibition of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Prevents the Melanogenesis in Murine B16F10 Melanoma Cells

Abstract EN

The purpose of this study was to investigate if PPAR γ plays a role in the melanogenesis.

B16/F10 cells were divided into five groups: control, melanin stimulating hormone ( α -MSH), α -MSH+retinol, α -MSH+GW9662 (PPAR γ antagonist), and GW9662.

Cells in the control group were cultured in the Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) for 48 hrs.

To initiate the melanogenesis, cells in all α -MSH groups were cultured in medium containing α -MSH (10 nM) for 48 hrs.

Cells were treated simultaneously with retinol (5 μM) in the α -MSH+retinol group.

Instead of retinol, GW9662 (10 μM) was cocultured in the α -MSH+GW9662 group.

Cells in the final group were cultured in the DMEM with GW9662.

All the analyses were carried out 48 hours after treatments.

The α -MSH was able to increase cell number, melanin production, and the activity of tyrosinase, the limiting enzyme in melanogenesis.

These α -MSH-induced changes were prevented either by retinol or by GW9662.

Further analyses of the activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione, catalase, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed that α -MSH treatment raised the activity of SOD which was dependent on PPAR γ level.

According to our results, the α -MSH-induced melanogenesis was PPAR γ dependent, which also modulated the expression of SOD.