Effects of azelaic acid on melanocytes

Lee, Mu Hyoung; Kim, Sang Soon; Park, Jai Kyung; Haw, Choong Rim

Abstract

The authors investigsted the effects of azelaic acid on human melanoma cells (G 361 melanoma cell line) and cultured normal melanocytes obtained from the prepuce of newborn. The results were as follows : 1. The proliferation of melanoma cells was decreased, but not in a dose-and time- ependent fashion. The cell population of melanoma cells after 2, 4, and 6 days of culture was decreased to 3.80 x 10(5)cells/well, 4.55 x 10(5)cells/well, and 4.30 X 10(5)cells/ well, respectively, in the presence of 10(-2)M azelaic acid. The proliferation of mormal elanocytes of normal melanocytes was decreased in a dose-dependent, but not in a time-dependent fashion. The cell population of normal melanocytes after 2, 4, and 6 days of culture was significantly decreased to 6.38 x 10(5)+/-1.37 x 10(5) cells/well, 5.33 x 10(5)+/-0.73x10(5) cells/well, and 7.20x10(5)+/-1,11 x10(5)cells/well, respectively, in the presence of 10(-2) M azelaic acid(p<0,05, p<0.01). 2. A dose-and time-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis was not found in either group. However, DNA synthesis in melanoma cells was decreased to 92710+5188 CPM, 16268+/-15S5 CPM, 8518+/-996 CPM, respectively, after 2, 4, and 6 days of culture, and in normal melanocytes was decreased to 9398+/-2279 CPM(p>0.05) and 6953+/-1217 CPM (p<0.05) after 4 and 6 days of culture in the prensence of 10(-2) Mazelaic acid, 3. There was no difference in melanin content per well at various concentrations in either group, but the melanin content per individual melanocyte of the melanoma cells was increased to 0.0303 ng/cell, 0.0253 ng/cell, and 0.0377 ng/cell, respectively, and that of normal melanocytes was signifieantly increased to 0.0754+/-0.0215 ng/cell, 0.0719+/-0.0144 ng/cell(p<0.05), and 0.1089+/-0.0185 ng/cell(p<0.05), respectively, after 2, 4, and 6 days of culture in the presence of 10(-2) M azelaic acid.