Achatina fulica Mucus Ameliorates UVB-induced Human Dermal Fibroblast Photoaging via the TGF-β/Smad Pathway

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet B (UVB) induces skin photoaging by reducing collagen deposition via impairment of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Achatina fulica mucus (AFM) is a native medicine acting as vehicle of anti-aging ingredients. The present investigation examined the effect of AFM on UVB-induced fibroblast photoaging by assessing TGF-β, Smad3, and Smad7 mRNA expressions.METHODS: AFM was extracted from A. fulica using electrical shock and freeze-dried into a powder. Normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cultures were irradiated with/without 100 mJ/cm2 UVB and treated with/without 10% platelet-rich plasma or different concentrations of AFM: 3.9 μg/mL in AF3 group; 15.625 μg/mL in AF15 group, and 62.5 μg/mL in AF62 group. The mRNA expressions of TGF-β, Smad3, and Smad7 in NHDF were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: TGF-β mRNA expressions in the AF3 (0.85±0.01), AF15 (0.94±0.02) and AF62 (1.64±0.03) groups were significantly higher (p