Urtica thunbergiana prevents UVB-induced premature skin aging by regulating the transcription factor NFATc1: An in vitro and in vivo study

Exposure to UV radiation is the primary cause of skin photoaging. UV damage is a result of increases in MMPs activity and degradation of collagen, resulting in wrinkle formation. Although the antioxidant potential of Urtica species is well known, the protective effects of Urtica thunbergiana against UVB-irradiated photoaging have not been explored. To examine the anti-photoaging effects of Urtica thunbergiana leaf extract (UT), levels of intracellular ROS, MMPs, IL-6, procollagen type 1, and TGF-β1 were investigated in UVB-irradiated NHDFs. We also examined anti-wrinkle effects of UT by measuring physiological and histological skin changes in hairless mice. Our data showed that UVB exposure decreased the level of phosphorylated NFATc1. One active component of UT, chlorogenic acid (CGA), regulated NFATc1 dephosphorylation to a similar extent as tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor. Our results suggest that UT and its active component, CGA, have the potential to prevent UVB-induced premature skin aging by regulating NFATc1.

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