Evidence for a physiological role of intracellularly occurring photolabile nitrogen oxides in human skin fibroblasts

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in human skin biology. Cutaneous NO can be produced enzymatically by NO synthases (NOS) as well as enzyme independently via photodecomposition of photolabile nitrogen oxides (PNOs) such as nitrite or nitroso compounds, both found in human skin tissue in comparably high concentrations. Although the physiological role of NOS-produced NO in human skin is well defined, nothing is known about the biological relevance or the chemical origin of intracellularly occurring PNOs. We here, for the first time, give evidence that in human skin fibroblasts (FB) PNOs represent the oxidation products of NOS-produced NO and that in human skin fibroblasts intracellularly occurring PNOs effectively protect against the injurious effects of UVA radiation by a NO-dependent mechanism. In contrast, in PNO-depleted FB cultures an increased susceptibility to UVA-induced lipid peroxidation and cell death is observed, whereas supplementation of PNO-depleted FB cultures with physiological nitrite concentrations (10 μM) or with exogenously applied NO completely restores UVA-increased injuries. Thus, intracellular PNOs are biologically relevant and represent an important initial shield functioning in human skin physiology against UVA radiation. Consequently, nonphysiological low PNO concentrations might promote known UVA-related skin injuries such as premature aging and carcinogenesis.