Macrophage inhibitory cytokine MIC-1 is upregulated by short-wavelength light in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts

Akiyama, Masashi; Okano, Keiko; Fukada, Yoshitaka; Okano, Toshiyuki

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.02.006

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Volume 583, Issue 5 , Pages 933-937, 4 March 2009

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine MIC-1 is upregulated by short-wavelength light in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts

Edited by Laszlo Nagy

Masashi Akiyama
- Department of Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Wakamatsu-cho 2-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332–0012, Japan
- Present address: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, 5-7-1 Fujishirodai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan.
Keiko Okano
- Department of Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Wakamatsu-cho 2-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
Yoshitaka Fukada
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Toshiyuki Okano
- Department of Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Wakamatsu-cho 2-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332–0012, Japan
- Corresponding author. Address: Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Wakamatsu-cho 2-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.

Received 28 October 2008; received in revised form 4 February 2009; accepted 4 February 2009. published online 12 February 2009.

Abstract

To better understand dermal response to visible light, we used DNA microarray analysis to search genes induced by blue or near-UV light in normal human dermal fibroblasts. Of about 12800 transcripts analyzed, near-UV light most prominently upregulated the transcript level of Mic-1, a gene encoding a TGF-β superfamily protein. Quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses revealed that mRNA and protein levels of Mic-1 were upregulated by both short-wavelength light but not by green or red light. These results suggest that the human dermis is a site for macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) production and that visible light activates a dermal transcription cascade. Considering the role of MIC-1 in immune regulation and appetite control, photic MIC-1 regulation is of physiological importance.