1. Academic Validation
  2. Suppression of Cutibacterium acnes-Mediated Inflammatory Reactions by Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in Skin

Suppression of Cutibacterium acnes-Mediated Inflammatory Reactions by Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in Skin

  • Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 25;23(7):3589. doi: 10.3390/ijms23073589.
Ying Yu 1 Yingjie Shen 1 Siyi Zhang 1 Nan Wang 1 Lan Luo 1 Xinyi Zhu 1 Xiejun Xu 1 Weitao Cong 1 Litai Jin 1 Zhongxin Zhu 1
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China.
Abstract

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is a common commensal bacterium that is closely associated with the pathogenesis of acne. Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21), as a favorable regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism and Insulin sensitivity, was recently shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects. The role and mechanism of FGF21 in the inflammatory reactions induced by C. acnes, however, have not been determined. The present study shows that FGF21 in the dermis inhibits epidermal C. acnes-induced inflammation in a paracrine manner while it functions on the epidermal layer through a receptor complex consisting of FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) and β-Klotho (KLB). The effects of FGF21 in heat-killed C. acnes-induced HaCaT cells and living C. acnes-injected mouse ears were examined. In the presence of C. acnes, FGF21 largely counteracted the activation of Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2), the downstream nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways induced by C. acnes. FGF21 also significantly reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Taken together, these findings indicate that FGF21 suppresses C. acnes-induced inflammation and might be used clinically in the management and treatment of acne.

Keywords

Cutibacterium acnes; fibroblast growth factor 21; keratinocyte-fibroblast cross talk; skin inflammation.

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