ABSTRACTS 57
Genkwanin Up-Regulates the Transcriptional Activation of
Human Type VII Collagen Gene Promoter
Nozomi Takebayashi, Miwa Ikeda
Functional Chemicals Laboratory, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.,
1144, Togo, Mobara 297-0017, Japan
In a recent study, stimulating the formation of anchoring
fibrils at the basement membrane zone in skin contributed
to preventing skin ageing, such as wrink1e formation.
Expression of the type VII collagen gene induces the
formation of anchoring fibrils composed mainly of collagen
type VII. We therefore transiently transfected a keratinocyte
cell line with the plasmids containing type VII collagen
gene promoter located upstream of the luciferase gene. We
investigated the promoter activity under the presence of
flavonoids and we found that Genkwanin up-regulates the
transcriptional activation of human type VII collagen gene
promoter.

].Cosmet. Sci.! 58, 59-63 Qanuary/February 2007)
Abstracts
International Journal of Cosmetic Science
Vol. 28, No. 3, 2006*
A New Covalently Bound Ceramide from Human Stratum
Comeum -ro-Hydroxyacylphytosphingosine.
J. Hill"', D. Paslint and P. W. Wertz•
The outermost layer of the skin, the stratum comeum,
consists of non-viable keratin-filled cells, or comeocytes,
embedded in a matrix of lipids. The boundary of the cells
consists of cross-linked proteins with covalently bound
lipids on the outer surface. The spaces between cells are
filled with a mixture of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty
acids. The stratum comeum provides a protective barrier
against water loss through the skin and limits the
penetration of potentially harmful substances from the
environment. Among the covalently bound lipids on the
comeocyte surface are ro-hydroxyacylsphingosine and ro-
hydroxyacyl-6-hydroxysphingosine. The previously
suspected presence of ro-hydroxyacylphytosphingosine is
confirmed in this report through its specific isolation and
characterization based on chromatographic behaviour and
proton magnetic resonance spectral data.
Validation of a HPLC Method for Simultaneous
Determination of Five Sunscreens in Lotion Preparation.
E. R. M Kedor-Hackmann, M. L. De Lourdes Perez
Gonzalez, A K. Singh and M I. R M. Santoro
The aim of this research was to develop and validate a
high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method
for simultaneous determination of five sunscreens, namely
benzophenone-3 (B-3), butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane
(BM), octyl methoxycinnamate (OM), octyl salicylate (OS)
and homosalate (HS). The separation and quantitative
detemtination was made by HPLC at 40 ± 1 °C with a
gradient elution from 10% to 100% mobile phase B in
mobile phase A The gradient liquid chromatographic
system constituted of mobile phase A [acetonitrile :water
(10 :90 v/v)] and mobile phase B [acetonitrile :water
(90 :10 v/v)], at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min ··•·•·t and
ultraviolet detection at 310 nm The separation was
obtained with two Waters® reversed phase columns:
Novapack® C-18 and Symmetry® C-18 connected in series.
All sunscreens were efficiently separated within 17 min.
The coefficient of correlation and average recovery for B-3,
BM, OM, OS and HS were 0.9798 and 98.5%, 0.9672 and
98.8%, 0.9922 and 99.1%, 0.9961 and 98.9% and 0.9909
and 99.4% respectively. The relative standard deviations
obtained were between 1.07% and 2.44%. The excipients
did not interfere in tlte analysis. The results showed that the
proposed method could be used for rapid and simultaneous
detemtination of B-3, BM, OM, OS and HS in sunscreen
lotions with precision, accuracy and specificity.
Cellulite: Nature and Aetiopathogenesis
F. Terranova•, E. Berardescat and H Maibacht
Only a limited number of studies on cellulite have been
published in the international literature and many of them
reach somewhat antithetical conclusions. Consequently, it
is not yet possible to reconcile the extreme differences of
opinion which have lingered on for years concerning the
nature of this disorder, as well as its origin and even the
most basic aspects of its histopathological classification. It
does not even have a recognized name: in fact, the term
'cellulitis' is used in scientific English to indicate a
spreading gangrenous infection of the subcutaneous cellular
tissue. The other terms used from time to time [panniculitis,
lipodystrophy, edematofibrosclerotic panniculitis (EFP),
liposclerosis, lipoedema, etc.] have quite different
morphological and patltogenetic connotations in general.
Over the last few decades, three major conflicting theories
have emerged in relation to the ethiopathogenesis of
cellulite. These indicate, respectively, the following causes:
l. Oedema caused by excessive hydrophilia of the
intercellular matrix. 2. A homeostatic alteration on a
regional microcirculatory level this pathogenetic theory is
summarized in a synthetic and self-explanatory
denomination: EFP. 3. A peculiar anatomical conformation
of the subcutaneous tissue of women, different from male
morphology. These theories must all now be updated in the
light of recent advances on the sophisticated and composite
*These abstracts appear as they were originally published. They have not been edited by the Journal of
Cosmetic Science.
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