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Adiponectin plays important roles in metabolic function, inflammation and multiple biological activities in various tissues. However, evidence for adiponectin signaling in sebaceous glands is lacking, and its role remains to be clarified. This study investigated the role of adiponectin in lipid production in sebaceous glands in an experimental study of human sebocytes. We demonstrated that human sebaceous glands in vivo and sebocytes in vitro express adiponectin receptor and that adiponectin increased cell proliferation. Moreover, based on a lipogenesis study using Oil Red O, Nile red staining and thin layer chromatography, adiponectin strongly upregulated lipid production in sebocytes. In three-dimensional culture of sebocytes, lipid synthesis was markedly enhanced in sebocytes treated with adiponectin. This study suggested that adiponectin plays a significant role in human sebaceous gland biology. Adiponectin signaling is a promising target in the clinical management of barrier disorders in which sebum production is decreased, such as in atopic dermatitis and aged skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The extraneuronal cholinergic system has been implicated in numerous functions in the skin, such as terminal differentiation, barrier formation, sweat secretion and the microcirculation. However, the evidence for cholinergic signalling in sebaceous glands is lacking, and its role needs to be clarified. Objective: We investigated the role of acetylcholine signalling in sebaceous glands using human sebocytes and a clinical study using botulinum toxin. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and immunocytofluorescence were performed to evaluate cholinergic receptor levels in sebaceous glands. Lipid levels were assessed by Oil Red O staining and signalling pathways by Western blotting. To evaluate the clinical relevance, we also assessed the effect of botulinum toxin on sebum production in healthy volunteers. Results: We demonstrated that human skin sebaceous glands in vivo and sebocytes in vitro express nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 (nAchRα7), and that acetylcholine increased lipid synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. When sebocytes were incubated with α-bungarotoxin, a competitive nAchR antagonist, acetylcholine failed to up-regulate lipid synthesis. Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face study. A marked decrease in sebum production on the botulinum-treated side was found in volunteers with oily skin. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that acetylcholine signalling plays a significant role in human sebaceous gland biology and identify acetylcholine signalling as a promising target in the clinical management of disorders in which sebum production is increased, such as acne vulgaris. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]