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While the ubiquitous beauty filter trend on social media has led individuals to seek digital enhancements for flawless skin, it is important to acknowledge the reality of blemish-prone and oily skin conditions. The article explores a novel skincare ingredient obtained from Epilobium angustifolium, commonly known as fireweed, as a solution to these skin concerns. The study focuses on improving blemishes by regulating sebum production, addressing bacterial virulence, and reducing squalene oxidation. An innovative ex vivo model was developed to assess the effects of the new ingredient on sebum lipids produced in the sebaceous gland. The results showed a significant reduction in lipid content following treatment with the new ingredient. The herbal active ingredient was also found to significantly reduce the lipase activity of bacteria, thereby reducing their virulence, and to contribute to sebum quality by reducing squalene oxidation. An in vivo study on women with oily skin demonstrated a significant improvement in skin shininess. The results of the study demonstrate that Epilobium angustifolium extract may provide an effective solution to blemish-prone and oily skin, meeting the needs of consumers seeking authentic beauty through healthier and more radiant skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance occurs in the environment by multiplication and the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria that would be due to an improper and incorrect use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of E.coli producing Extended-Spectrum beta-Lactamase (ESBL) antibiotics from rats and gregarious animals in a semirural area of Gabon and to evaluate the origin of a resistance distribution in the environment from animal feces. The bacterial culture was carried out, and the identification of E. coli strains on a specific medium and the antibiotic susceptibility tests allowed establishing the prevalence. Characterization of resistance genes was performed by gene amplification after DNA extraction. On 161 feces collected in rats, 32 strains were isolated, and 11 strains of E. coli produced ESBL with a prevalence of 34.37%. Molecular tests showed that CTX-M genes 214 bp were identified in rats. The presence of CTX-M genes could have a human origin. So, the rats can carry ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae which poses a risk to human health and pets in this region of Gabon.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common inflammatory skin disorder, is a multifactorial disease characterized by a genetic predisposition, epidermal barrier disruption, a strong T helper (Th) type 2 immune reaction to environmental antigens and an altered cutaneous microbiome. Microbial dysbiosis characterized by the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) has been shown to exacerbate AD. In recent years, in vitro models of AD have been developed, but none of them reproduce all of the pathophysiological features. To better mimic AD, we developed reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) exposed to a Th2 pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail and S. aureus . This model well reproduced some of the vicious loops involved in AD, with alterations at the physical, microbial and immune levels. Our results strongly suggest that S. aureus acquired a higher virulence potential when the epidermis was challenged with inflammatory cytokines, thus later contributing to the chronic inflammatory status. Furthermore, a topical application of a Castanea sativa extract was shown to prevent the apparition of the AD-like phenotype. It increased filaggrin, claudin-1 and loricrin expressions and controlled S. aureus by impairing its biofilm formation, enzymatic activities and inflammatory potential.

Objectives: Sebaceous glands maintain skin homeostasis by producing sebum. Low production can induce hair loss and fragile skin. Overproduction provokes seborrhoea and may lead to acne and inflammatory events. To better study sebaceous gland maintenance, sebocyte maturation, lipid production and ageing or inflammatory processes, we developed innovative 3D ex vivo models for human sebaceous glands., Materials and Methods: Culture conditions and analytical methods optimized on sebocyte monolayers were validated on extracted sebaceous glands and allowed the development of two 3D models: (a) "air-liquid" interface and (b) human fibronectin-coated "sandwich" method. Lipid production was assessed with microscopy, fluorometry or flow cytometry analysis after Nile Red staining. Specific lipids (particularly squalene and peroxidized squalene) were measured by Gas or liquid Chromatography and Mass spectrometry., Results: This study allowed us to select appropriate conditions and design Seb4Gln culture medium inducing sebocyte proliferation and neutral lipid production. The "air-liquid" model was appropriate to induce sebocyte isolation. The "sandwich" model enabled sebaceous gland maintenance up to 42 days. A treatment with Insulin Growth Factor-1 allowed validation of the model as we succeeded in mimicking dynamic lipid overproduction., Conclusion: Functional sebocyte maturation and physiological maintenance were preserved up to 6 weeks in our models. Associated with functional assays, they provide a powerful platform to mimic physiological skin lipid metabolism and to screen for active ingredients modulating sebum production., (© 2018 The Authors. Cell Proliferation Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Recent studies showed that progenitor cells could differentiate into mature vascular cells. The main physiological factors implicated in cell differentiation are specific growth factors. We hypothesized that simply by varying the oxygen content, progenitor cells can be differentiated either in mature endothelial cells (ECs) or contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs) while keeping exactly the same culture medium., Methodology/principal Findings: Mononuclear cells were isolated by density gradient were cultivated under hypoxic (5% O2) or normoxic (21% O2) environment. Differentiated cells characterization was performed by confocal microscopy examination and flow cytometry analyses. The phenotype stability over a longer time period was also performed. The morphological examination of the confluent obtained cells after several weeks (between 2 and 4 weeks) showed two distinct morphologies: cobblestone shape in normoxia and a spindle like shape in hypoxia. The cell characterization showed that cobblestone cells were positive to ECs markers while spindle like shape cells were positive to contractile SMCs markers. Moreover, after several further amplification (until 3(rd) passage) in hypoxic or normoxic conditions of the previously differentiated SMC, immunofluorescence studies showed that more than 80% cells continued to express SMCs markers whatever the cell environmental culture conditions with a higher contractile markers expression compared to control (aorta SMCs) signature of phenotype stability., Conclusion/significance: We demonstrate in this paper that in vitro culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with specific angiogenic growth factors under hypoxic conditions leads to SMCs differentiation into a contractile phenotype, signature of their physiological state. Moreover after amplification, the differentiated SMC did not reverse and keep their contractile phenotype after the 3rd passage performed under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. These aspects are of the highest importance for tissue engineering strategies. These results highlight also the determinant role of the tissue environment in the differentiation process of vascular progenitor cells.

Rapid differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into confluent mature endothelial cells is important in tissue engineering for the design of autologous, nonthrombotic, vascular grafts. A new method based on EPC culture on poly(sodium-4- styrene-sulfonate)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride), that is, polyelectrolyte-multilayer-coated substrates, reduces the time from two months to two weeks., (Copyright © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Although autogenous vessels are useful in surgery, often patients cannot furnish suitable vessels. If there are not available, two possible alternatives for vessel replacements are to use vascular synthetic prostheses such as Dacron((R)) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or cryopreserved allografts. However, their success has been limited to replace small-diameter (<6 mm) arterial vessel because of their high thrombogenicity and compliance mismatch. On account of a clear clinical need for a functional arterial substitute, tissue engineering techniques have been developed. This review encompasses the use of mature endothelial, endothelial progenitor and bone marrow cells combined with natural or synthetic scaffolds whose surface has been modified with multiple origin matrices.