Abstract
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight causes many harmful effects in skin, including sunburn, apoptosis, DNA damage and immunosuppression. Both DNA damage and immunosuppression are key factors in the initiation of skin cancer. While exposure to sunlight is harmful, it is necessary for production of vitamin D3 and the biologically active metabolite 1,25(OH)2D3 in the skin. Both 1,25(OH)2D3 and analogs, such as 1,25-dihydroxylumisterol3 can inhibit ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage, apoptosis and immunosuppression in human skin cells and in mouse models. Levels of p53 and nitric oxide products also increase in skin cells following ultraviolet radiation. Increases in p53 may facilitate DNA repair in cells yet to undergo replication, or may facilitate apoptosis of irreparably damaged cells. Nitric oxide products have been implicated in ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage and can inhibit DNA repair. Interestingly, vitamin D compounds can further increase p53 levels and can reduce nitric oxide products in skin cells. There are two main signal transduction pathways for vitamin D: a genomic pathway and a rapid, non-genomic pathway. It is this latter pathway through which the photoprotective effects of vitamin D compounds appear to be mediated. ultraviolet radiation-induced production of vitamin D and metabolites requires several hours. Thus, build up of vitamin D compounds in skin is likely to protect from the next dose of ultraviolet radiation rather than the immediate exposure. Clearly, there must be a balance between some sun exposure to produce vitamin D and the need for sun avoidance or protection to reduce risks of skin cancer.
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Abbreviations
- 1,25(OH)2D3 :
-
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
- AK:
-
Actinic keratosis
- CPD:
-
Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer
- JM:
-
1α,25-dihydroxy-7-dehydrocholesterol
- JN:
-
1,25-dihydroxylumisterol3
- MARRS:
-
Membrane-associated rapid response steroid binding
- MED:
-
Minimal erythemal dose
- NER:
-
Nucleotide excision repair
- PDIA3:
-
Protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3
- SBC:
-
Sunburn cell
- SCC:
-
Squamous cell carcinoma
- UVR:
-
Ultraviolet radiation
- VDR:
-
Vitamin D receptor
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Dixon, K.M., Sequeira, V.B., Camp, A.J., Mason, R.S. (2012). Vitamin D and skin cancer. In: Preedy, V.R. (eds) Handbook of diet, nutrition and the skin. Human Health Handbooks no. 1, vol 2. Wageningen Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-729-5_24
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