In vitro evaluation of anti‐aging and regenerative properties of dermatan sulfate for skin care

Introduction Dermatan sulfate (DS) is a linear polysaccharide classified as a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAGs). GAGs form an integral part of the skin and make up 0.1–0.3% of total skin weight. DS is covalently attached to the core proteins to form proteoglycans (PGs). PGs predominates in dermis presenting higher level of DS than other sulfated GAGs. The intrinsic aging processes of the skin entails the reduction of total sulfated GAGs levels causing a thinning of the dermis and modifying the quality of the skin. DS possess strong biological activity that can be modulated to improve skin quality. This study was performed to determine the effects of DS on Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDF) to evaluate its anti‐aging and regenerative properties. Methods Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDF) were isolated from a sample of the foreskin of a neonatal caucasian donor (Lonza). The effect of the DS on cell proliferation was assessed at 24 h and 48 h in HDF, using the method bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, detected by ELISA. The cell migration was evaluated in HDF at 48 h using the Oris™ Cell Migration Assay (Platypus Technologies). To monitor the migration progress, the cells were labelled with calcein. The wound healing capacity of DS was evaluated in HDF using the scratch test . The inductive capacity on Extracellular matrix proteins (ECMp) synthesis was evaluated by immunolocalization‐ELISA quantifying type I and type III collagen and elastin. Results The results showed that DS induced HDF proliferation after 24 h and 48 h of treatment at all tested concentrations. A dose‐dependent increase in proliferation was observed after 48 h of treatment of these cells, reaching a maximum increase of 5.10 (± 0.82) fold at the highest concentration tested (5 mg/mL) compared to uHDF. Regarding HDF cell migration, no significant differences were observed at 24 h after treatment with DS. The results showed a significant improvement in the in vitro wound healing capacity of HDF treated with 0.25 and 1 mg/mL of DS, with an increase in the healed area of 30.28% (± 4.27%) and 23.76% (± 8.87%) respectively, compared to uHDF. Regarding the ECMp synthesis‐stimulating capacity of DS, the results showed a significant increase of both type III Collagen (50.98 ± 34.48% increase) and Elastin (32.25 ± 2.61%) levels in HDF treated for 72 h with 1 mg/mL of DS compared to uHDF. HDF treated with 0.25 mg/mL also showed higher type I Collagen production than uHDF, although the increase (30.96 ±7.04%) was not statistically significant. Conclusions The results showed that DS improves the proliferation and regeneration of HDF present in dermis. In addition, DS increases the synthesis of ECMp as collagen type III and elastin, promoting the maintenance and functionality of the dermis. All these properties support the regenerative and anti‐aging activity of DS acting against intrinsic aging in dermis.