The combined effect of cigarette smoke and UV rays seems to accelerate premature aging of the skin, warns a study led by a researcher from Laval University.
This would be one of the first times that scientists are interested in the combined impact on the skin of these two factors, which have often been studied individually.
“We didn’t think it would be so important (as an effect), it’s really significant,” admitted Roxane Pouliot, who is a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. We suspected it a little, since UV rays and cigarette smoke are harmful to both sides, but we hoped to be able to demonstrate a synergy. »
M’s teamme Pouliot used a skin model reconstructed from human cells, but without collagen, for his work.
She and her colleagues found that cigarette smoke and UV rays exerted a harmful synergy on the structural and molecular levels of the skin. In particular, they saw that cigarette smoke combined with UV rays led to a more rapid decrease in type 3 and 4 collagen, responsible for the elasticity of the skin and its youthful appearance, and a sagging of the dermis.
More specifically, the study’s first author, doctoral student Alexe Grenier, discovered that the combination of the two factors increases the amount of an enzyme that breaks down collagen when there is too much.
A decrease in collagen precursor has also been observed, which could lead to reduced collagen production.
“We looked at the thickness of the skin,” explained M.me Pouliot. When we see the skin decreasing in thickness at the epidermal level […], this tells us that something is happening in cell differentiation, and therefore skin renewal. »
Now that the harmful effects on the skin have been documented, said Mme Pouliot, the ultimate goal of this work would be to find methods to remedy this.
The team therefore intends to continue its research into the harmful effect of cigarette smoke on the skin. If it succeeds in identifying the most harmful compounds, it might then be possible to use compounds to counter their impact; the use of creams or cosmetic products for this purpose could be particularly relevant for young smokers, it was explained.
In addition to cigarette smoke, that emitted by the combustion of wood, during forest fires for example, could also be tested. Indeed, the laboratory of Patrick J. Rochette has adapted a technique for capturing cigarette smoke which can be used to capture smoke from wood combustion.
“The goal, basically, is to mimic the effect of pollution, and it’s not easy,” explained M.me Pouliot. We work in a sterile environment and there we bring in things from the outside and we must not kill all the cells either. This is why we chose UVA (rays) and cigarette smoke; but everything that comes into contact with the skin, we would eventually like to be able to find a formulation, a cream, which would be easy to apply and which could protect the skin well. »
Another logical continuation of this study, concluded Mme Pouliot, would be to try to see if the affected cells are sufficiently imbalanced to lead to skin cancer, which the current work was not intended to verify.
The findings of this study were published by the journal Scientific Reports.