Promitotic Action of Oenothera biennis on Senescent Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Abstract

Accumulation of senescent dermal fibroblasts drives skin aging. The reactivation of proliferation is one strategy to modulate cell senescence. Recently, we reported the exact chemical composition of the hydrophilic extract of Oenothera biennis cell cultures (ObHEx) and we showed its skin anti-aging properties. The aim of this work is to assess its biological effect specifically on cell senescence. ObHEx action has been evaluated on normal human dermal fibroblasts subjected to stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) through an ultra-deep proteomic analysis, leading to the most global senescence-associated proteome so far. Mass spectrometry data show that the treatment with ObHEx re-establishes levels of crucial mitotic proteins, strongly downregulated in senescent cells. To validate our proteomics findings, we proved that ObHEx can, in part, restore the activity of ‘senescence-associated-ß-galactosidase’, the most common hallmark of senescent cells. Furthermore, to assess if the upregulation of mitotic protein levels translates into a cell cycle re-entry, FACS experiments have been carried out, demonstrating a small but significative reactivation of senescent cell proliferation by ObHEx. In conclusion, the deep senescence-associated global proteome profiling published here provides a panel of hundreds of proteins deregulated by SIPS that can be used by the community to further understand senescence and the effect of new potential modulators. Moreover, proteomics analysis pointed to a specific promitotic effect of ObHEx on senescent cells. Thus, we suggest ObHEx as a powerful adjuvant against senescence associated with skin aging.