Darlene McCord, Ph.D., FAPWCA
Corneotrophic Skin Care With Olivamine by Darlene McCord
We use the term corneotrophism or corneotrophic care (coined Darlene McCord Research 2007) to describe the trophic effects of Olivamine® on the skin. Olivamine® contains B vitamins added for their special physiological effects. The term vitamin B6 is used to describe all biologically inter-convertible forms of pyridoxine including pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxal 5-phosphate, and pyridoxamine. Vitamin B6 is an essential co-factor in numerous enzymatic reactions involved primarily in amino acid metabolism. In addition, vitamin B6 functions as an antioxidant by interacting with singlet molecular oxygen during oxidative stress. All vitamins are under 500 Daltons in size.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is a precursor of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) used to generate ATP in the mitochondrial electron-transport chain. Niacinamide is involved in DNA integrity and maintains phosphatidyl-serine membrane asymmetry to prevent cellular inflammation and phagocytosis. Current research demonstrates that niacinamide prevents the induction of caspase-8, caspase-1, and caspase-2 activities during cellular injury. The cytoprotectant effects of niacinamide are involved in the maintenance and preservation of cellular membranes.
Amino acids. Some amino acids can be absorbed from the skin and may aid in tissue repair and regeneration. The following are ingredients in Olivamine®. Altering cellular osmolality to a hyperosmotic state results in a decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) allied with oncosis and resultant necrosis. Glycine(less than 100 Daltons) protects ATP-depleted cells by low affinity interactions with multimeric channel protein, stabilization of which may otherwise lead to formation of pathological pores. Such porous defects in membranes of ATP-depleted cells have been characterized recently, showing definable exclusion limits for molecules of increasing sizes. Glycine provided during ATP-depletion blocked the development of membranous pores completely. The relationship between necrosis and an extra-cellular depletion of ATP makes its protection and restoration imperative during the pre-lethal stages of necrosis or early necrosis.
L-taurine (less than 200 Daltons) can act as a direct antioxidant that scavenges orquenches oxygen free radicals intracellularly to block ROS mediated cell death. The beneficial effects of the ROS-scavenging capacity of L-taurine include attenuation of lipid peroxidation, reduction of membrane permeability, and inhibition of intracellular oxidation in different cells. Apart from its effect on antioxidant defense, L-taurine also functions in osmoregulation and modulation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Taurine prevents high glucose induced apoptosis in endothelial cells thru ROS inhibition and stabilization of intracellular calcium.
N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC) is an anti-oxidant particularly against hydrogen peroxide. The hypothesis that NAC-induced free radical-signaling delays G0/G1 cells progression to S phase by regulating the cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1 and the free radical-scavenging enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) has been investigated. Treatment with NAC(less than 200 Daltons) resulted in increased cellular glutathione levels indicating a shift to a more reducing environment. This shift in cellular redox environment was associated with delayed progression from G0/G1 to S. NAC treatment resulted in a decrease in cyclin D1 and an increase in MnSOD protein levels. The absence of a NAC-induced G1 arrest in fibroblasts over-expressing cyclin D1 (or a non-degradable mutant of cyclin D1-T286A) indicates cyclin D1 regulates this delay in G0/G1 to S progression. These results support the hypothesis that cellular redox environment regulates cellular proliferation via regulating cell cycle regulatory protein levels. Furthermore, the results also suggest that inclusion of NAC in skin care formulations might help in appropriate wound healing by controlling proliferation and preventing scarring.
DNA synthesis is a vital part of cell life. In studies done in vivo and in vitro, L-proline (less than 200 Daltons) was found to be the only amino acid that was involved in the stimulation of DNA synthesis. Further, epidermal growth factor (EGF) elicited no response without the addition of L-proline. Proline-deficient media such as Leibovitz's L-15, Eagle's minimal essential, and Dulebecco's modified minimal essential did not induce DNA synthesis. However, using media such as Williams E, McCoy's 5A and Ham's F-12, which are rich in L-proline, there was DNA synthesis and marked proliferation. L-Proline is essential for the induction of cellular proliferation in vivo and in vitrothrough its affect on synthesis of intracellular collagen.
Hydroxytyrosol (less than 300 Daltons) is the major component of the phenolic fraction of olive oil, which is so highly praised for its anti-oxidant properties and taste. Hydroxytyrosol is a water- and lipid-soluble molecule that is an efficient scavenger of peroxyl radicals. Experiments demonstrate that hydroxytyrosol effectively counteracts the cytotoxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in various human cellular systems. In studies using hydroxytyrosol pre-incubated cells, it was found that damage due to oxidative stress, such as lipid peroxidation and alterations of cell permeability, could be prevented and that hydroxytyrosol exerted a protective effect against H2O2 induced oxidative hemolysis.
Olivamine® also contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a naturally occurring organic compound containing 34% elemental sulfur. MSM (less than 300 Daltons) provides a bio-available from of sulfur and supports the body's ability to produce the sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA) N-acetyl-L-cysteine, methionine, cystine, homocystine, and taurine. Methionine and cysteine contribute substantially to the maintenance and integrity of cellular systems by influencing cellular redox state and cellular capacity to detoxify toxic compounds, free radicals, and reactive oxygen species. The SAA contribute significantly to the cellular pool of organic sulfur and generally to sulfur homeostasis. Low levels of MSM are implicated in slow wound healing, and MSM aids in wound healing via collagen formation since organic sulfur is critical for making collagen, the primary constituent of cartilage and connective tissue. Sulfur works to hold connective tissue together through the formation of disulfide bonds, which form bridges in protein molecules, healthy collagen, skin protein, and connective tissue in knees and other joints. In addition, topically applied MSM is keratolytic through the formation of hydrogen sulfide.
Darlene McCord