Needle-Free Injection of Metformin Ameliorates Skin Photoaging Through Inhibition of Ferroptosis and Oxidative Stress.

BACKGROUND

Skin photoaging is a complex process of skin aging caused by continuous exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation through oxidative stress and other pathways, yet effective treatments are scarce. Metformin is a drug with both anti-senescence and antioxidant functions; however, there are fewer studies on photoaging. The study aimed to investigate the role of needle-free injection of metformin in alleviating ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) induced skin photoaging, and to explore the mechanisms through which metformin alleviates fibroblast photoaging by inhibiting ferroptosis and oxidative stress.

METHODS

In our study, we initially performed bioinformatic analysis on the gene expression profile (GSE38308), and our RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) found that photoaging is associated with ferroptosis. We investigated the potential skin-protective mechanism of metformin by utilizing a UVB-induced rat skin photoaging model and human skin fibroblasts (HSF) treated with UVB. For in vitro experiments, cellular senescence was detected using SA-β-galactosidase staining and p16 in western blot. Ferroptosis and oxidative stress were assessed via western blot (glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)), reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, transmission electron microscope, Lillie's staining, and immunofluorescence staining. During in vivo experiments, metformin was administered by needle-free jet injectors injected into the backs of rats. The effectiveness of metformin was detected using the Masson staining and western blot.

RESULTS

We found that the ferroptosis pathway was closely associated with photoaging through bioinformatics analysis. In the UVB-induced photoaging HSF cells, treatment with metformin exhibits the following effects: a reduction in blue-stained granules in SA-β-galactosidase staining and a decrease in the expression of p16, indicating a reduction in cellular senescence. Moreover, metformin leads to decreased ROS levels and increased expression of the oxidative stress-related protein Nrf2, suggesting inhibition of oxidative stress within the cells. Additionally, metformin results in an elevation of GPX4 expression, a decrease in blue-stained granules in Lillie's staining, and a reduction in ferroptosis-associated mitochondrial damage, indicating a decline in ferroptosis. Needle-free injection of metformin could directly achieve therapeutic effects by affecting HSF cells in the dermis. The needle-free injection of metformin treatment effectively improved the photoaging skin in rats compared to the photoaging group, ameliorated oxidative stress, and reduced ferroptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlights a novel needle-free injection of metformin that improves photoaging and has good therapeutic potential.