Sulfated galactans ameliorate the cellular senescence in dermal fibroblast cells

Abstract

Replicative senescence of dermal fibroblast is the primary mechanism of intrinsic skin aging. Recent research has focused on the different properties of sulfated galactans (SG) derived from the red seaweed Gracilaria fisheri. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the potential impact of SG on anti-aging skin. This study used a validated replicative senescent human dermal fibroblast (HDF) model. We observed that replicative senescent HDF cells exhibited remarkable changes in cell morphology, decreased cell proliferation, retarded migrating activity, and reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Additionally, the replicative senescent HDF cells exhibited increased expression of cell cycle inhibitors p16 and p21. Our results demonstrated that SG is safe and effective in reversing these morphological and molecular alterations in senescent HDF cells. SG mediated enhanced ECM synthesis, including collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid (HA), and promoted cell migration by upregulating TGF-β1 and TLP gene expression. SG also reduced the expression of ECM breakdown enzymes MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 while increasing MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. These results indicate that SG effectively restores fibroblast function, contributing to decelerating the aging processes, supporting its potential as a therapeutic agent for skin rejuvenation and anti-aging treatments.