Elsevier

Matrix Biology

Volume 107, March 2022, Pages 97-112
Matrix Biology

Modulation of the expression and activity of cathepsin S in reconstructed human skin by neohesperidin dihydrochalcone

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2022.02.003Get rights and content

Highlights

NHDC is a potent reversible and competitive inhibitor of Cat S.

Cat S expression and activity are dampened in NHDC-treated keratinocytes.

Cat S is downregulated in NHDC-treated reconstructed human skin.

Cat S downregulation is mediated by IL-10-induced STAT3 activation.

Abstract

Dysregulation of cathepsin S (Cat S), a cysteine protease involved in extracellular-matrix and basement membrane (BM) degradation, is a concomitant feature of several inflammatory skin diseases. Therefore, Cat S has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target. Flavonoids, which were identified as regulatory molecules of various proteolytic enzymes, exert beneficial effects on skin epidermis. Herein, thirteen flavonoid compounds were screened in vitro and in silico and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC) was identified as a potent, competitive, and selective inhibitor (Ki=8±1 µM) of Cat S. Furthermore, Cat S-dependent hydrolysis of nidogen-1, a keystone protein of BM architecture, as well elastin, collagens I and IV was impaired by NHDC, while both expression and activity of Cat S were significantly reduced in NHDC-treated human keratinocytes. Moreover, a reconstructed human skin model showed a significant decrease of both mRNA and protein levels of Cat S after NHDC treatment. Conversely, the expression of nidogen-1 was significantly increased. NHDC raised IL-10 expression, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and mediated STAT3 signaling pathway, which in turn dampened Cat S expression. Our findings support that NHDC may represent a valuable scaffold for structural improvement and development of Cat S inhibitors to preserve the matrix integrity and favor skin homeostasis during inflammatory events.

Keywords

Basement membrane
Epidermis
Extracellular-matrix
Inhibition
Keratinocyte
Flavonoid
Nidogen
Protease

Abbreviations

AEBSF
4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride
BM
basement membrane
CA-074
N-(L-3-trans-propylcarbamoyloxirane-2-carbonyl)-L-isoleucyl-L-proline
Cat
cathepsin
EGCG
epigallocathechin 3-gallate
ECM
extracellular-matrix
LHVS
Morpholinourea-leucinyl-homophenylalanine-vinyl-sulfone
MMP
matrix metallo-proteinase
MMTS
S-Methyl thiomethanesulfonate
NHDC
neohesperidin dihydrochalcone
NHP
neohesperidin
NSP
neutrophil serine proteases
NHEK
normal human epidermal keratinocytes
PMSF
phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride
RHS
reconstructed human skin

Authors contributed equally to this manuscript.