Proteomics analysis to investigate the potential mechanism of theacrine against UV-induced skin photodamage.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of theacrine treatment of UV-induced skin photodamage.

Materials and methods: Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) relative quantitative proteomics analysis was used to characterize the proteins and pathways associated with the ability of theacrine to combat photodamage in mouse skin by modeling UV irradiation of the backs of ICR mice.

Results: Apoptosis-related proteins and signaling pathways play a key role in the ability of theacrine to protect against skin photodamage, according to proteomic and bioinformatics analysis; molecular docking and Western blotting further revealed that theacrine was associated with apoptosis-related proteins (p53, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and cleaved-caspase-3) with strong binding affinity, which can significantly reduce skin cell apoptosis induced by UV exposure.

Conclusion: The findings revealed that theacrine can reduce UVB-induced epidermal damage by controlling the apoptosis signaling pathway, implying that theacrine could be a useful anti-UVB damage agent.