AED PEPTIDE ACTIVATES GENE EXPRESSION AND DIFFERENTIATION PROTEINS SYNTHESISOF HUMAN SKIN FIBROBLASTS DURING REPLICATIVE AGING

The aim of this work is to study the effect of the AED peptide on fibroblast differentiation of human skin when aging in vitro.
Methods. The study was conducted on DF-1 cell line (human dermal fibroblasts (mesenchymal stem cells)) isolated from the skin of the
eyelids of a 37-year-old female donor). Cells were cultured till 25 passages for achieving the replicative aging. The effects of the AED peptide
on gene expression and protein synthesis of early (Engrailed 1, PDGFRα) and late (Spry4, Twist2) fibroblast differentiation were assessed
by polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry.
Results. The expression of the ENGRAILED1, PDGFRA, SPRY4, TWIST2 genes decreased by 1,7; 1.6; 1.5; 4.5 times respectively with
aging of dermal fibroblasts. The addition of the AED peptide increased the expression of the ENGRAILED1, PDGFRA, SPRY4, TWIST2
genes in «old» skin fibroblasts by 1,9; 2,1; 2,3; 3,4 times, respectively. Expression of Engrailed 1, PDGFRα, Spry4, Twist2 proteins in
fibroblasts decreased by 1,9; 2,3; 5,1; 4,3 times respectively with aging. The AED peptide increased the synthesis of Engrailed 1, PDGFRα,
Spry4, Twist2 proteins in «old» fibroblasts by 3.3; 2.0; 2.5; 3.9 times respectively.
Conclusion. Thus, the AED peptide increases the functional activity of skin fibroblasts during aging by increasing gene expression
and synthesizing differentiation proteins in dermal fibroblast. This geroprotective effect of the AED peptide can accelerate the skin
regeneration, stimulate chemotaxis and mitosis of fibroblasts, the synthesis of collagen in them, and activate the remodeling of the
extracellular matrix.
Key words: human dermal fibroblasts, AED peptide, differentiation, gene expression, replicative aging

E.O. Gutop1, N.S. Linkova1–3, N.V. Fridman1, E.O. Kozhevnikova1, V.O. Polyakova1, 4, V.Kh. Khavinson1, 5
1Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Dynamo pr., 3, Saint Petersburg, 197110, Russian Federation;
2Academy of postgraduate education under FSBU FSCC of FMBA of Russia, Volokolamskaya r., 91, Moscow, 125371, Russian Federation;
3Belgorod National Research University, Pobedy str., 85, Belgorod, 308009, Russian Federation;
4Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Litovskaya str, 2, Saint Petersburg, 194100, Russian Federation;
5Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova emb., 6, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation