Sebum lipids influence macrophage polarization and activation

Sebaceous-immunobiology is orchestrated by sebum lipids

The major role of sebaceous glands in mammals is to produce sebum, which coats the epidermis and the hair providing waterproofing, thermoregulation and photoprotection. However, as the need for these functions decreased along the evolutionary changes in humans, a relevant question has been raised: are sebaceous glands and sebum the remnants of our mammalian heritage or do they have overtaken a ...

Macrophage activation and polarization: nomenclature and experimental guidelines.

Description of macrophage activation is currently contentious and confusing. Like the biblical Tower of Babel, macrophage activation encompasses a panoply of descriptors used in different ways. The lack of consensus on how to define macrophage activation in experiments in vitro and in vivo impedes progress in multiple ways, including the fact that many researchers still consider there to be onl...

Human macrophage polarization in vitro: maturation and activation methods compared.

Macrophages form a heterogeneous cell population displaying multiple functions, and can be polarized into pro- (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages, by environmental factors. Their activation status reflects a beneficial or detrimental role in various diseases. Currently several in vitro maturation and activation protocols are used to induce an M1 or M2 phenotype. Here, the impact of diff...

Examination of lipids in human sebum by disk chromatography.

Collection of sebum. Samples of the sebum were obtained (Miescher & Schonberg, 1949) from the forehead of healthy white adults 16-60 years of age. Samples were analysed from 21 persons (11 men, 10 women) not suffering from skin diseases. To collect the sample, a strip of filter paper (Whatman no. 1, 3 cm. x 12 cm.), previously defatted by extraction with boiling light petroleum, was placed on t...

Macrophage Differentiation and Polarization