{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T04:02:44Z","timestamp":1790654564644,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,3]],"date-time":"2025-07-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751500800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, Korea","award":["P0024371"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P0024371"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Ultraviolet (UV) radiation stimulates melanogenesis, leading to various esthetic problems. UV increases oxidative stress and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-\u03baB), which increase the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) or leucine-rich repeat and pyrin do-main containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Given that polydeoxyribonucleotides reduce melanogenesis and polynucleotide (PN) has molecular similarity to polydeoxyribonucleotides, we hypothesized that PN can decrease melanogenesis. We compared the anti-melanogenic effect of PN with that of a PN mixture (PNM) that contained other antioxidants, such as glutathione and hyaluronic acid, in UVB-irradiated keratinocytes and animal skin. PN and PNM both decreased oxidative stress, which was evaluated according to the expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX) 1\/2\/4, the glutathione (GSH):oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio, and 8-hydroxy-2\u2032-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in UVB-irradiated keratinocytes. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, ASC, and pro-caspase-1) and IL-18 was increased by UVB radiation and reduced by PN and PNM. When conditioned media from PN or PNM were administered to UVB-radiated keratinocytes, melanogenesis-related signals (MITF, tyrosinase, and tyrosinase-related protein1\/2) were decreased. These effects were similar in the UVB-irradiated animal skin. Both PN and PNM decreased melanin accumulation and increased skin lightness in UVB-irradiated skin. The anti-melanogenic effect of PNM was greater than that of PN. In conclusion, PN and PNM decreased melanogenesis by decreasing oxidative stress, NF-\u03baB, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26136399","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,3]],"date-time":"2025-07-03T04:07:17Z","timestamp":1751515637000},"page":"6399","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Polynucleotide Mixture Attenuates Ultraviolet B-Induced Skin Pigmentation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Seyeon","family":"Oh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hee-Dae","family":"Jeon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Banobagi Dermatology Clinic, Seoul 06109, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0341-3460","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nark-Kyoung","family":"Rho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leaders Aesthetic Laser & Cosmetic Surgery Center, Seoul 06014, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0595-5645","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kuk Hui","family":"Son","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University, Incheon 21565, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8678-8932","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kyunghee","family":"Byun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Gachon Advanced Institute for Health & Sciences and Technology (GAIHST), Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13008-024-00107-z","article-title":"Role of reactive oxygen species in ultraviolet-induced photodamage of the skin","volume":"19","author":"Wei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell Div."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1038\/nri1312","article-title":"NOX enzymes and the biology of reactive oxygen","volume":"4","author":"Lambeth","year":"2004","journal-title":"Nat. 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