Lowered Cutaneous and Urinary Levels of Polyamines With Clinical Improvement in Treated Psoriasis

Topical spermine and putrescine stimulated DNA synthesis in the hairless mouse epidermis

“…In psoriasis, increased levels of polyamines (Russell et al, 1978;Proctor et al, 1979) and ODC activity are observed in the entire epidermis, with higher levels in lesional skin. ODC activity is reduced in the lesions by steroid treatment, prior to clinical improvement.…”

Pharmacology of the Skin I

“…The other receptors include histamine, prostaglandin and adenine nucleotides. WILKINSON and ORENBERG (1979), in primary culture of guinea-pig epidermal cells, noted that maximum stimulation of cyclic AMP levels was associated with PGD 2 ; a smaller increase occurred with PGE 2 and a relatively transient rise with PGF2", PGD!, PGE!, and PGF 1<X. ADA-CHI et al (1975) have shown that in human epidermis in keratotome sheets, addition ofPGE l and PGE2 (but not PGA and PGF 2 ,,) produced accumulation of cyclic AMP.…”

“…Early findings using only a few subjects actually suggested a reduction of skin polyamines in psoriasis (STiiTTGEN 1968;PROCTOR et al 1975), but all other studies have shown a statistically significant increase in putrescine, spermidine and spermine over normal controls in involved psoriatic epidermis (RUSSELL et al 1978 b;BOHLEN et al 1978;GROSSHANS et al 1978;PROCTOR et al 1979;LAUHARANTA et al 1981). Early findings using only a few subjects actually suggested a reduction of skin polyamines in psoriasis (STiiTTGEN 1968;PROCTOR et al 1975), but all other studies have shown a statistically significant increase in putrescine, spermidine and spermine over normal controls in involved psoriatic epidermis (RUSSELL et al 1978 b;BOHLEN et al 1978;GROSSHANS et al 1978;PROCTOR et al 1979;LAUHARANTA et al 1981).…”

“…MARCELO and VOORHEES (1980) have attempted to link the expression ofpsoriasis to observed changes in cyclic nucleotides, prostaglandins and polyamines in the disease, but the evidence for any causal relationship involving the polyamines is so far poor. Undoubtedly, changes in polyamine levels and synthesis occur, and treatment of psoriasis with the glucocortioid diflorasone b), dithranol (BOHLEN et al 1978, a topical regimen consisting of anthralin, salicylic acid, tar baths, corticosteroids and ultraviolet irradiation (PROCTOR et al 1979), or oral retinoids and PUV A treatment (LAUHARANTA et al 1981) all markedly reduce these i.ncreases. But it has yet to be shown that treatment with an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis such as DFMO (see Sect.…”

Dithranol: A Review of the Mechanism of Action in the Treatment of Psoriasis vulgaris

“…In the involved psoriatic epidermis, the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key en zyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is en hanced, and as a consequence, polyamine levels arc abnormally elevated [82,83]. After dithranol treatment, polyamine levels return to normal [82,84], and polyamine excretion in the urine of psoriatic patients also de creases [84], Other antipsoriatic agents, such as corticosteroids [85] and retinoids [83], also decrease the enhanced activity of ODC in the psoriatic epidermis. On the other hand, Henry et al [86] found that alphadifluoromethylornithine, a highly specific inhibitor of ODC, had no effect in the treat ment of psoriasis.…”