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. 2022 Jul;36(7):e576-e580.
doi: 10.1111/jdv.18071. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Influence of menopause and hormone replacement therapy on epidermal ageing and skin biomechanical function

K T Mellody  1 , A C Kendall  2 , J R Wray  2 , A R Foster  1 , A K Langton  1 , P Costello  1 , V L Newton  3 , M Bell  3 , C E M Griffiths  1 , A Nicolaou  2 , R E B Watson  1 , S M Pilkington  1
Affiliations

Influence of menopause and hormone replacement therapy on epidermal ageing and skin biomechanical function

K T Mellody et al. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 Jul.
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

MB and VLN are employees of Walgreens Boots Alliance; REBW is in receipt of consultancy fees from Allergan Ltd.; CEMG is a Co‐Founder of CGSkincare Ltd.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The dermal elastic fibre network was not significantly altered in post‐menopausal women but epidermal morphology, CD44 expression and lipid biosynthesis was impacted by menopause and HRT. (a) The dermal elastic fibre network was assessed in biopsies from photoprotected skin of pre‐menopausal (Pre; n = 7), post‐menopausal (Post; n = 11) and post‐menopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT; n = 10) groups using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Total elastic fibres were visualised using Weigert's resorcin fuchsin (WRF). (b) Epidermal morphology was assessed in H&E stained skin sections from photoprotected buttock skin of Pre (n = 6), Post (n = 11) and HRT (n = 10) groups and (d) thickness measurements of viable epidermis (nucleated cells) and stratum corneum were taken separately, and (e) the ratio calculated for each individual before correlation with the R6 cutometry parameter. (c) CD44 expression was assessed by immunofluorescence and (f) epidermal lipids quantified using UPLC‐MS/MS. Data presented as mean ± SD. Statistical analysis by one‐way ANOVA with Holm‐Sidak's multiple comparisons and Pearson's correlation. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. Scale bar 50 µm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Increased skin viscoelasticity post‐menopause is associated with increasing age and decreasing oestrogen levels. Using a Cutometer and 4‐mm diameter probe the biomechanical properties of photoprotected buttock skin were measured and (a) mean time‐strain curves generated for each group (Pre, n = 7; Post, n = 10; HRT, n = 10) prior to calculation of the different elastic measures (R parameters). From the curves: (a) R0 (total deformation) and R6 (viscoelasticity) were calculated and; (b) associations between age and cutometry parameters, R0 and R6, were assessed in females (F; n = 17: Pre n = 7 and Post n = 10) and in a group of age‐matched males (M; n = 29). (c) Associations between serum oestradiol levels and R0 and R6 were also assessed in females (n = 27: Pre n = 7, Post n = 10, and HRT n = 10). Data presented as mean ± SD. Statistical analysis by Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn's multiple comparisons (R0), one‐way ANOVA with Holm‐Sidak's multiple comparisons (R6) and Pearson's correlation, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.
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References

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