Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. The pathology also presents significant leukocyte infiltration into the dermis and epidermis of the skin. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), in particular alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are molecules with anti-inflammatory potential and their dietary consumption positively impacts psoriatic patients. This study was aimed to elucidate the bioaction of ALA on T cells’ function in the context of psoriasis, by using a tissue-engineered psoriatic skin model. Psoriatic skin substitutes were produced according to the self-assembly method. T cells were isolated from blood samples of healthy donors and ALA supplementation was maintained at a concentration of 10 M throughout cell culture. Our study has shown that ALA regulates the hyperproliferation and abnormal cell differentiation of psoriatic keratinocytes, which were highly stimulated by T cells. The added ALA was properly incorporated into epidermal phospholipids and further metabolized in EPA and n-3 DPA. Moreover, the addition of ALA in the culture medium slowed down the infiltration of T cells into the epidermis, which was reported by decreased expression of CD45 and ICAM-1. Finally, psoriatic skin substitutes produced with T cells exhibited high quantities of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as CXCL1, IL-6 and IL-8, whereas the supplementation of the media with ALA potentiated the production of those cytokines. Overall, our results revealed that ALA mainly exerts its anti-inflammatory actions by decreasing inflammatory mediators released by T cells in the psoriatic skin model.

ESDRLB005 - Alpha-linolenic acid modulates T cells incorporation in a 3-D engineered psoriatic skin model

50th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. VIRTUAL MEETING