Shota Hachinohe(Presenter),Saori Narikiyo,Megumi Nishikawa,Akihiro Aioi
Laboratories for Bioscience, Septem Soken Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan

[Abstract]
The ceramide is a major component of the intercellular lipid in stratum corneum epidermidis. It is synthesized by the epidermal keratinocyte and released along with the differentiation of a cell. The role of the ceramide in the skin is moisture retention and the barrier function from external stimuli such as dust and bacteria.
Poria Sclerotium is a fungi of Polyporaceae that grows in the dying pine. There are various effects of the anti-inflammation effect, the immunostimulatory effect, and the kidney function improvement effect, and others. Therefore, Poria Sclerotium is used for a long time as a Chinese medicine. We focus attention on this wide pharmacologic effect, and studied a physiological effect in the cultured epidermal keratinocyte.
In the cell that added the Poria Sclerotium extracted material, the C-24 ceramide synthesis amount has increased. Similarly, the mRNA expression of LASS3 and LASS4 was enhanced. It’s controled the synthesis of the middle-chain ceramide and the long-chain ceramide. Moreover, Poria Sclerotium enhanced the mRNA expression of SMPD1. That is a re-synthetic route. On the other hand, the mRNA expression of catabolic enzyme ACER1 and ACER2 was suppressed. The Poria Sclerotium extracted material is multilaterally acts on a de-novo, re-synthesis, and the catabolic suppressed effect of the ceramide in the cultured epidermal keratinocyte. Therefore, Poria Sclerotium increases the C-24 ceramide in the skin. And, It can expect the ameliorating effect of the moisture retention and the barrier function.