Skin Exposure to Ultraviolet B Rapidly Activates Systemic Neuroendocrine and Immunosuppressive Responses

The back skin of C57BL/6 mice was exposed to a single 400 mJ cm(-2) dose of ultraviolet B (UVB), and parameters of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in relation to immune activity were tested after 30-90 min following irradiation. Levels of brain and/or plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), beta-endorphin, ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) were enhanced by UVB. Hypophysectomy had no effect on UVB-induced increases of CORT. Mitogen-induced IFN gamma production by splenocytes from UVB-treated mice was inhibited at 30, 90 min and after 24 h. UVB also led to inhibition of IL-10 production indicating an immunosuppressive effect on both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Conditioned media from splenocytes isolated from UVB-treated animals had no effect on IFN gamma production in cultured normal splenocytes; however, IFN gamma increased with conditioned media from shamirradiated animals. Sera from UVB-treated mice suppressed T-cell mitogen-induced IFN gamma production as compared to sera from sham-treated mice. IFN gamma production was inhibited in splenocytes isolated from UVB-treated animals with intact pituitary, while stimulated in splenocytes from UVB-treated hypophysectomized mice. Thus, cutaneous exposure to UVB rapidly stimulates systemic CRH, ACTH, b-endorphin and CORT production accompanied by rapid immunosuppressive effects in splenocytes that appear to be independent of the HPA axis.