Tryptophan photoproduct FICZ upregulates IL1A, IL1B, and IL6 expression via oxidative stress in keratinocytes

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), generates the reactive oxygen species (ROS), and induces the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL1A, IL1B, and IL6. 6-Formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ) is a tryptophan-derived photoproduct that is induced by UVB irradiation and activates the AHR. However, its role in upregulating proinflammatory cytokine expression has never been investigated. Here, we demonstrated that FICZ enhanced ROS generation in human HaCaT keratinocytes in an AHR-dependent manner. FICZ also upregulated the expression of IL1A and IL1B, as well as the expression of IL6 and the production of its protein product, in an AHR- and ROS-dependent fashion. Here, we demonstrate that the actions of FICZ can substitute for the hazardous effects of UVB exposure, contributing to the further understandings of the mechanisms which UVB harms organisms.