Early-stage photoaging is characterized by skin laxity and wrinkling, which are mainly attributable to the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-mediated imbalance between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production and collagen degradation. Injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) is a novel blood concentrate with potential effects on photoaging. Over the past few decades, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely researched and used in different clinical fields as a first-generation platelet concentrate. The aim of this study was to compare the antiphotoaging effects of i-PRF in UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts with those of PRP by examining cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis, ROS generation, MMP-1 and collagen I levels. The activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway by i-PRF and PRP was also investigated using western blotting. The results showed that i-PRF was more effective than PRP in promoting cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, i-PRF reduced ROS generation and cell apoptosis more effectively than PRP. With respect to the mechanism of collagen I upregulation, stronger stimulation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and greater suppression of MMP-1 expression were achieved by i-PRF than by PRP. Our results suggest that i-PRF can be a promising substitute for PRP in alleviating UVA-induced photoaging and should be explored further for its anti-photoaging properties.
© 2022 American Society for Photobiology.