Abstract: Objective To investigate the possible mechanism of 8-methoxypsoralen in the treatment of vitiligo.Methods Human melanocytes were obtained from normal human foreskins,and 48-well culture dishes coated with fibronectin were used to perform melanocyte adhesion assay.Motility was assessed using the Transwell micropore filter method.RT-PCR was employed to measure MMP-2 expression.Results The 8-methoxypsoralen at 50 and 100 nmol/L could significantly promote melanocyte adhesion and migration (P<0.05),with the best work concentration at 100 nmol/L.The expression of MMP-2 mRNA was significantly increased by 8-methoxypsoralen at 10 nmol/L only(P<0.05).Within a certain range of concentration,8-methoxypsoralen exerted its functions in a dose dependent manner(P<0.01 for adhesion,P<0.05 for migration,P<0.01 for MMP-2 expression).Conclusions The efficacy of 8-methoxypsoralen in the treatment of vitiligo may be partially due to its promoting effects on melanocyte adhesion and migration,and the effect on migration may be carried out partly by enhancing the expression of MMP-2.

Key words: Melanocytes, Methoxypsolen, Gelatinase A