Interrogating the Gut-Skin Axis for Acne and Sebaceous Gland Health: A Case Study of Nicotinic Acid

The study explores the gut-skin axis, suggesting that the gut microbiome can influence skin health, particularly acne, through the production of bioactive metabolites. The research tested the effects of these compounds on human sebaceous organoid cultures and found that nicotinic acid (NA) significantly reduced organoid growth at concentrations of 100-1000 μM. A pharmacokinetic model was used to relate the colonic levels of these metabolites to their expected skin concentrations. The model predicted that the steady state level of NA in the skin would be 0.0015 ± 0.00056 μM, significantly lower than the minimum bioactive concentration of 100 μM. The study suggests that direct supplementation of NA at doses of at least 2000 mg three times daily is required to achieve sufficient skin concentrations to exert the desired bioactivity on sebaceous glands.