Importance of Calcium-Magnesium Antagonism and Thiols for Diminution of UVA1-Induced Cell Damage

Exposure of mammalian cells to UVA in vitro results in fundamental metabolic, functional and structural alterations and after all in necrosis, apoptosis, mutation or restitution. The cascade of biochemical events encloses among other things generation of free radicals, an activation of signal transduction pathways, gene expression and an increased intracellular calcium concentration. Calcium-activated enzymes mediate a part of the processes that cause cell injury after UVA-radiation. Various endogenous and exogenous compounds which interfere with these deleterious chain reactions have a protective effect against UVA-mediated cell damage [1].