Fig. 12

Schematic and potential mechanisms of Nano-Ni-induced dysregulation of tight junction-associated proteins in human epidermal keratinocytes. Exposure of human epidermal keratinocytes to Nano-Ni caused HIF-1α nuclear accumulation, down-regulation of miR-29b, and upregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and finally resulted in dysregulation of tight junction-associated proteins. Our results demonstrate that Nano-Ni-induced dysregulation of tight junction-associated proteins in skin keratinocytes is via HIF-1α/miR-29b/MMPs pathway