UVB radiation stimulates CRH in human adult dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were stimulated with UVB radiation, and after 24 hours RNA was extracted from cells and protein collected. A: CRH mRNA levels were measured with real-time RT-PCR based on Taqman chemistry (Applied Biosystems, assay Hs00174941_m1 for CRH and Hs99999901_s1 for 18SrRNA). Results are presented as mean ± SEM (n=3), **p<0.005. A, insert: CRH level was measured with ELISA (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals, Belmont, CA). Results are presented as mean ± SEM (n=3), *p<0.05. B: POMC mRNA levels were measured with the real-time RT-PCR based on Sybr Green chemistry (37). Bands representative of products of POMC and 18SrRNA PCR reactions are shown in the insert.