Skin seems to be a steroidogenic organ:
Steroidogenesis in the skin: implications for local immune functions
>The cutaneous steroidogenic system can also have systemic effects, which are emphasized by significant skin contribution to circulating androgens and/or estrogens. Furthermore, local activity of CYP11A1 can produce novel 7 -steroids and secosteroids that are biologically active. Therefore, modulation of local steroidogenic activity may serve as a new therapeutic approach for treatment of inflammatory disorders, autoimmune processes or other skin disorders. In conclusion, the skin can be defined as an independent steroidogenic organ, whose activity can affect its functions and the development of local or systemic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.
Dehydration/osmotic stress could induce the enzymes that participate in steroidogenesis:https://www.reddit.com/r/Dryfasting/comments/g4a5qu/updated_research_thread/fnylrelhttps://www.reddit.com/r/Dryfasting/comments/g4a5qu/updated_research_thread/fo43mni
In an experience on plants (tobacco IIRC), a genetic modification consisting in the inclusion of the human CYP11A1 in the mitochondria tended to make them more resistant to dessication.
That could explain why hard dry fast can be more potent and more generally why dry fasting can improve skin health.
Water sensor ppk28 modulates Drosophila lifespan and physiology through AKH signaling
>Sensory perception modulates lifespan across taxa, presumably due to alterations in physiological homeostasis after central nervous system integration. The coordinating circuitry of this control, however, remains unknown. Here, we used the Drosophila melanogaster gustatory system to dissect one component of sensory regulation of aging. We found that loss of the critical water sensor, pickpocket 28 (ppk28), altered metabolic homeostasis to promote internal lipid and water stores and extended healthy lifespan. Additionally, loss of ppk28 increased neuronal glucagon-like adipokinetic hormone (AKH) signaling, and the AKH receptor was necessary for ppk28 mutant effects. Furthermore, activation of AKH-producing cells alone was sufficient to enhance longevity, suggesting that a perceived lack of water availability triggers a metabolic shift that promotes the production of metabolic water and increases lifespan via AKH signaling. This work provides an example of how discrete gustatory signals recruit nutrient-dependent endocrine systems to coordinate metabolic homeostasis, thereby influencing long-term health and aging.
>Although conclusions from previous work over the role of dietary water in mediating the Drosophila DR–lifespan extension axis have been mixed (24, 25), our studies suggest that water restriction, inasmuch as it decreases stimulation of water-sensing neurons, may also be a viable strategy for enhancing physiological state.
Aging as a consequence of intracellular water volume and density
>Aging is the result of a gradual failure of physiological and/or biochemical pathways that culminates with the death of the organism. Until now, the causative factors of aging are elusive, despite the increasing number of theories that try to explain how aging initiates. Interestingly, aging cells show an increase in intracellular water volume, but this fact is barely explored in aging studies. All cells have a crowded cytoplasm, where the high concentration and proximity of macromolecules create an environment that excludes many small molecules, including water. In this crowded environment, water can be found in two states termed low density water (LDW), which shows low reactivity and has an ice-like structure, and high density water (HDW) that has a disorganized structure and is highly reactive. LDW predominates in a macromolecular crowded environment, while HDW is found only in microenvironments within cytoplasm. In this sense, we hypothesized that the failure in the water homeostasis mechanisms with time changes the equilibrium between LDW and HDW, increasing the concentration of intracellular HDW. Being reactive, HDW leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species and disturbs the crowded cytoplasm environment, resulting in a diminished efficiency of metabolic reactions. Noteworthy, the cell becomes less prone to repair damage when the concentration of HDW increases with time, resulting in aging and finally death. Interestingly, some biological mechanisms (e.g., anhydrobiosis) reduce the concentration of intracellular water and prolong the life of cells and/or organisms. In this sense, anhydrobiosis and related biological mechanisms could be used as a platform to study new anti-aging therapies.
Does anyone have a link to the study saying that on day 4 and 5 the participants had controllable feeling of thirst with no signs of dehydration.? My family thinks I’m crazy . I’m on day 2 of 3 before Christmas Eve