Elastin is an extremely insoluble protein due to the extensive cross-linking at lysine residues. The cross-linking is preceded by selective lysine oxidation by the enzyme lysyl oxidase to give produce a-amino adipic d-semialdehyde. Elastin is amongst the most hydrophobic proteins known. Although there is some species variation (see below), elastin from higher vertebrates including humans contains over 30% Gly and approximately 75% of the entire sequence is made up of just four hydrophobic amino acids (Gly, Val, Ala, Pro). Tissues rich in elastin include aorta and major vascular vessels (28-32% dry weight), lung (3-7%) elastic ligaments (50%), tendon (4%) and skin (2-3%).

Elastin is found in all vertebrates studied except the primitive cyclosomes but has not been identified in invertebrates. More recently, however, a protein isolated from lamprey cartilage, lamprin, was found to contain a repetitive motif with strong sequence homology to elastin and may be evolutionarily related. Other proteins from lamprey cartilage have now also been isolated which exhibit strong similarity to elastin. Another protein, isolated from mussels, contains both collagen and elastin-like sequences.

Mammalian tropoelastin, the soluble precursor to elastin is a moderately conserved protein with an estimated 5.8 million years resulting in a 1% amino acid difference. A large amount of divergence is tolerated in the hydrophobic domains if the overall hydrophobicity is maintained. The cross-linking domains, however, are much more highly conserved.

The Power of Elastin and Collagen Products

I believe having beautiful, smooth, firm skin allows one to feel good about their appearance and have a healthy self-image, qualities which help people live better longer. That is why I am honored to discuss something that I believe has the power to improve lives...Ethocyn.

Ethocyn is a breakthrough product that is very important and essential in the fight and treatment of skin aging. Ethocyn combats intrinsic or chronological aging. As we age it is an unavoidable truth that our skin looses its elasticity and firmness of younger years. Elastin gives the skin its resiliency and the ability to stretch and then snap back into shape, much like a rubberband. When we're young, our skin has high levels of elastin, on average, 14-18 percent. As we age, our elastin levels decrease. Clinical trials, confirm that in patients 40 and older elastin levels dropped to as low as .1% and on average are in the 9% range. For this reason, skin loses its contour and firmness.

First let's explore what causes the production of elastin to decrease as we age. Our bodies, and more particularly—the cell's of our bodies-- are a composition of millions of "signal" molecules. Some of these "signal" molecules are androgens and some are anti-androgens. Androgens naturally circulate in the blood stream of both men and women.

When an androgen enters a skin cell, it is converted to Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT has a natural affinity to the DHT receptor — like a magnet to metal — and binds to the receptor. This bound complex moves to the nucleus of the cell and sends a message to the nucleus to stop producing elastin. Anti-androgens, which also have an affinity for DHT receptors, stop this union by acting as a goalie. This allows the cells to continue producing elastin.

While we are in our 20's, the ratio of DHT and DHT receptors to anti-androgens is balanced. When we age, this equilibrium is disrupted as both DHT and DHT receptors increase and anti-androgens decrease. It is this naturally occurring imbalance, which happens in everyone's skin as we age, that leads to the decline in elastin production.

Ethnocyn helps combat this process. The effectiveness of Ethocyn has been proven by 17 years of research and over $20 million in testing. In clinical studies users of Ethocyn showed a significant improvement in the skin firmness within eight weeks. The results were the same in both males and females, Caucasian and Asian skin types, individuals 25-77 years of age.

I am so proud to share Ethocyn with the world because with Ethocyn, people can live life and forget about their age.

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