Esculetin from Fraxinus rhynchophylla attenuates atopic skin inflammation by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines

Na Hee Jeong, Eun Ju Yang, Meiling Jin, Jong Yeong Lee, Young Ae Choi, Pil Hoon Park, Sang Rae Lee, Sun Uk Kim, Tae Yong Shin, Taeg Kyu Kwon, Yong Hyun Jang, Kyung Sik Song, Sang Hyun Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder afflicting from infancy to adults with itching, scratching, and lichenification. We aimed to investigate the effects of esculetin from Fraxinus rhynchophylla on atopic skin inflammation. For induction of atopic skin inflammation, we exposed the ears of female BALB/c mice to house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae extract, DFE) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) for 4 weeks. Oral administration of esculetin reduced the symptoms of DFE/DNCB-induced atopic skin inflammation, which were evaluated based on ear swelling and number of scratch bouts. The immunoglobulin (Ig) E, IgG2a, and histamine levels in serum were decreased and inflammatory cell infiltration in skin tissue was reduced by the esculetin. It suppressed production of Th1, Th2 and Th17-related cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α interferon (IFN)-γ interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, IL-31 and IL-17 in the ear tissue. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of esculetin on activated keratinocytes, which are representative cells used for studying the pathogenesis of acute and chronic atopic skin inflammation. As results, esculetin suppressed gene expression of Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines and the activation of nuclear factor-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated keratinocytes. Taken together, these results imply that esculetin attenuated atopic skin inflammation, suggesting that esculetin could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of AD.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)209-216
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Immunopharmacology
Volume59
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2018

Keywords

  • Atopic dermatitis
  • Esculetin
  • House dust mite
  • Keratinocytes

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