indigo-carmine and Dermatitis--Atopic

Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kitaib (AS) (Oriental wormwood, known as Bissuk in Korea) is a plant used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical treatments. However, the effect of AS on atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been described.. To examine the inhibitory effect of AS on AD using a murine model.. We applied either AS, the butanol-extracted fraction of AS (Bu-OH) or 3,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid (DEQA, a major component of Bu-OH) topically for 3 weeks to 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced skin lesions in BALB/c mice.. AS, Bu-OH and DEQA suppressed the clinical symptoms of DNFB-induced skin lesions and he associated scratching behaviour. Numbers of inflammatory cells infiltrating skin lesions were significantly reduced by AS or Bu-OH application but not by DEQA. In addition, AS significantly suppressed serum levels of histamine and IgE, while Bu-OH significantly suppressed serum levels of histamine, IgE, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-6, and DEQA significantly suppressed serum levels of histamine, IgE, TSLP and IL-4 in DNFB-induced AD mice. In skin lesions, AS and Bu-OH significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines, whereas DEQA did not. AS, Bu-OH and DEQA all significantly suppressed caspase-1 activities.. These results demonstrate the anti-AD effects of AS, Bu-OH and DEQA, and suggest that all three have therapeutic potential.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Animals; Artemisia; Caspase 1; Chlorogenic Acid; Dermatitis, Atopic; Dinitrofluorobenzene; Disease Models, Animal; Medicine, Korean Traditional; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; RNA, Messenger; Skin