The leaves of Allium victorialis (AV) are known an edible perennial herb, which has been used in Korean traditional medicine. However, the beneficial pharmacological effects of AV extracts (AVE) on the antioxidant activity and atopic dermatitis (AD) have not been thoroughly examined. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate both antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect of AVE on AD in vitro and in vivo. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by total polyphenol content and ferric reducing ability. AVE showed a level of polyphenol content and reducing power activity. The five-week-old BALB/c mice were used as an AD-like mouse model by treating them with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB). Topical administration of AVE for 3 weeks to DNCB-treated mice significantly alleviated clinical skin lesion dermatitis severity and epidermal thickness. Histopathological analysis also demonstrated that AVE decreased eosinophil and mast cell infiltration into skin and ear tissue. These results suggest that topical application of AVE inhibits the development of AD-like skin lesion in mice by their antioxidant activity. Thus, AVE may be a potential therapeutic agent for AD.

The effects of extracts from Lentinula edodes (L. edodes) and Aquilariae agallocha (A. agallocha) on the DNA damage response in ultraviolet A (UVA)-exposed HaCaT cells and on the allergic contact dermatitis caused by 2,4-dinitro-chlorobezene (DNCB) were investigated. When UVA-exposed cells were incubated for 24 hours in medium containing L. edodes or A. agallocha extract, the level of 8-OHdG and CPD decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The combined treatment with both extracts potentiated the decrease in UVA-induced 8-OHdG and CPD levels as compared with those following treatment with a single extract. In addition, the two extracts showed preventive effects against the UVA-induced reduction in collagen levels. Furthermore, the blood levels of IgE, IL-6, and histamine decreased more significantly upon combined treatment with L. edodes and A. agallocha extracts as compared with those following treatment with single extracts in DNCB-induced allergic contact dermatitis in the ICR mouse. The results of the present study suggest that the components with in the extracts of L. edodes and A. agallocha can help to prevent of UVA-induced genomic instability via a decrease in DNA damage, and to decrease the DNCB-induced allergic dermatitis via modulation of relevant proteins including IgE and IL-6. Further study is needed to clarify the purified components related to the preventative effects of the two extracts against UVA- or DNCB-induced genomic damage.

본 연구는 아토피 피부염을 갖는 질환동물에서 어성초를 비롯한 다양한 식물추출물을 이용하여 제조한 크림의 항아토피 피부염증에 대한 효능을 평가하였다. BALB/c 마우스 를 이용하여 아토피 피부염 유발 대조군 및 크림 처리군으로 완전 임의 배치하였다. 혈액 IgE와 히스타민 농도는 크림 처리군이 DNCB 유도 아토피 대조군에 비해서 유의하게 감소하였으며, 아토피 피부염이 심각한 상태의 마우스에서 정상적인 피부상태로 회복되었음을 관찰하였다. 본 결과는 아토피질환 모델 BALB/c 마우스에서 어성초 혼합 식물추출물의 투여가 혈액 IgE를 낮춤과 동시에 비만세포에서 생성되는 히스타민의 배출량을 억제함으로써 항아토피 효능을 갖는다는 점을 시사 해준다.

Under constant environmental pollution, the incidence of Atopic Dermatitis (AD) caused by air pollutants and allergens has increased. AD is an allergy inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus, eczema, and skin dryness. In herbal medicine, Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma; AR) has been utilized to treat Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and inflammation. The purpose of study evaluated the effect of AR in a mouse model of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like skin lesions. After acclimatization for 5 days, the mice (6-week-old, male Balb/c) were divided into five groups (n=6/group): NC (normal control), DNCB (control), Dex (5 mg·kg-1, p.o.), AR100 (100 mg·kg-1, p.o.), and AR300 (300 mg·kg-1, p.o.). On days 1 and 3, 1% DNCB was applied to the skin and ears. After 4 days, 0.5% DNCB was applied once every 2 days for 2 weeks. Then, skin and ears eczema area and severity index (EASI); skin nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels; and plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were examined. The AR groups showed lower EASI, skin and ear thickness, mast cell count, and IgE levels than the control groups. Moreover, AR reduced iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2 levels. Therefore, AR possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can improve skin damage, indicating its therapeutic potential against AD.

피부에 가해지는 스트레스는 헤어조절 및 사이클에 직⋅간접적으로 중요한 영향을 미친다고 알려져 있 다. 특히, 모근세포는 스트레스에 의한 부신피질관련호르몬과 세포손상 및 사멸과 밀접한 관련이 있다고 보고되 고 있지만, 현재까지 실험적으로 입증된 사실은 매우 제한되어 있다. 보고에 의하면, 부신피질자극호르몬방출인 자가 증가되면 모근세포의 마이토콘드리아 활성을 저해하여 초기단계의 세포사멸을 가져올 수 있다고 임상학적 으로 보고된바가 있다. 특히 아토피 피부염으로 인한 스트레스는 부신피질자극호르몬방출인자와 부신피질관련 호르몬의 양을 증가시키며, 이는 모발의 outer epithelial sheath에 영향을 준다고 알려져 있으며, 이러한 스트 레스의 변화는 마이토콘드리아 손상을 초래하여 초기단계세포손상을 준다고 한다. 따라서 본 연구는 아토피피부 염스트레스가 피부의 모근세포에 주는 영향에 대하여 연구를 하였는데, 이에 대한 연구는 현재까지 전무한 실정 이다. 우리는 NC/Nga 마우스에 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)로 아토피피부염을 유발 후, 피부 스트레스 생성에 의한 초기단계 세포손상을 스트레스관련 인자, 부신피질자극호르몬방출인자 및 그 관련 인자, annexin V 및 마이토콘드리아 반응을 이용하여 연구하였다. 그 결과, 아토피피부염에 의한 스트레스는 체내의 부신피질 자극호르몬방출인자 및 관련인자의 활성을 증가시킬 뿐 아니라, 모근세포에 영향을 주어 초기단계세포사멸을 초래하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 아토피피부염관련 헤어손상을 일으킨다는 중요한 연구결과를 보고하는 바이며, 부신피질자극호르몬 조절관련 의약품 및 화장품 등과 같은 보조적 요법이 필요함을 제안한다.

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of cough, indigestion, circulatory problems and pain. The associated anti-inflammatory effect of this agent is achieved via the inhibition of Nf-kB signaling, a property that has been demonstrated to effectively control the symptoms of various skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Sea Buckthorn in reducing the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated nitric oxide (NO) by inhibiting the Nf-kB pathway, as measured by the symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) occurring secondarily to inflammation and immune dysregulation. Our data demonstrate that Sea Buckthorn significantly decreased the LPS-induced production of NO (p〈0.001). Atopic dermatitis was induced by repeated application of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene to the dorsal skin of mice. Topical application of 5% Sea Buckthorn extract improved the symptoms of AD, specifically reducing disease severity scores, scratching behaviors and epidermal thickness. When compared to the control group, animals treated with Sea Buckthorn exhibited increased serum IL-12 levels and decreased serum TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-5 levels. Such a modulation of biphasic T-helper (Th)1/Th2 cytokines may result in a reduction in serum IgE levels. Our findings suggest that mechanism of action of Sea Buckthorn in the treatment of AD is associated with a marked anti-inflammatory effect as well as an inhibition of Th2-mediated IgE overproduction via the modulation of biphasic Th1/Th2 cytokines. Such results suggest that topical Sea Buckthorn extract may prove to be a novel therapy for AD symptoms with few side effects.