Vasicine alleviates 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in BALB/c mice

Authors：Zhang, Yi; Du, Wenxia; Zhu, Defen; Li, Meiling; Qu, Lu; Rao, Gaoxiong; Lin, Yuping; Tong, Xiaoyun; Sun, Yun^*; Huang, Feng^*

Source：Clinical Immunology, 2022, 244: 109102.

DOI：10.1016/j.clim.2022.109102

• Atopic dermatitis
• Vasicine
• Th2 cytokine
• Mast cell
• Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis

Atopic dermatitis (AD), a type of skin inflammation, is associated with immune response mediated by T-helper 2 (Th2) cells, and mast cells. Vasicine is an alkaloid isolated from Adhatoda vasica, a popular Ayurvedic herbal medicine used for treating inflammatory conditions. In the present study, the anti-AD effects of vasicine were evaluated on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced AD-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice. The potential anti-allergic effects of vasicine were also assessed using the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) test. The results showed that the oral administration of vasicine improved the severity of AD-like lesional skin by decreasing histopathological changes and restoring epidermal thickness. Vasicine also inhibited the infiltration of mast cells in the skin and reduced the levels of pro-Th2 and Th2 cytokines as well as immunoglobulin E in the serum. Finally, vasicine inhibited the expression of pro-Th2 and Th2 cytokines in skin tissues, indicating the therapeutic potential of vasicine for AD.

• Institution
  1; 云南大学; y