Effects of wogonin, a plant flavone from Scutellaria radix, on skin inflammation: in vivo regulation of inflammation-associated gene expression.
Flavonoids from plant origin show anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo. In addition to inhibition of inflammation-associated enzymes, such as cyclooxygenases (COX) and lipoxygenases, they have been found to regulate the expression of inflammation-associated proteins from in vitro experiments. In order to prove in vivo behavior and the potential for beneficial use against inflammatory skin disorders, the effect of wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) on in vivo expression of several inflammation-associated genes was examined in the intact as well as in the inflamed mouse skin by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. When applied topically on the intact skin, only a high dose treatment of wogonin (1000 microg/ear/3 days) slightly increased COX-1 and fibronectin mRNA. On the other hand, wogonin at the doses of 250-1000 microg/ear/3 days potently lowered mRNA levels of COX-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha with less effect on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and interleukin-1beta in a sub-chronic skin inflammation model of tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ear edema (multiple treatment). The decrease of prostaglandin E(2) concentration (27.3-34.3%) was concomitantly observed in the wogonin-treated groups. A similar effect was also observed in an acute inflammation model of arachidonic acid-induced ear edema. From the present study, wogonin was proved to differentially regulate the expression of inflammation-associated genes in vivo and to become a useful therapeutic agent for skin inflammatory diseases mainly due to its modulation of the expression of proinflammatory molecules.
D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; C085514:wogonin