title: The role of icaritin in regulating Foxp3/IL17a balance in systemic lupus erythematosus and its effects on the treatment of MRL/lpr mice.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a female predominant autoimmune disease characterized by multi-organ dysfunctions. However, current available therapies control the disease at the cost of many potential adverse effects. The development of safer and more effective therapies for SLE is a critical unmet need. Icaritin (ICT) is an active monomer extracted from Chinese herbals named the Epimedium genus. In this study, we found that ICT exhibited the capacity of regulating Foxp3/IL17a balance, enhancing Treg cell suppressive activities, and inhibiting over-activation of CD4(+)T cells from SLE. We also observed that ICT regulated Foxp3/IL17a balance by increasing STAT5b expression and histone methylation modification. Subsequent experiments further confirmed that ICT-treated mice exhibited amelioration of renal damages and suggested that ICT may be a potential new drug for the treatment of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Jieyue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Haijing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Duo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Clinical Medical Research Center, the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Tak-Mao
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China. Electronic address: qianlu5860@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Qianjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D005419:Flavonoids; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C508717:IL17A protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; C499403:icaritin
keywords: CD4(+)T cells; Foxp3; IL17a; Icaritin; Systemic lupus erythematosus