Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Pentaherbs Formula, Berberine, Gallic Acid and Chlorogenic Acid in Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Inflammation.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic skin disease, characterized by dryness, itchiness, thickening and inflammation of the skin. Infiltration of eosinophils into the dermal layer and presence of edema are typical characteristics in the skin biopsy of AD patients. Previous in vitro and clinical studies showed that the Pentaherbs formula (PHF) consisting of five traditional Chinese herbal medicines, Flos Lonicerae, Herba Menthae, Cortex Phellodendri, Cortex Moutan and Rhizoma Atractylodis at w/w ratio of 2:1:2:2:2 exhibited therapeutic potential in treating AD. In this study, an in vivo murine model with oxazolone (OXA)-mediated dermatitis was used to elucidate the efficacy of PHF. Active ingredients of PHF water extract were also identified and quantified, and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities on pruritogenic cytokine IL-31- and alarmin IL-33-activated human eosinophils and dermal fibroblasts were evaluated. Ear swelling, epidermis thickening and eosinophils infiltration in epidermal and dermal layers, and the release of serum IL-12 of the murine OXA-mediated dermatitis were significantly reduced upon oral or topical treatment with PHF (all p < 0.05). Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and berberine contents (w/w) in PHF were found to be 0.479%, 1.201% and 0.022%, respectively. Gallic acid and chlorogenic acid could suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and chemokine CCL7 and CXCL8, respectively, in IL-31- and IL-33-treated eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture; while berberine could suppress the release of IL-6, CXCL8, CCL2 and CCL7 in the eosinophil culture and eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture (all p < 0.05). These findings suggest that PHF can ameliorate allergic inflammation and attenuate the activation of eosinophils.
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. tsangsinman0128@gmail.com.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. tsangsinman0128@gmail.com.
Miranda S M
MS
Tsang
Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. j.dl@foxmail.com.
Delong
D
Jiao
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. benchan99@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. benchan99@cuhk.edu.hk.
Ben C L
BC
Chan
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ehon@cuhk.edu.hk.|Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. ehon@cuhk.edu.hk.
Kam-Lun
KL
Hon
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk.
Ping C
PC
Leung
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. claralau@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. claralau@cuhk.edu.hk.|Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R &amp; D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. claralau@cuhk.edu.hk.
Clara B S
CB
Lau
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. cwwong_eric@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. cwwong_eric@cuhk.edu.hk.
Eric C W
EC
Wong
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. b750741@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. b750741@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
Ling
L
Cheng
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ckmchan@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ckmchan@cuhk.edu.hk.
Carmen K M
CK
Chan
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China. wklam@must.edu.mo.
Christopher W K
CW
Lam
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ck-wong@cuhk.edu.hk.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ck-wong@cuhk.edu.hk.|Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ck-wong@cuhk.edu.hk.|Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R &amp; D Centre for Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. ck-wong@cuhk.edu.hk.
Chun K
CK
Wong
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001599:Berberine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D002726:Chlorogenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D010081:Oxazolone / Q000009:adverse effects
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018925:Chemokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D001599:Berberine; D010081:Oxazolone; D018664:Interleukin-12; D002726:Chlorogenic Acid; D005707:Gallic Acid
Gallic acid; allergic inflammation; atopic dermatitis; berberine; pentaherbs formula