Bongjun Sur,1 Bombi Lee1,2

1 Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
2 Center for Converging Humanities, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disease that causes skin itching.
Objective: To investigate the effects of Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SBD) on AD-like symptoms induced by trimellitic anhydride (TMA) treatment in the ears of mice and its underlying mechanism.
Methods: To induce AD in mice, the dorsal skin was treated with 5% TMA on day 0, 5% TMA in both ears on day 5, and 2% TMA in both ears from days 6 to 14. From days 9 to 14, SBD was given orally and daily before TMA treatment. Symptom analysis consisted of weighing ear lymph nodes, measuring ear thickness, analyzing scratching behavior, and measuring the levels of immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling.
Results: Treatment with 100 mg/kg SBD significantly decreased lymph node weight, ear thickness, the skin score, scratching behavior, and the serum immunoglobulin E level. Moreover, 100 mg/kg SBD treatment significantly reduced the levels of IL-4 expression and MAPK phosphorylation in AD mice.
Conclusions: SBD may be useful for treating AD. These results provide information for treating patients with inflammatory diseases such as eczema and asthma and provide a molecular basis for developing new therapeutics.
Key words: Scutellaria barbata D. Don, atopic dermatitis, trimellitic anhydride, interleukin-4, immunoglobulin E, mitogen-activated protein kinase