Oral administration of Vaccinium uliginosum L. extract alleviates DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice

Comparative study of mouse models of atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease. Animal models are important for studying disease mechanisms and identifying new therapeutic agents. However, owing to AD heterogeneity and complexity, there is currently no mouse model that can fully simulate human AD. We searched experimental articles published between 2017 and 2021 to identify the most suitable AD mouse model. We summarized and compared 614 articles, including details on mouse strains, sex, age, irritants, modeling cycles, and spontaneous mouse models. BALB/c mice (45.3 %) were the most commonly used. Generally, 4-8-week-old mice were used, and 44 irritants were identified. The most common irritant was 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), followed by Dermatophagoides farinae mite antigen extract (DfE). The modeling period was generally 21-30 days. There is no perfect AD animal model, and we suggest selecting the most suitable AD model based on previous research or using two or more models to meet experimental requirements. When exploring allergies and T cell differentiation, it is recommended to use DNCB and DfE separately or in combination to stimulate BALB/c mice and NC/Nga mice for constructing AD models. If researchers want to explore the differentiation of Th17 and Th2 cells, the use of flaky tail mice is recommended. If researchers want to conduct research from the perspective of transcriptomics, it is recommended to increase the construction of IL-23 injected mice.

Plant Extracts as a Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds and Potential Remedy for the Treatment of Certain Skin Diseases

Skin ailments present a major health burden in both developed and undeveloped countries. Maintaining healthy skin is important for a healthy body. Medicinal plants have long provided reliable therapy in the treatment of skin diseases in humans through a diverse range of bioactive molecules. Skin diseases may have a various basis, or may be genetically determined; together, they constitute approximately 34% of all occupational diseases encountered in people of all ages. Of these, melanoma is one of the most dangerous forms, with very poor prognosis for patients if it is diagnosed too late. This review of the literature over the past five years examines the role and utilities of plant extracts in treating various skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acne or melanoma with various potential mechanisms of action.

A Review of the Potential Benefits of Plants Producing Berries in Skin Disorders

During the last 30 years, berries have gained great attention as functional food against several risk factors in chronic diseases. The number of related publications on Pubmed rose from 1000 items in 1990 to more than 11,000 in 2019. Despite the fact that a common and clear definition of "berries" is not shared among different scientific areas, the phytochemical pattern of these fruits is mainly characterized by anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, and tannins, which showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in humans. Skin insults, like wounds, UV rays, and excessive inflammatory responses, may lead to chronic dermatological disorders, conditions often characterized by long-term treatments. The application of berries for skin protection is sustained by long traditional use, but many observations still require a clear pharmacological validation. This review summarizes the scientific evidence, published on EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scholar, to identify extraction methods, way of administration, dose, and mechanism of action of berries for potential dermatological treatments. Promising in vitro and in vivo evidence of Punica granatum L. and Vitis vinifera L. supports wound healing and photoprotection, while Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. and Vaccinium spp. showed clear immunomodulatory effects. Oral or topical administrations of these berries justify the evaluation of new translational studies to validate their efficacy in humans.

Hataedock Treatment Has Preventive Therapeutic Effects in Atopic Dermatitis-Induced NC/Nga Mice under High-Fat Diet Conditions

This study investigated the preventive therapeutic effects of Hataedock (HTD) treatment on inflammatory regulation and skin protection in AD-induced NC/Nga mice under high-fat diet conditions. Before inducing AD, the extract of Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza uralensis was administered orally to the 3-week-old mice. After that, AD-like skin lesions were induced by applying DNFB. All groups except the control group were fed a high-fat diet freely. We identified the effects of HTD on morphological changes, cytokine release and the induction of apoptosis through histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assay. HTD downregulated the levels of IL-4 and PKC but increased the levels of LXR. HTD also suppressed the mast cell degranulation and release of MMP-9, Substance P. The levels of TNF-α, p-IκB, iNOS, and COX-2 were also decreased. The upregulation of inflammatory cell's apoptosis is confirmed by our results as increase of apoptotic body and cleaved caspase-3 and decrease of Bcl-2. HTD also reduced edema, angiogenesis, and skin lesion inflammation. Our results indicate HTD suppresses various inflammatory response on AD-induced mice with obesity through the regulation of Th2 differentiation and the protection of lipid barrier. Therefore, HTD could be used as an alternative and preventive therapeutic approach in the management of AD.