Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34054, Korea.
Nutrients. 2018 Nov 2;10(11):1625. doi: 10.3390/nu10111625.
Crocin, a major constituent of , is a natural colorant carotenoid compound that has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of crocin on mice with atopic dermatitis induced by crude extract, which is a common environmental allergen in house dust that causes atopic dermatitis in humans. Crocin application ameliorated crude extract-induced atopic dermatitis symptoms by inhibiting the dermatitis severity score, ear thickness, and serum immunoglobulin E levels in NC/Nga mice. The increases in epidermal thickness and dermal inflammatory cells (eosinophil and mast cells) infiltrations observed on the dorsal back skin of atopic dermatitis control mice were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by topical application of crocin in atopic dermatitis treatment mice. Crocin inhibited the crude extract-induced increase of thymus and activation-regulated chemokines, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-13 on the dorsal skin of mice. Crocin also inhibited crude extract-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 6. These results show that crocin ameliorates atopic dermatitis symptoms by down regulation of the Th2 cells-mediated immune response via blocking of NF-κB/STAT6 signaling pathways.
西红花苷,藏红花的主要成分之一,是一种天然的色素类胡萝卜素化合物,已被报道具有抗炎作用。本研究探讨了西红花苷对由粗提物诱导的特应性皮炎小鼠的治疗作用,粗提物是屋尘中的一种常见环境变应原,可引起人类特应性皮炎。西红花苷通过抑制 NC/Nga 小鼠的皮炎严重程度评分、耳厚度和血清免疫球蛋白 E 水平,改善了粗提物诱导的特应性皮炎症状。在特应性皮炎治疗小鼠中,通过局部应用西红花苷,可剂量依赖性地抑制特应性皮炎对照小鼠背部皮肤的表皮厚度和真皮炎性细胞(嗜酸性粒细胞和肥大细胞)浸润的增加。西红花苷抑制了粗提物诱导的小鼠背部皮肤中胸腺和激活调节趋化因子、白细胞介素(IL)-4 和 IL-13 的增加。西红花苷还抑制了粗提物诱导的核因子-κB(NF-κB)和信号转导和转录激活因子(STAT)6 的激活。这些结果表明,西红花苷通过阻断 NF-κB/STAT6 信号通路,下调 Th2 细胞介导的免疫反应,改善特应性皮炎症状。