Ouyang Xi-Lin, Yuan Zhang-Lin, Chen Xiao-Bing, Gan Hong-Wan, Guo Sen-Hui, Cai Juan, Zhong Jing-Jing
Department of Pharmacy, Gannan Healthcare Vocational College, Ganzhou, China.
Department of Dermatology, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Ganzhou, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2024 Dec 4;15:1449994. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1449994. eCollection 2024.
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by erythema, eruption, lichenification, and pruritus. Aged Abel oil, an effective empirical plant oil utilized by the Gannan Hakka people in China to alleviate the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. However, no scientific studies have been reported to prove whether this oil is truly effective. We conducted this study to confirm whether aged oil could alleviate the symptoms of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis in mice. Differences in the thickness and weight of the right and left ears were measured. ELISA was used to determine the serum levels of the inflammatory factors IL-4, IgE, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. HE staining was performed to observe inflammatory cell infiltration in the mouse skin lesions. In addition, the metabolites of aged oils were analyzed, and molecular docking was used to assess the binding affinity of the major metabolites to filaggrin, a protein involved in skin barrier function. Animal studies showed that aged oil significantly improved the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. HE staining and measurement of inflammatory factor levels revealed similar results. A total of 41 metabolites were tentatively identified in the oil, with fatty acids emerging as the major metabolites. Molecular docking confirmed that the three most abundant fatty acids, i.e., oleic acid, -hexadecanoic acid, and octadecanoic acid, bind well to filaggrin. Our results suggest that aged oils can be used to ameliorate the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Fatty acids may be the major active metabolites responsible for the observed therapeutic effects by reducing transdermal water loss, increasing skin hydration, alleviating DNCB-induced skin barrier alterations, and eliminating itchy scratching caused by dry skin.
特应性皮炎是一种炎症性皮肤病，其特征为红斑、皮疹、苔藓样变和瘙痒。陈艾油是中国赣南客家人用于缓解特应性皮炎症状的一种有效的经验性植物油。然而，尚无科学研究报道证明这种油是否真的有效。我们开展这项研究以确认陈艾油是否能减轻2,4-二硝基氯苯（DNCB）诱导的小鼠特应性皮炎症状。测量左右耳的厚度和重量差异。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法测定炎症因子白细胞介素-4（IL-4）、免疫球蛋白E（IgE）、干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）的血清水平。进行苏木精-伊红（HE）染色以观察小鼠皮肤病变中的炎症细胞浸润。此外，对陈艾油的代谢产物进行了分析，并采用分子对接技术评估主要代谢产物与参与皮肤屏障功能的一种蛋白质——丝聚蛋白的结合亲和力。动物研究表明，陈艾油显著改善了特应性皮炎的症状。HE染色和炎症因子水平测定结果相似。在该油中初步鉴定出41种代谢产物，其中脂肪酸是主要代谢产物。分子对接证实，三种含量最高的脂肪酸，即油酸、十六烷酸和十八烷酸，与丝聚蛋白结合良好。我们的结果表明，陈艾油可用于改善特应性皮炎的症状。脂肪酸可能是主要的活性代谢产物，通过减少经皮水分流失、增加皮肤水合作用、减轻DNCB诱导的皮肤屏障改变以及消除皮肤干燥引起的瘙痒搔抓，从而产生观察到的治疗效果。
