Dissolvable Microneedle Patch Increases the Therapeutic Effect of Jawoongo on DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in Mice

Abstract

Background: Jawoongo (JW) is a topical herbal ointment that has been used as an alternative treatment option for atopic dermatitis (AD). Topical ointments are known to have less bioavailability because the stratum corneum allows only lipophilic and low molecular weight drugs to pass across it. This study aimed to investigate whether applying microneedle patches (MNPs) increases the therapeutic effect of JW for AD by enhancing transdermal delivery. Methods: AD was induced by 2, 4-Dinitrocholrlbenzene (DNCB) in BALB/c mice. The combination treatment of JW and MNPs was estimated to study the effect of MNPs in improving transdermal delivery. Histological analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunofluorescence were performed to verify the effect of MNPs in enhancing the therapeutic effects of JW on AD in mice. Results: Both combination treatment and JW treatment ameliorated histological alterations and reduced skin thickness and infiltration of CD4+ T cells in AD-like skin lesions in DNCB-exposed BALB/c mice. However, the improvement of histological alterations was better in the combination treatment, which was almost normal. Furthermore, the combination treatment exhibited a larger decrease in mRNA levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, iNOS, and TNF-α, compared to JW only. In addition, skin thickness and infiltration of CD4+ T cells in the sensitized skin were significantly lower using the combination treatment than using JW only. Conclusion: Combination treatment with JW and MNP further decreased skin thickness and several inflammatory cytokines in AD-like skin lesions compared to that using JW alone. These findings suggest that applying a dissolvable MNP after the JW application could be useful for treating AD. Keywords: Atopic dermatitis, dissolvable microneedle patch, Jawoongo, DNCB