Inhibitory Effects of Korean Red Ginseng Extract on Atopic Dermatitis in NC/Nga Mice

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic eczematous skin disease attended by pruritus, erythema, edema, excoriation, and dryness. This study was to evaluate the effects of Korean red ginseng (RG) on AD in NC/ Nga mice treated with 1-chloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (picryl chloride; PC). Experimental groups were divided into 4 groups; normal control (NC), PC control, and PC-RG (50 and 100 mg/kg). RG was orally administered every day repeatedly during 6 weeks. The skin lesions in severity score, scratching behavior, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels, and histological appearance were examined. AD-like lesions were developed on the NC/Nga mice by topical PC applications. Oral administration of RG (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the development of AD, as analyzed by a modified SCORAD score. The scratching behavior decreased after RG administration. The levels of serum IgE, IL-4 and IFN-γ were increased by PC stimulation, but treatment with RG (100 mg/kg) suppressed the increment of the serum IgE, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels. Histologically, RG inhibited dermatitis lesions such as hypertrophy, hyperkeratosis, and infiltration of inflammatory cells into epidermis and dermis. These results suggest that the administration of RG may be effective in alleviating the AD induced by PC.

The Effect of the Polygonum tinctoria Niram on Atopic Dermatitis in Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced BALB/c Mice

“…It has been reported that increase in thickness of epidermis is caused by hyperkeratosis accompanying abnormal keratosis as well as hyperplastic cells (Zhou et al, 2014). In other previous reports, herb extracts (Lee et al, 2008), magnesium rich ocean mineral water (Kim et al, 2008), ginsengs (Kim et al, 2010), chamomile oil (Lee et al, 2011), Hwangnyeonhaedok-tang (Ki et al, 2013) were also effective to decrease the epidermis thickness as shown in the present study. Mast cells are produced from hematopoietic stem cells and travel to tissues via blood stream; depending upon the cytokine levels and types, these cells can be proliferated and modified (Shukla et al, 2005;Choi et al, 2012).…”

Anti-Wrinkle Effect of Isatis indigotica Leaf Extract: Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammation, and Clinical Activity

“…In particular, fraction 2 showed the best results among the three fractions and increased IL-4 expression by 2.8-fold. However, this activity could have a harmful effect on patients with atopic dermatitis since the excessive expression of IL-4 induces allergic reactions [ 18 ].…”