Echinochrome A Treatment Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions in NC/Nga Mice via IL-4 and IL-13 Suppression

• Published in: Marine drugs Vol. 19; no. 11; p. 622
• Main Authors: Yun, Hyeong Rok, Ahn, Sang Woo, Seol, Bomin, Vasileva, Elena A, Mishchenko, Natalia P, Fedoreyev, Sergey A, Stonik, Valentin A, Han, Jin, Ko, Kyung Soo, Rhee, Byoung Doo, Seol, Jung Eun, Kim, Hyoung Kyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-11-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Allergens; Animal models; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants; Aquatic Organisms; Atopic dermatitis; Cytokines; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Disease Models, Animal; echinochrome A; Eczema; Edema; Epidermis; Erythema; Health services; Hyperplasia; Immune system; Inflammatory diseases; Interferon; Interleukin 13; Interleukin 4; Interleukin-3 - metabolism; Lesions; Male; Marine invertebrates; mast cell infiltration; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Naphthoquinones - administration & dosage; Naphthoquinones - chemistry; Naphthoquinones - pharmacology; NC/Nga mice; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; proinflammation; Pruritus; Sea Urchins; Signs and symptoms; Skin; Skin - drug effects; Skin diseases; Skin lesions; Stratum corneum; Symptoms; Water loss; Water Loss, Insensible - drug effects; γ-Interferon; proinflammation; echinochrome A; NC/Nga mice; mast cell infiltration; atopic dermatitis
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md19110622

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which skin barrier dysfunction leads to dryness, pruritus, and erythematous lesions. AD is triggered by immune imbalance and oxidative stress. Echinochrome A (Ech A), a natural pigment isolated from sea urchins, exerts antioxidant and beneficial effects in various inflammatory disease models. In the present study, we tested whether Ech A treatment alleviated AD-like skin lesions. We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of Ech A on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like lesions in an NC/Nga mouse model. AD-like skin symptoms were induced by treatment with 1% DNCB for 1 week and 0.4% DNCB for 5 weeks in NC/Nga mice. The results showed that Ech A alleviated AD clinical symptoms, such as edema, erythema, and dryness. Treatment with Ech A induced the recovery of epidermis skin lesions as observed histologically. Tewameter
and Corneometer
measurements indicated that Ech A treatment reduced transepidermal water loss and improved stratum corneum hydration, respectively. Ech A treatment also inhibited inflammatory-response-induced mast cell infiltration in AD-like skin lesions and suppressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-γ, interleukin-4, and interleukin-13. Collectively, these results suggest that Ech A may be beneficial for treating AD owing to its anti-inflammatory effects.