Effects of berberine on skin damage in rats with chronic eczema by regulating PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway

doi:10.11958/20221627

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effect of berberine on skin damage and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in rats with chronic eczema. Methods Sixty SD rats were divided into the control group, the chronic eczema group, the berberine (low, medium and high dose) groups and the prednisone group (n=10 for each group). Except for the control group, the other groups of rats were treated with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) on back to establish chronic eczema model. Eczema area and severity index (EASI) scores were measured in groups. Serum levels of histamine, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and γ interferon (IFN-γ) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological changes of skin lesions were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Expression levels of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in skin lesions were detected by Western blot assay. Results Compared with the control group, skin lesions were seriously damaged in the chronic eczema group. Serum levels of histamine, GRP, IgE, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α, and protein expression levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α and p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB inhibitor protein α (IκBα)/IκBα ratio in skin lesions were increased, serum and skin lesion IFN-γ decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the chronic eczema group, the pathological damage of skin lesions of rats was improved in the berberine groups and the prednisone group. EASI score, serum levels of histamine, GRP, IgE, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and protein expression levels of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α and p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/ IκBα ratio in skin lesions decreased, serum and skin lesion tissue IFN-γ increased (P<0.05). Serum IgE and IL-4 in skin lesions of rats decreased in the berberine groups (medium and high dose groups) and the prednisone group (P<0.05). The effect was better in the high dose berberine group. There were no significant differences in the above indexes between the high dose berberine group and the prednisone group (P>0.05). Conclusion Berberine, especially high dose berberine, can inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway, reduce immune imbalance and inflammatory response, and improve skin damage in rats with chronic eczema.

Key words: berberine, skin diseases, eczematous, immunity, cellular, inflammation, disease models, animal, PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signal path

CLC Number:

R758.23

Figures/Tables 8

References 26

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组别	给药0周	给药1周	给药2周
慢性湿疹组	7.95±0.90	8.15±0.86	7.65±0.84
黄连素低剂量组	8.05±0.84	6.35±0.68^a	5.20±0.75^a
黄连素中剂量组	7.80±0.96	5.60±0.74^a	4.05±0.68^ab
黄连素高剂量组	8.00±0.85	4.05±0.62^abc	1.85±0.59^abc
泼尼松组	7.90±0.92	4.50±0.75^abc	2.60±0.72^abc
F	0.115	49.105^＊＊	100.996^＊＊

组别	给药0周	给药1周	给药2周
慢性湿疹组	7.95±0.90	8.15±0.86	7.65±0.84
黄连素低剂量组	8.05±0.84	6.35±0.68^a	5.20±0.75^a
黄连素中剂量组	7.80±0.96	5.60±0.74^a	4.05±0.68^ab
黄连素高剂量组	8.00±0.85	4.05±0.62^abc	1.85±0.59^abc
泼尼松组	7.90±0.92	4.50±0.75^abc	2.60±0.72^abc
F	0.115	49.105^＊＊	100.996^＊＊

组别	组胺/（μg/L）	GRP/（ng/L）	IgE/（μg/L）
对照组	18.96±3.21	8.29±1.45	12.51±2.54
慢性湿疹组	85.27±6.52^a	25.64±3.36^a	32.84±4.50^a
黄连素低剂量组	73.16±5.48^b	19.52±3.01^b	28.16±3.38
黄连素中剂量组	58.26±5.34^bc	14.35±2.87^b	22.35±4.06^bc
黄连素高剂量组	34.58±4.65^bcd	10.16±2.05^bcd	17.17±3.65^bcd
泼尼松组	39.01±5.18^bcd	11.08±1.94^bc	18.02±3.27^bc
F	237.003^＊＊	67.590^＊＊	43.445^＊＊

组别	组胺/（μg/L）	GRP/（ng/L）	IgE/（μg/L）
对照组	18.96±3.21	8.29±1.45	12.51±2.54
慢性湿疹组	85.27±6.52^a	25.64±3.36^a	32.84±4.50^a
黄连素低剂量组	73.16±5.48^b	19.52±3.01^b	28.16±3.38
黄连素中剂量组	58.26±5.34^bc	14.35±2.87^b	22.35±4.06^bc
黄连素高剂量组	34.58±4.65^bcd	10.16±2.05^bcd	17.17±3.65^bcd
泼尼松组	39.01±5.18^bcd	11.08±1.94^bc	18.02±3.27^bc
F	237.003^＊＊	67.590^＊＊	43.445^＊＊

组别	IL-4	IL-6
对照组	34.28±5.01	46.58±5.86
慢性湿疹组	75.32±6.85^a	136.19±8.42^a
黄连素低剂量组	66.15±6.42^b	112.34±8.06^b
黄连素中剂量组	55.26±5.86^bc	98.62±7.68^bc
黄连素高剂量组	42.89±5.62^bcd	65.24±6.32^bcd
泼尼松组	40.51±5.13^bcd	68.41±6.84^bcd
F	74.910^＊＊	214.422^＊＊
组别	TNF-α	IFN-γ
对照组	56.48±6.35	39.52±3.15
慢性湿疹组	121.52±8.51^a	21.34±2.37^a
黄连素低剂量组	105.37±8.62^b	26.21±2.85^b
黄连素中剂量组	86.42±7.96^bc	31.16±2.64^bc
黄连素高剂量组	70.36±6.85^bcd	35.08±2.35^bcd
泼尼松组	71.58±7.03^bcd	34.65±2.58^bc
F	102.366^＊＊	61.164^＊＊