Tianjin Medical Journal ›› 2025, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (7): 679-683.doi: 10.11958/20242370

• Experimental Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The therapeutic effect of berberine on pathological changes of skin in rats with atopic dermatitis based on the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway

JIANG Su(), LI Dongxia, LYU Xinxiang, CUI Yanhong, LYU Liting   

  1. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China
  • Received:2025-01-01 Revised:2025-04-24 Published:2025-07-15 Online:2025-07-21

Abstract:

Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of berberine in atopic dermatitis (AD) rats based on PI3K/Akt/NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Methods Sixty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the blank group (normal rats), the control group (AD model, 50 mg/kg berberine treatment) and the experimental group (AD model, 200 mg/kg berberine treatment), with 20 rats in each group. The levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-13 (IL-13) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 1 d, 7 d and 14 d of intervention. The protein levels of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt and NF-κB p65 were detected by Western blot assay. Pathological changes of rat skin tissue were analyzed by HE staining. Results After intervention for 1 d, 7 d and 14 d, serum levels of IL-4, IL-13, TNF-α and PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt and NF-kappa B p65 were higher in the control group than those in the blank group (P<0.05). After intervention for 7 d and 14 d, the levels of the above indicators were lower in the experimental group than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 14 days of intervention, compared with the blank group, the skin tissue of rats in the control group and the experimental group showed obvious pathological changes, including thickening of epidermis layer, excessive keratinization of the stratum corneum, thickening of spinous layer and a large infiltration of inflammatory cells in dermis. The pathological damage of rat skin tissue was significantly alleviated in the experimental group. Conclusion Berberine can inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt/NF-kappa B signaling pathway, reduce serum level of inflammatory factors and reduce pathological damage of skin tissue in AD rats.

Key words: dermatitis, atopic, berberine, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases, proto-oncogene proteins c-akt, NF-kappa B, cytokines, skin tissue

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