The inhibitory effect of Duchesnea chrysantha extract on the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions by regulating IgE and cytokine production in Nc/Nga mice.

Duchesnea chrysantha belongs to the Rosaceae family and has been used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases in Korea and other parts of East Asia. This study examined the antiinflammatory effect of Duchesnea chrysantha extract (DcE) on atopic dermatitis in vitro and in vivo. DcE inhibited the production of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 in THP-1 cells and the release of IL-6 and MCP-1 in EoL-1 cells after treatment with house dust mite extract. In the in vivo experiment, Nc/Nga mice were sensitized to DNCB and then orally and dorsally administered DcE (50 mg/kg in PBS) for 3 weeks. The DcE administration significantly reduced the skin severity score when compared with the control group and inhibited the thickening of the epidermis and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the dermis. In addition, the serum IgE levels decreased markedly in the DcE-treated mice when compared with the control group. The synthesis of IL-5, IL-13, MCP-1 and eotaxin was also decreased in splenocytes of the DcE-treated group, while IFN-γ was increased in the Dc-administered group. These results may indicate that DcE attenuates the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions by lowering the IgE and inflammatory cytokine levels, and that it is useful in drug development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.