Therapeutic effects of the extract of Sancao Formula, a Chinese herbal compound, on imiquimod-induced psoriasis via cysteine-rich protein 61 / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that is prone to recurrence, and the proinflammatory factor, cysteine-rich protein 61 (Cyr61), is important in its pathophysiology. Long-term clinical practice has shown that Sancao Formula (SC), a Chinese herbal compound, is effective in the treatment of psoriasis, but the precise mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the mechanism by which SC extract alleviates imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis.@*METHODS@#The expression of Cyr61 in psoriatic lesions and normal healthy skin was detected using immunohistochemical analysis to investigate the biological role of Cyr61 in models of psoriatic inflammation. A psoriatic mouse model was established by topical application of IMQ, and the effect of topical application of SC extract was evaluated using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and histopathological features of the skin. Next, a HaCaT cell inflammation model was established using interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and the effect of SC extract on the mRNA and protein levels of Cyr61 and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was confirmed using Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses.@*RESULTS@#Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of Cyr61 in psoriatic lesions was higher than that in normal skin samples (78.26% vs 41.18%, P < 0.05), and the number of Cyr61-positive cells in psoriatic lesions was also significantly higher than in normal skin (18.66 ± 2.51 vs 4.33 ± 1.52, P < 0.05). Treatment in mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis showed that SC extract could significantly improve the inflammatory phenotype, PASI score (10.875 ± 0.744 vs 3.875 ± 0.582, P < 0.05), and pathological features compared with those in IMQ model group; SC treatment was also associated with decreased levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1. In the IFN-γ-induced inflammatory cell model, the mRNA and protein levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1 were upregulated, while the SC extract downregulated the levels of Cyr61 and ICAM-1.@*CONCLUSION@#The results provide a theoretical basis for the involvement of Cyr61 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and suggest that SC should be used to target Cyr61 for the prevention of psoriasis recurrence.

Effect of Shengji Huayu Recipe on the expression of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in skin ulcer tissue of diabetic rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Shengji Huayu Recipe (SHR)on the expression of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in the skin ulcer tissue of diabetic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The skin ulcer model was established in diabetic mice. Different compatibility proportions of SHR [the ratio of Shengji Recipe (SJR) to Huayu Recipe (HYR) = 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2, respectively] were used to intervene. The expression of MMP-3 protein in the skin ulcer of diabetic rats was detected by Western blot method,and TIMP-1 protein was detected by immunohistochemical assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At each time point, there was no statistical difference in the blood glucose level among groups (P > 0.05). But all of them increased significantly,when compared with those of the normal wound group (P < 0.01). As for the difference between after would area treatment and before would area treatment, better effect was obtained in the SHR No. 3 group and the normal ulcer group than in the diabetic ulcer model group (P < 0.05). Results of Western blot showed that the MMP-3 protein expression was higher in the SHR No. 2 group than in the SHR No.3 group (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical results showed that TIMP-1 protein expression was lower in the SHR No. 2 group than in the SHR No. 3 group and the diabetic ulcer model group (P < 0.05). TIMP-1 protein expression was higherin the SHR No. 3 group than in the SHR No. 2 group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using SHR No.3 was conducive to the promotion of wound healing in early wound repair stage, and using SHR No. 2 might be conducive to inhibiting the formation of pathological scar.</p>

[To establish the syndrome-typing model of psoriasis vulgaris blood-heat syndrome based on the set pair analysis method].

OBJECTIVE: To establish corresponding set pair analysis mathematic model using the clinical symptoms of blood-heat type psoriasis vulgaris (BHTPV), thus guiding the clinical accuracy of clinical syndrome typing. METHODS: Recruited were 202 BHTPV with complete data after they were treated by yang subduing blood cooling method. Their clinical symptoms and signs were systematically collected. Using set pair analysis method, the therapeutic results of cured and markedly effective were recruited as the same portion, of effective as the different portion, and of ineffective as the contrary portion. The U value of each syndrome factor was calculated according to the formula. The correlation factor of syndrome typing of BHTPV was screened. The syndrome typing model of BHTPV was established according to the correlation factor. RESULTS: The main factors of BHTPV included the scale integral > 2.04, the erythema integral > 2.34, age > 50 years old, the area integral > 2.07, dry mouth, slippery pulse, yellowish fur, soggy pulse, dry and hard stool. The secondary factors included less sweat, insomnia, frequent pulse, any infiltration, erythra of any area, red tongue, depression, the disease course ranging 1-360 months, age ranging 16-50 years old, string-tight pulse, thin fur, the area integral ranging 0-2.07, white fur, purplish tongue, the scale integral ranging 0+ -2.04, and feeble pulse. The third factors included the erythema integral ranging 0-2.34 and pale red tongue. The set pair analytical model of BHT-PV was as follows: U = sigma An/N + sigma B(m)i/M + sigma C(p)j/P. CONCLUSIONS: U blood-heat syndrome > or = 0.75 could be judged as blood-heat syndrome. Satisfactory efficacy could be achieved by blood cooling method. For patients with U blood-heat syndrome < 0.75, no satisfactory efficacy could be achieved by blood cooling method alone since they were accompanied with other syndrome types.