Anti-Atopic Dermatitis Activity of Epi-Oxyzoanthamine Isolated from Zoanthid.

Atopic dermatitis (AD, eczema) is a condition that causes dry, itchy, and inflamed skin and occurs most frequently in children but also affects adults. However, common clinical treatments provide limited relief and have some side effects. Therefore, there is a need to develop new effective therapies to treat AD. Epi-oxyzoanthamine is a small molecule alkaloid isolated from Formosan zoanthid. Relevant studies have shown that zoanthamine alkaloids have many pharmacological and biological activities, including anti-lymphangiogenic functions. However, there are no studies on the use of epi-oxyzoanthamine on the skin. In this paper, epi-oxyzoanthamine has been shown to have potential in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Through in vitro studies, it was found that epi-oxyzoanthamine inhibited the expression of cytokines in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells, and it reduced the phosphorylation of MAPK and the NF-κB signaling pathway. Atopic dermatitis-like skin inflammation was induced in a mouse model using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in vivo. The results showed that epi-oxyzoanthamine significantly decreased skin barrier damage, scratching responses, and epidermal hyperplasia induced by DNCB. It significantly reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, ear thickness, and spleen weight, while also increasing surface skin hydration. These results indicate that epi-oxyzoanthamine from zoanthid has good potential as an alternative medicine for treating atopic dermatitis or other skin-related inflammatory diseases.

Innovative Mind-Body Intervention Day Easy Exercise Increases Peripheral Blood CD34+ Cells in Adults.

Mind-body interventions (MBIs) have many health benefits, such as reducing stress, modulating blood pressure, and improving sleep and life quality. The long-term practice of Tai chi, an MBI, also increases the number of CD34+ cells, which are surface markers of hematopoietic stem cells, so prolonged Tai chi practice may have antiaging effects. We developed the day easy exercise (DEE), an innovative MBI, that is easy to learn and requires only a small exercise area and a short practice time. The aim of this study was to explore whether DEE, like Tai chi, has antiaging effects after short-term practice. Total 44 individuals (25 to 62 years old) with or without 3-month DEE practice were divided into young- and middle-aged groups (≤30 and >30 years old) and peripheral blood was collected at 0, 1, 2, and 3 months for analysis of CD34+ cells. The number of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood remained unchanged in control young- and middle-aged groups. After DEE, the number of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood was increased over time in both young- and middle-aged groups. For young-aged adults, the cell number was markedly increased by threefold at 3 months after DEE, and for middle-aged adults, the increase was significant from the first month. DEE practice indeed increased the number of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood and the increase was more significant for older people in a shorter time. This is the first study to provide evidence that the DEE may have antiaging effects and could be beneficial for older people.