Liang Xue Qu Shi Zhi Yang Soup Ameliorates Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis In Mice

Aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with no curative treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine Liang Xue Qu Shi Zhi Yang (LXQSZY) soup with documented anti-pruritic property has long been employed to ameliorate the clinical symptoms of AD. The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effect of LXQSZY soup on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced AD in mice. Methods: To induce AD in male BALB/c mice, skin with hair removed was challenged with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenezne. Model mice were then given LXQSZY soup (therapeutic group, n=66) and Ebastine (control group, n=66) twice a day for two consecutive weeks. Before and after treatment, AD symptoms (erythema, edema, exfoliation, and lichenification) were scored. Leukotriene B-4 (LTB4) in AD lesions, and interleukin (IL)-2 and -4 in sera were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gene and protein expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in AD lesions was determined using real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results: Treatment of AD mice with LXQSZY soup relieved erythema, edema, exfoliation, and lichenification of AD lesions, leading to an overall efficacy rate of 84.62%, which was significantly higher than that of Ebastine (64.62%, P < 0.01). Compared to Ebastine, treatment with LXQSZY soup significantly suppressed LTB4 in AD lesions and IL-4 in sera (P < 0.01). LXQSZY soup also up-regulated IL-2 in mice serum. In addition, LXQSZY soup but not Ebastine reduced gene and protein expression of AQP3 in AD lesions. Conclusion: LXQSZY soup ameliorated AD by modulating leukotriene B-4, IL-2, IL-4, and AQP3 in AD mice, of which the efficacy was higher than that of Ebastine. The soup would be further developed into new therapeutic agents for treatment of AD.