Compound Traditional Chinese Medicine Dermatitis Ointment Ameliorates Inflammatory Responses and Dysregulation of Itch-Related Molecules in AD

Abstract Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease accompanied by an itchy and scaly rash. Compound traditional Chinese medicine dermatitis ointment (CTCMDO) is a traditional classics aimed at AD composed of a mixture of extracts from five plants known to have anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects. Materials and methods: In this study, we used HPLC and LC/MS to analyze the effective components of CTCMDO in detail and establish its HPLC fingerprint analysis. On this basis, this article studied the anti-inflammatory and antipruritic activities of CTCMDO in the treatment of DNCB-induced AD in mice.Results: Through comparison with literature data, a total of 43 compounds were identified, including phenylpropionic acid compounds; alkaloid compounds; curcumin compounds and lignans. On this basis, a fingerprint with 17 common peaks was established. In AD-like mice, CTCMDO treatment suppressed the scratching behavior induced by DNCB in a dose-dependent manner and inhibited the production of Th1/2 cytokines in serum. CTCMDO treatment reversed the up regulation of P substance levels of itch-related genes in the skin. Furthermore, CTCMDO suppressed the phosphorylation of JNK、ERK and p38 in the skin. Conclusion: In all, our work indicated that CTCMDO can signifificantly attenuate the pathological alterations of Th1/2 cytokines and itch-related mediators, and inhibit the phosphorylation of MAPKs to treat AD.