The suppressive effect of puerarin on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions through regulation of inflammatory mediators in vitro and in vivo

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the common inflammatory immune disorders. Puerarin is the main isoflavonoid obtained from the root of Pueraria lobata and has been known have ameliorative effects on diverse inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of puerarin on AD have not been uncovered. 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was used to induce atopic dermatitis(AD)-like skin lesions on BALB/c mice for 17 days. Further, the BALB/c mice were orally administered puerarin. Puerarin ameliorated DNCB-induced AD-like symptoms in the mice by regulating skin thickness, degranulation of mast cells, and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE). Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were also used to clarify the effects of puerarin on the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Puerarin inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective and alleviative effect of puerarin on AD in vitro and in vivo. The results in this study indicated that puerarin ameliorates AD-like skin lesion and skin inflammation via regulation of various atopic and inflammatory mediators. Therefore, puerarin might be useful in treating AD and other skin diseases.