Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2020 May;24(3):213-221. 10.4196/kjpp.2020.24.3.213.

Salvianolic acid B ameliorates psoriatic changes in imiquimodinduced psoriasis on BALB/c mice by inhibiting inflammatory and keratin markers via altering phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/ protein kinase B signaling pathway

• Wang S
• Zhu L
• Xu Y
• Qin Z
• Xu A

• KMID: 2502503
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2020.24.3.213

Abstract

Salvianolic acid B (SAB) is an active phytocomponent of a popular Chinese herb called Radix Salvia militiorrhiza with numerous biological properties. The anti-psoriasis activity of SAB was examined by evaluating various psoriasis inflammatory and keratin markers against imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis on BALB/c mice. Totally 50 healthy BALB/c mice were evenly divided into 5 groups including control, drug control (SAB; 40 mg/kg), IMQ-induced psoriasis (5%), IMQ exposure and treated with SAB (40 mg/kg), or standard methotrexate (MTX; 1 mg/kg). Mice supplemented with either SAB or MTX significantly lowered the values of psoriasis area severity index (PASI), erythema, scaling, skin thickness, inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]- 22/23/17A/1β/6) and lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde). Also, IMQ exposed BALB/c mice treated with SAB or MTX display lesser histopathological changes with enhanced antioxidant activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase). Moreover, the protein expression of keratin markers (K16 and K17) and phosphatidylinositol- 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling proteins (pAkt/Akt and pPI3K/PI3K) were significantly downregulated after administration with SAB and MTX as compared with IMQ induced mice. Taking together, SAB and MTX significantly ameliorate psoriatic changes by inhibiting psoriatic inflammatory and keratin markers through abolishing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. However, further studies (clinical trials) are needed to confirm the anti-psoriatic property of SAB before recommending to psoriasis patients.

Keyword

Inflammatory markers; Keratin markers; PASI; PI3K/Akt signaling pathway; Salvianolic acid B

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Illustrate the skin PASI (A), scaling (B), erythema (C) and thickness (D) (only on 8th day) in control and IMQ-induced mice. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. IMQ, imiquimod; SAB, salvianolic acid B; MTX, methotrexate; PASI, psoriasis area severity index. p-value (#p < 0.05, *p < 0.01): where ‘a’ denotes the comparison between IMQ vs. Control, ‘b’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ, ‘c’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + MTX vs. IMQ, ‘d’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ + MTX.

• 

  Fig. 2 Illustrate the protein expression of skin keratin markers (K16 and K17) in control and IMQ-induced mice. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. IMQ, imiquimod; SAB, salvianolic acid B; MTX, methotrexate; K16 and K17, keratin 16/17. p-value (#p < 0.05, *p < 0.01): where ‘a’ denotes the comparison between IMQ vs. Control, ‘b’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ, ‘c’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + MTX vs. IMQ, ‘d’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ + MTX.

• 

  Fig. 3 Illustrate the protein expression of skin PI3K/Akt signaling molecules in control and IMQ-induced mice. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. IMQ, imiquimod; SAB, salvianolic acid B; MTX, methotrexate; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase; Akt: protein kinase B. p-value (#p < 0.05, *p < 0.01): where ‘a’ denotes the comparison between IMQ vs. Control, ‘b’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ, ‘c’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + MTX vs. IMQ, ‘d’ denotes the comparison between IMQ + SAB vs. IMQ + MTX.

• 

  Fig. 4 Illustrates the histopathological changes in dermal tissue upon staining with H&E (100× magnification) in control and IMQ-induced mice. Control (A) and SAB (B) mice dermal tissue slide display normal smoother epidermis without any inflammation or lesion. The IMQ induced mice dermal section (C) showed thickened epidermis (hyperplasia and acanthosis-circle) with elevated immune cell infiltration (arrow mark). Nevertheless, the mice dermal section treated with SAB (D) and MTX (E) portrait lesser thick epidermis (circle) with decreased immune cell infiltration (arrow mark) than IMQ-induced mice section. Scale bar:100 μm. IMQ, imiquimod; SAB, salvianolic acid B.

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