Studies on the role of curcumin in atopic dermatitis in mice analysis of cellular and molecular factors

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin inflammatory condition which arises as a consequence of skin-barrier disruption and immune-dysregulation. Despite the well-known pharmacologic potential of curcumin in the treatment of various skin-related pathologies, its role against AD has not yet been delineated. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of curcumin in amelioration of Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AD and the ensuing atopic march. Balb/c mice were epicutaneously sensitized with OVA at the back skin site for one-week followed by a resting period of two-weeks; same protocol was repeated thrice. Curcumin was administered intraperitoneally at different doses during the last sensitization phase. In addition, topical application of curcumin was done during the second resting period in a separate group of animals. Systemic curcumin administration ameliorated the onset of AD-like lesions and improved the OVA-induced epidermal damage. Curcumin reduced the levels of TSLP/IL-33,Th2 cytokines (IL-4/IL-5/IL-13/IL-31), and also downregulated the activation/expression of NF- B, STAT-6 and GATA-3. Interestingly, curcumin curbed the OVA-mediated progression of AD towards asthma as evident by the declined number of BALF inflammatory cells and suppressed expression of Th2 cytokines in lungs. Next, local application of curcumin markedly reversed the OVA-induced histo-pathological changes in the skin towards normal and reduced the expression of Th2 cytokines. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that curcumin has the efficacy to ameliorate AD and halt the progression towards atopic march. Further, based on the remarkable efficacy of topical administration of curcumin, the phytochemical-based ointment(s) can present a newer treatment option for AD. newline