Abstract
Sopungyangjae-Tang (SYT) is a traditional Korean decoction used for the treatment of dermatitis. The aim of this study was to confirm whether or not SYT has a preventive effect on the development of atopic dermatitis in dinitrochlorobenzene-applied Nc/Nga mice. SYT was administered orally to Nc/Nga mice, which led to the remarkable suppression of the development of dermatitis, as determined by a histological examination and the serum IgE levels. Moreover, SYT inhibited the production of thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and its mRNA expression in a keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT, which had been stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Activation of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) or activator protein-1 (AP-1) is one of the key steps in the signaling pathways mediating induction of TARC. In this study, SYT selectively suppressed NF-kappaB activation, which may be essential for TARC expression in TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma treated keratinocytes. The inhibitory effect of SYT on NF-kappaB activation and TARC production might be associated with the anti-dermatitic effects of SYT.