Next Article in Journal
Potential Plasma Metabolite Biomarkers of Diabetic Nephropathy: Untargeted Metabolomics Study
Previous Article in Journal
Predictors of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress among Female University Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
JPM
Volume 12
Issue 11
10.3390/jpm12111888
jpm-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
Retraction published on 18 February 2025, see J. Pers. Med. 2025, 15(2), 72.
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

RETRACTED: Brevilin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis and Reduces Th17 Differentiation in Psoriasis Patients

by
Ling-Jung Yen
1,2,
Chung-Yang Yen
3,4,
Chia-Ling Li
5,
En-Chih Liao
6,7,
Kai-Chun Wang
1,8,
Meng-Chieh Shih
1,
Hung-Sen Huang
9,
Ying-Chin Chen
1,10,
Ling-Ying Lu
1,* and
Sheng-Jie Yu
9,11,*
1
Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan
2
Department of Nursing, Meiho University, Pingtung 912009, Taiwan
3
Department of Dermatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan
4
School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
5
Children’s Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan
6
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan
7
Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan
8
The Doctoral Program of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
9
Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan
10
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
11
Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan
 
add Show full affiliation list
 
remove Hide full affiliation list
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(11), 1888; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111888
Submission received: 22 September 2022 / Revised: 3 November 2022 / Accepted: 7 November 2022 / Published: 10 November 2022 / Retracted: 18 February 2025
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Psoriasis is a predominantly Th17 cell-driven chronic autoinflammatory skin disorder. Brevilin A, a natural sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Centipeda minima, has been used as a traditional oriental medicine for allergic diseases for centuries. However, the effects of brevilin A on psoriasis have yet to be established. In this study, we investigated brevilin A to elucidate its potential effects on T cell activities in psoriasis, in animal models and patients. An imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis murine model was utilized. Experimental mice were administered different doses of brevilin A (5, 10, 20 mg/kg respectively) for a duration of 5 days. Cutaneous manifestations were measured daily. Under hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain and immunohistochemistry (IHC), acanthosis and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the dorsal skin of mice were detected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the measurement of IL-17A levels in serum samples. Naïve CD4+ T cells, isolated from mice spleen and lymph nodes and from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of psoriatic patients, were used to evaluate the effects of brevilin A on Th17 differentiation. In brevilin A-treated mice, brevilin A significantly reduced skin redness and scaling; acanthosis as well as IL-6, IL-17A, and ki-67 expressions were downregulated in the dorsal skin, and serum levels of IL-17A were lowered. Brevilin A also inhibited Th17 differentiation. In conclusion, brevilin A demonstrated significant capability in ameliorating skin inflammation in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis and could modulate Th17 differentiation. Therefore, brevilin A is potentially pharmacologically effective in the treatment of psoriasis.

Graphical Abstract

1. Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disease presenting with skin erythema, scaling, and acanthosis. Psoriasis affects around 2–4% of the worldwide population, with geographic variations observed and higher incidence rates in North America and Europe [1]. The characteristic psoriatic cutaneous manifestations are mainly induced by hyper-activated immune cells, which further stimulate the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. The pathogenesis of psoriasis is complex, involving complicated gene-environmental interaction; therefore, it is yet to be completely elucidated. Previous studies have shown that CD4+ T cells play a crucial role in triggering psoriatic cutaneous manifestations [2]; subsequently, helper T cell type 1 (Th1) cells and Th 17 cells (a subset of CD4+ T cells) were found to hold central roles in causing chronic persistent self-amplifying inflammation in psoriatic skin lesions [3,4]. The overactivation of Th17 cells has demonstrated to potentially lead to an interaction with keratinocytes and endothelial cells in psoriasis [5]. Moreover, increased Th17 cells and IL-17A serum concentrations were also observed in psoriasis patients [5,6].
The pathophysiology of psoriasis is correlated with the STAT3/IL-17A signaling pathway [4], with activated Th17 cells producing cytokines such as IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22, which stimulate keratinocytes to produce antimicrobial peptides, promote the proliferation of keratinocytes, and inhibit the differentiation of keratinocytes. These cytokines are induced by the activation of transcription factors, STAT3 and RORγt, which play key roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In previous studies, transgenic mice with STAT3 or RORγt-deficient T cells were reported to exhibit a decrease in Th17 cell infiltration in psoriatic lesions [7], and IL-17A production ameliorated the psoriasis symptoms.
Brevilin A is a sesquiterpene lactone component extracted from Centipeda minima, a plant in abundance in regions of East and Southeast Asia. Centipeda minima is an oriental herbal medicine used for the treatment of ailments such as nasal allergies, headaches, cough, malaria, and asthma in China and Korea [8]. In recent years, several reports have demonstrated the antibacterial, anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities from extracts of Centipeda minima [9,10,11]. Sesquiterpene lactones are bioactive compounds used for targeting inflammation and cancer in traditional oriental medicine [12]. Importantly, Xing et al. showed that brevilin A inhibited STAT signaling significantly and avoided causing immediate-direct cell toxicity [13]. To date, there is no published research on the effects of brevilin A for treating psoriasis or other inflammatory skin disorders. In our study, we investigated the role of brevilin A in the treatment of psoriasis by evaluating its regulation of Th17 differentiation and the associated cytokine expression, both in vitro and in vivo.

2. Material and Methods

IMQ-induced psoriasis model:
This murine model was previously described in the methods section in an article by Lin et al. [14]. In brief, C57BL/6 mice were purchased from the National Laboratory Animal Center (Taipei, Taiwan). Mice were bred under specific pathogen-free conditions, were kept at a constant temperature of 23 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 50–60%, and a 12:12 h light: dark cycle, and received food and water. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (2021-A039).
Eight-week-old mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 5 in each group): control, DMSO (vehicle control), brevilin A (CAS No. 16503-32-5, Chengdu Biopurify Phytochemicals Ltd., Chengdu, China) groups (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg), and a dexamethasone group (1 mg/kg). All the mice, excluding the control group, received a daily topical dose of 62.5 mg of IMQ cream (5%) (Aldara; 3M Pharmaceuticals, Saint Paul, MN, USA) on their shaved back and right ear for 5 consecutive days. For the DMSO group, mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5% DMSO in 200 μL normal saline daily. For the brevilin A groups, mice were intraperitoneally injected, respectively, with 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or 20 mg/kg of brevilin A in 200 μL normal saline daily. For the dexamethasone group, mice were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mg/kg dexamethasone in 200 μL normal saline daily. Skin inflammation severity was scored according to the clinical Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Erythema and scaling were scored independently on a scale between 0 and 4 as follows: 0, none; 1, slight; 2, moderate; 3, marked; 4, very marked. Ear thickness was measured using a digital thickness gauge. After sacrifice, skin and serum samples were collected for further experiments.
Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain and immunohistochemical (IHC) stain: The dorsal skin of each mouse was excised, fixed in formalin solution, embedded in paraffin, and cut into 5 μm sections, followed by staining with H/E. For IHC staining, after deparaffinization, antigen retrieval and blocking procedures were performed, and the 5 μm sample sections were incubated with IL-6, IL-17A, and ki-67 primary antibodies (Abcam, Boston, MA, USA) for forty minutes at room temperature. After washing, sections were incubated with antibody enhancers for ten minutes at room temperature. After washing, sections were incubated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated antibodies (Cell Marque; USA) for ten minutes at room temperature. After washing, sections were developed with DAB (DAB, Cell Marque; Rocklin, CA, USA) for two minutes at room temperature and counterstained with hematoxylin. Sample sections were visualized under a digital camera (Axiocam 105, Jena, Germany) mounted on a phase contrast microscope (Zeiss, Germany) using Zen 2.3 software (Zeiss, Germany). The mean optical density was analyzed with ImageJ software (version 1.50i, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA).
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): Blood samples were collected at the time of sacrifice via cardiac puncture into a syringe. After the blood sample collection, samples were kept at room temperature for 1 h and then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min. Serum samples were collected for ELISA. Briefly, concentrations of IL-17A were measured using a sandwich ELISA method according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA). Absorbance at 450 nm was measured using a plate reader (SUNRISE; Tecan Group Ltd., Männedorf, Switzerland) after incubation of the conjugate with 3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB, BD, Heidelberg, Germany).
Recruitment of psoriasis patients: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan (KSVGH20-CT12-10). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment. Patient inclusion criteria included patients aged between 20 and 65 years old, had a diagnosis of plaque-type psoriasis for ≥6 months, a baseline Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) score of 2–3, <20% total body surface area (BSA) involved with psoriasis, and a target plaque of size ≥4 cm2.
Naïve T cell isolation and Th17 skewing: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from spleens and peripheral lymph nodes harvested from C57BL/6 mice and psoriasis patients. Naïve CD4 T cells (CD4 + CD62Lhi) were collected by magnetic bead separation (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA). Isolated CD4 T cells were incubated in Iscove’s Modified Dulbecco’s Medium (Gibco, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Taipei, Taiwan) supplemented with 1.0 mM sodium pyruvate (Cytiva, Marlborough, MA, USA), 0.1 mM NEAA (HIMEDIA, WIDE Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan), 100 I.U./mL penicillin, 100 ug/mL streptomycin (Gibco, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Taipei, Taiwan), 50 μM β-mercaptoethanol (BIO-RAD, Taipei, Taiwan), and 5% heat-inactivated FCS (Gibco, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Taipei, Taiwan). Isolated naïve CD4 T cells were activated by plate-bound anti-CD3 (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA), soluble anti-CD28 (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA), IL-6 (20 ng/mL) (Peprotech, Cranbury, NJ, USA), TGF-β (1.25 ng/mL) (Peprotech, Cranbury, NJ, USA), IL-1β (20 ng/mL) (Peprotech, Cranbury, NJ, USA), IL-23 (20 ng/mL) (Peprotech, Cranbury, NJ, USA), anti-IFN-γ (10 μg/mL) (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA), and anti-IL-4 (10 μg/mL) (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA) for Th17 skewing.
Flow cytometry analysis: CD4 cells were incubated with the conditional medium and brevilin A and stimulated with ionomycin, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and monensin for five hours. Anti-mouse CD4 was used to stain the cell surface markers, followed by incubation for fifteen minutes at 4 °C. After washing, cells were fixed and permeabilized by a cytofix/cytoperm kit (BD, Heidelberg, Germany). After washing, intracellular cytokines were stained with anti-IFN-γ (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA) and IL-17A (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA) for thirty minutes at 4 °C. CD4 cells were acquired on a flow cytometer (FACSCalibur; BD; San Jose, CA, USA) and data were analyzed by FlowJo software (FlowJo, LLC., Ashland, OR, USA).
Cell viability: After treatment with brevilin A, the cell viability of CD4 T cells was detected with a CCK-8 commercial kit (Sigma-Aldrich, Burlington, MA, USA) following the manufacturer’s protocol. In brief, cells were incubated with CCK-8 at 37 ℃ for 2 h, and the absorbance at 450 nm was measured using a plate reader (SUNRISE; Tecan Group Ltd., Männedorf, Switzerland).
Statistics: Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test, and analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism 6 (GraphPad, San Diego, CA, USA). p < 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference. The results are presented as the mean ± SEM.

3. Results

3.1. Brevilin A Ameliorated IMQ-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis

The ameliorating effects of brevilin A on skin inflammation were evaluated using an IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis murine model. Topical application of IMQ on the shaved backs of the mice could induce skin scaling and skin redness, and the topical use of IMQ on the ear could cause an increase in ear thickness. The results showed that the most serious skin manifestations included skin redness, scaling, and ear thickness in the vehicle control group. In the treatment group, mice were intraperitoneally injected with different doses (5, 10, 20 mg/kg) of brevilin A, and topical IMQ was applied on the same day. Skin redness and scaling were ameliorated in the brevilin A treatment group compared to the vehicle control group (Figure 1A). The accumulation score of skin redness and scaling were all decreased in the brevilin A and dexamethasone treatment group compared to the vehicle control group (Figure 1B). These results indicate that brevilin A can ameliorate IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in vivo.
Brevilin A decreased keratinocyte proliferation, the expression of IL-6 and IL17A in dorsal skin, and the serum IL-17A level of mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis.
The microenvironment of IMQ-induced skin lesions was evaluated by H&E stain. The epithelial layer thickening and immune cell infiltration were observed in the vehicle control group, and in the brevilin A and dexamethasone treatment group, both the pathological changes were reduced (Figure 2A). The cell proliferation marker, ki-67, and proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-17A, were detected by IHC staining. The results showed that ki-67, IL-6, and IL-17A were overexpressed in the vehicle control group but significantly decreased expression in the brevilin A and dexamethasone treatment groups (Figure 2B). Moreover, serum concentrations of IL-17A were also measured. The results showed that IL-17A was increased in the vehicle control group but suppressed in the brevilin A and dexamethasone treatment group (Figure 2C). These results suggest that brevilin A could reduce keratinocyte hyperproliferation and decrease the expression of proinflammatory cytokines.

3.2. Brevilin A Could Inhibit Th17 Cell Differentiation

In the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis experiments, decreased IL-17A expression in serum and dorsal skin samples was observed. To demonstrate the direct effect of brevilin A on the inhibition of Th17 cell differentiation, naïve CD4 cells isolated from mice spleen and lymph nodes were skewed to Th17 cells and co-cultured with different doses of brevilin A. Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the intracellular expression of IL-17A and IFN-γ was detected by flow cytometer. The results showed that 5 μM of brevilin A would not cause cytotoxicity to the T cells (Figure 3A). The percentages and absolute numbers of CD4 + IL-17A+ and CD4 + IFN-γ+ cells could be reduced by brevilin A treatment (Figure 3B). Taken together, these results indicate that brevilin A could directly inhibit pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation.

3.3. Effects of Brevilin A on PBMCs Isolated from Psoriasis Patients

A total of seven psoriasis patients were enrolled in the experiment. PBMCs isolated from psoriasis patients and CD4+ naïve T cells were further purified. Naïve CD4 T cells were skewed to Th17 cell differentiation and co-cultured with different doses of brevilin A. The intracellular expressions of IL-17A and IFN-γ were detected by flow cytometer. The results showed that frequency and absolute numbers of CD4 + IL-17A+ and CD4 + IFN-γ+ were both downregulated by brevilin A treatment (Figure 4). The results suggest that brevilin A could also suppress the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells to IL-17, producing CD4+ T cells in PBMCs isolated from psoriasis patients.

4. Discussion

Brevilin A is a widely used oriental herbal medicine that has been investigated in the treatment of conditions such as viral infection, triple-negative breast cancer, and hepatic fibrosis [15,16,17]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the efficacy of brevilin A in the treatment of psoriasis. Our study demonstrated that brevilin A could ameliorate IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis, decrease the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and inhibit Th17 cell differentiation both in mice and human T cells. Overall, our results indicate that brevilin A displayed characteristics of a promising candidate for small molecular drugs for psoriasis treatment.
In the past few decades, over ten different murine models were developed for investigations of psoriasis [18]. These models assisted in broadening the understanding of the pathogenesis, disease mechanism, and preclinical drug treatment efficacy of psoriasis. Among these murine models, the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis model has been highly utilized for drug discovery [19]. IMQ is a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 ligand that is a strong activator of immune cells, including dendritic cells, macrophages, and monocytes. Continuous application of IMQ on the shaved back of mice could induce psoriasis-like symptoms, such as erythema, scaling, acanthosis, and immune cell infiltration into the skin [20,21]. Therefore, it is a useful tool for discovering new drugs. In our study, keratinocyte hyperproliferation, skin redness, and scaling were induced with IMQ application, and psoriasis lesions were ameliorated after treatment with brevilin A or dexamethasone (positive reagent), as compared to the vehicle control treatment group. These results suggest that brevilin A could suppress psoriasis-like dermatitis in vivo.
The overactivation of immune cells and the overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines were found to result in skin inflammation in psoriasis [22,23]. Among them, IL-17A was regarded as the key cytokine in the pathogenesis of psoriasis [4,5]. IL-17A is produced by various immune cells, including Th17, Tc17, and γδT cells, which can be found in psoriasis skin lesions [24]. After being stimulated by IL-17A, keratinocytes produce bioactive IL-23, which could enhance keratinocyte hyper-proliferation and promote Th17 cell differentiation [25]. Furthermore, IL-6 and IL-1, secreted by dendritic cells, could increase Th17 cell differentiation [26,27]. Our study showed that the expressions of IL-17A and IL-6 were upregulated in the skin samples of the vehicle control treatment group, and in the brevilin A and dexamethasone treatment groups, both IL-17A and IL-6 expressions were decreased. In addition, the serum level of IL-17A was reduced in the brevilin A treatment group. These results indicated that brevilin A could downregulate proinflammatory cytokine production and, thus, could have potential in the development of a novel therapeutic drug for psoriasis.
Naïve T cells activated by cytokines, such as IL-23, could induce STAT3 phosphorylation and oligomerization. The STAT3 dimer translocates to the nucleus, binds to the RORγ promoter region, and increases the RORγ expression. STAT3 and RORγ both bind to the IL-17 promoter region and initiate IL-17 production and Th17 cell maturation [7,28,29]. An overexpression of activated STAT3 in CD4+ T cells could increase the number of IL-17-producing cells [29], whereas STAT3 knockout could cause the abrogation of Th17 cell differentiation [27,30]. In our study, brevilin A could directly inhibit the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells to Th17 cells. Furthermore, brevilin A also inhibited the differentiation of naïve CD4 + T, isolated from psoriasis patients, into Th17 cells. These results indicate that brevilin A could modulate Th17 differentiation, and this could be applied in the treatment of psoriasis and other Th17 cell-driven autoimmune diseases.
We demonstrated that brevilin A could ameliorate IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis and decrease Th17 cell differentiation. However, there were limitations to this study. Firstly, although decreased IL-17A expression was observed in the dorsal skin samples and serum samples in the brevilin A treatment group, the immune cell profiles of splenocyte and draining lymph nodes were not evaluated. Further experiments to clarify the effects of brevilin A on the regulation of immune profiles in vivo need to be conducted in the future. Secondly, STAT3 activation could contribute to Th17 differentiation. In this study we only observed that Th17 differentiation was inhibited after brevilin A treatment; however, the other possible pharmacological effects of brevilin A, such as anti-oxidative stress, the inhibition of STAT3 activation, or anti-inflammatory responses, which might directly or indirectly regulate Th17 cell differentiation, could not be substantiated. Lastly, although we demonstrated the effects of brevilin A on the suppression of psoriasis skin symptoms in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical samples, the design of our research is subject to limitations of a small patient sample size; hence, further validation with a larger patient sample size or eventually clinical trials need to be conducted to evaluate and prove the clinical benefits of brevilin A.
In conclusion, our study showed that brevilin A ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis predominantly through the suppression of proinflammatory cytokine expression and by decreasing Th17 cell differentiation. These data demonstrate that brevilin A can modulate immune cell activation, with beneficial effects in the treatment of psoriasis, and suggest that it could be a promising drug for other inflammatory disorders related to IL-17A/Th17 overactivation.

Author Contributions

L.-J.Y., L.-Y.L. and S.-J.Y. designed the experiments. C.-L.L., H.-S.H., Y.-C.C. and S.-J.Y. performed the experiments. L.-J.Y., C.-Y.Y., E.-C.L., K.-C.W. and M.-C.S. acquired and analyzed the results. L.-J.Y., L.-Y.L. and S.-J.Y. drafted the initial manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan (KSVGH20-CT12-10) and animal experimental protocol was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of KSVGH (2021-A039).

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the present study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (VGHKS109-180; VGHKS111-154); the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST110-2314-B-075B-003-MY2).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Parisi, R.; Symmons, D.P.; Griffiths, C.E.; Ashcroft, D.M.; Identification and Management of Psoriasis and Associated ComorbidiTy (IMPACT) project team. Global epidemiology of psoriasis: A systematic review of incidence and prevalence. J. Investig. Derm. 2013, 133, 377–385. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Nickoloff, B.J.; Wrone-Smith, T. Injection of pre-psoriatic skin with CD4+ T cells induces psoriasis. Am. J. Pathol. 1999, 155, 145–158. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Griffiths, C.E.M.; Armstrong, A.W.; Gudjonsson, J.E.; Barker, J. Psoriasis. Lancet 2021, 397, 1301–1315. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Hawkes, J.E.; Yan, B.Y.; Chan, T.C.; Krueger, J.G. Discovery of the IL-23/IL-17 Signaling Pathway and the Treatment of Psoriasis. J. Immunol. 2018, 201, 1605–1613. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  5. Krueger, J.G.; Brunner, P.M. Interleukin-17 alters the biology of many cell types involved in the genesis of psoriasis, systemic inflammation and associated comorbidities. Exp. Dermatol. 2018, 27, 115–123. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  6. Chhabra, S.; Narang, T.; Joshi, N.; Goel, S.; Sawatkar, G.; Saikia, B.; Dogra, S.; Bansal, F.; Minz, R. Circulating T-helper 17 cells and associated cytokines in psoriasis. Clin. Exp. Derm. 2016, 41, 806–810. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Ivanov, I.I.; McKenzie, B.S.; Zhou, L.; Tadokoro, C.E.; Lepelley, A.; Lafaille, J.J.; Cua, D.J.; Littman, D.R. The orphan nuclear receptor RORgammat directs the differentiation program of proinflammatory IL-17+ T helper cells. Cell 2006, 126, 1121–1133. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Liang, H.; Bao, F.; Dong, X.; Tan, R.; Zhang, C.; Lu, Q.; Cheng, Y. Antibacterial thymol derivatives isolated from Centipeda minima. Molecules 2007, 12, 1606–1613. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Chan, C.O.; Jin, D.P.; Dong, N.P.; Chen, S.B.; Mok, D.K. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents of Centipeda minima by HPLC-QTOF-MS & HPLC-DAD. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2016, 125, 400–407. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. You, P.; Wu, H.; Deng, M.; Peng, J.; Li, F.; Yang, Y. Brevilin A induces apoptosis and autophagy of colon adenocarcinoma cell CT26 via mitochondrial pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR inactivation. Biomed. Pharm. 2018, 98, 619–625. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Huang, S.S.; Chiu, C.S.; Lin, T.H.; Lee, M.M.; Lee, C.Y.; Chang, S.J.; Hou, W.C.; Huang, G.J.; Deng, J.S. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Centipeda minima. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2013, 147, 395–405. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  12. Ghantous, A.; Gali-Muhtasib, H.; Vuorela, H.; Saliba, N.A.; Darwiche, N. What made sesquiterpene lactones reach cancer clinical trials? Drug Discov. Today 2010, 15, 668–678. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. Chen, X.; Du, Y.; Nan, J.; Zhang, X.; Qin, X.; Wang, Y.; Hou, J.; Wang, Q.; Yang, J. Brevilin A, a novel natural product, inhibits janus kinase activity and blocks STAT3 signaling in cancer cells. PLoS ONE 2013, 8, e63697. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  14. Lin, H.; Li, C.L.; Yen, L.J.; Lu, L.Y.; Huang, H.S.; Liao, E.C.; Yu, S.J. Forsythoside A Alleviates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis in Mice by Regulating Th17 Cells and IL-17A Expression. J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12, 62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  15. Zhang, X.; Xia, Y.; Yang, L.; He, J.; Li, Y.; Xia, C. Brevilin A, a Sesquiterpene Lactone, Inhibits the Replication of Influenza A Virus In Vitro and In Vivo. Viruses 2019, 11, 835. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  16. Qu, Z.; Lin, Y.; Mok, D.K.; Bian, Q.; Tai, W.C.; Chen, S. Brevilin A, a Natural Sesquiterpene Lactone Inhibited the Growth of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells via Akt/mTOR and STAT3 Signaling Pathways. OncoTargets Ther. 2020, 13, 5363–5373. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Park, Y.J.; Jeon, M.S.; Lee, S.; Kim, J.K.; Jang, T.S.; Chung, K.H.; Kim, K.H. Anti-fibrotic effects of brevilin A in hepatic fibrosis via inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2021, 41, 127989. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Chuang, S.Y.; Lin, C.H.; Sung, C.T.; Fang, J.Y. Murine models of psoriasis and their usefulness for drug discovery. Expert Opin. Drug Discov. 2018, 13, 551–562. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Lin, Y.K.; Yang, S.H.; Chen, C.C.; Kao, H.C.; Fang, J.Y. Using Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Skin as a Model to Measure the Skin Penetration of Anti-Psoriatic Drugs. PLoS ONE 2015, 10, e0137890. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Van der Fits, L.; Mourits, S.; Voerman, J.S.; Kant, M.; Boon, L.; Laman, J.D.; Cornelissen, F.; Mus, A.M.; Florencia, E.; Prens, E.P.; et al. Imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice is mediated via the IL-23/IL-17 axis. J. Immunol. 2009, 182, 5836–5845. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Terhorst, D.; Chelbi, R.; Wohn, C.; Malosse, C.; Tamoutounour, S.; Jorquera, A.; Bajenoff, M.; Dalod, M.; Malissen, B.; Henri, S. Dynamics and Transcriptomics of Skin Dendritic Cells and Macrophages in an Imiquimod-Induced, Biphasic Mouse Model of Psoriasis. J. Immunol. 2015, 195, 4953–4961. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  22. Sato, Y.; Ogawa, E.; Okuyama, R. Role of Innate Immune Cells in Psoriasis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 6604. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  23. Schon, M.P. Adaptive and Innate Immunity in Psoriasis and Other Inflammatory Disorders. Front. Immunol. 2019, 10, 1764. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. Tsuruta, N.; Narisawa, Y.; Imafuku, S.; Ito, K.; Yamaguchi, K.; Miyagi, T.; Takahashi, K.; Fukamatsu, H.; Morizane, S.; Koketsu, H.; et al. Cross-sectional multicenter observational study of psoriatic arthritis in Japanese patients: Relationship between skin and joint symptoms and results of treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors. J. Derm. 2019, 46, 193–198. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  25. Li, H.; Yao, Q.; Mariscal, A.G.; Wu, X.; Hülse, J.; Pedersen, E.; Helin, K.; Waisman, A.; Vinkel, C.; Thomsen, S.F.; et al. Epigenetic control of IL-23 expression in keratinocytes is important for chronic skin inflammation. Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 1420. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  26. Chung, Y.; Chang, S.H.; Martinez, G.J.; Yang, X.O.; Nurieva, R.; Kang, H.S.; Ma, L.; Watowich, S.S.; Jetten, A.M.; Tian, Q.; et al. Critical regulation of early Th17 cell differentiation by interleukin-1 signaling. Immunity 2009, 30, 576–587. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  27. Zhou, L.; Ivanov, I.I.; Spolski, R.; Min, R.; Shenderov, K.; Egawa, T.; Levy, D.E.; Leonard, W.J.; Littman, D.R. IL-6 programs T(H)-17 cell differentiation by promoting sequential engagement of the IL-21 and IL-23 pathways. Nat. Immunol. 2007, 8, 967–974. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Iwakura, Y.; Ishigame, H. The IL-23/IL-17 axis in inflammation. J. Clin. Investig. 2006, 116, 1218–1222. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Yang, X.O.; Panopoulos, A.D.; Nurieva, R.; Chang, S.H.; Wang, D.; Watowich, S.S.; Dong, C. STAT3 regulates cytokine-mediated generation of inflammatory helper T cells. J. Biol. Chem. 2007, 282, 9358–9363. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Nishihara, M.; Ogura, H.; Ueda, N.; Tsuruoka, M.; Kitabayashi, C.; Tsuji, F.; Aono, H.; Ishihara, K.; Huseby, E.; Betz, U.A.; et al. IL-6-gp130-STAT3 in T cells directs the development of IL-17+ Th with a minimum effect on that of Treg in the steady state. Int. Immunol. 2007, 19, 695–702. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Jpm 12 01888 g001
Figure 1. Brevilin A relieved skin inflammation in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis. Except for the control group, all mice received topical application of IMQ on the shaved back for five consecutive days. In the treatment group, mice were treated with vehicle control (0.5% DMSO), brevilin A (5, 10, 20 mg/kg), and dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) on the same day that topical IMQ was applied. Mice were sacrificed on Day 6. (A) Psoriasis lesions of dorsal skin were present on day 6. (B) Skin redness and scaling were evaluated every day, and the ear thickness was measured using an electronic gauge. The accumulated scores were presented as the sum of the scores of skin redness and scaling on the back skin. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). *, #, $, & p < 0.05 vs. vehicle control group. * 5 mg/kg brevilin A; # 10 mg/kg brevilin A; & 20 mg/kg brevilin A; $ 1 mg/kg dexamethasone.
Figure 1. Brevilin A relieved skin inflammation in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis. Except for the control group, all mice received topical application of IMQ on the shaved back for five consecutive days. In the treatment group, mice were treated with vehicle control (0.5% DMSO), brevilin A (5, 10, 20 mg/kg), and dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) on the same day that topical IMQ was applied. Mice were sacrificed on Day 6. (A) Psoriasis lesions of dorsal skin were present on day 6. (B) Skin redness and scaling were evaluated every day, and the ear thickness was measured using an electronic gauge. The accumulated scores were presented as the sum of the scores of skin redness and scaling on the back skin. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). *, #, $, & p < 0.05 vs. vehicle control group. * 5 mg/kg brevilin A; # 10 mg/kg brevilin A; & 20 mg/kg brevilin A; $ 1 mg/kg dexamethasone.
Jpm 12 01888 g001
Jpm 12 01888 g002
Figure 2. Brevilin A decreased acanthosis and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis mice. (A) Hematoxylin and eosin staining (200×) of dorsal skin samples from experimental mice. (B) Expression of IL-6, IL-17A, and ki-67 from dorsal skin samples were detected by IHC staining (200×), and the mean optical density was expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). (C) Concentrations of IL-17A in the serum sample were measured by ELISA. * p < 0.05 vs. vehicle control group.
Figure 2. Brevilin A decreased acanthosis and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis mice. (A) Hematoxylin and eosin staining (200×) of dorsal skin samples from experimental mice. (B) Expression of IL-6, IL-17A, and ki-67 from dorsal skin samples were detected by IHC staining (200×), and the mean optical density was expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). (C) Concentrations of IL-17A in the serum sample were measured by ELISA. * p < 0.05 vs. vehicle control group.
Jpm 12 01888 g002
Jpm 12 01888 g003
Figure 3. Brevilin A inhibited naïve CD4+ T cells from differentiating into Th17 cells. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated from the spleen and lymph nodes of C57BL/6 mice and stimulated with Th17, skewing condition and different doses of brevilin A for 4 days. Dexamethasone was used as the treatment control. (A) Cell viability was measured by CCK−8. (B) Expressions of CD4, IFN−γ, and IL−17A were detected by flow cytometer; the results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. * p < 0.05, *** p < 0.005, **** p < 0.001 vs. control group. ## p < 0.01, #### p < 0.001 vs. DMSO group. & p < 0.05, && p < 0.01 vs. Dexamethasone group. The results are representative of three independent experiments.
Figure 3. Brevilin A inhibited naïve CD4+ T cells from differentiating into Th17 cells. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated from the spleen and lymph nodes of C57BL/6 mice and stimulated with Th17, skewing condition and different doses of brevilin A for 4 days. Dexamethasone was used as the treatment control. (A) Cell viability was measured by CCK−8. (B) Expressions of CD4, IFN−γ, and IL−17A were detected by flow cytometer; the results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. * p < 0.05, *** p < 0.005, **** p < 0.001 vs. control group. ## p < 0.01, #### p < 0.001 vs. DMSO group. & p < 0.05, && p < 0.01 vs. Dexamethasone group. The results are representative of three independent experiments.
Jpm 12 01888 g003
Jpm 12 01888 g004
Figure 4. The effects of brevilin A on suppressing the Th17 differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells from psoriasis patients. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated from PBMCs of psoriasis patients (n = 7) and then stimulated with Th17 skewing condition and different doses of brevilin A for 4 days. Dexamethasone was used as the treatment control. Expressions of CD4, IFN-γ, and IL-17A were detected by flow cytometer; the results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. *** p < 0.005 vs. control group. # p < 0.05, #### p < 0.001 vs. DMSO group. & p < 0.05 vs. Dexamethasone group.
Figure 4. The effects of brevilin A on suppressing the Th17 differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells from psoriasis patients. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated from PBMCs of psoriasis patients (n = 7) and then stimulated with Th17 skewing condition and different doses of brevilin A for 4 days. Dexamethasone was used as the treatment control. Expressions of CD4, IFN-γ, and IL-17A were detected by flow cytometer; the results are expressed as the mean ± SEM. *** p < 0.005 vs. control group. # p < 0.05, #### p < 0.001 vs. DMSO group. & p < 0.05 vs. Dexamethasone group.
Jpm 12 01888 g004
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Yen, L.-J.; Yen, C.-Y.; Li, C.-L.; Liao, E.-C.; Wang, K.-C.; Shih, M.-C.; Huang, H.-S.; Chen, Y.-C.; Lu, L.-Y.; Yu, S.-J. RETRACTED: Brevilin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis and Reduces Th17 Differentiation in Psoriasis Patients. J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12, 1888. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111888

AMA Style

Yen L-J, Yen C-Y, Li C-L, Liao E-C, Wang K-C, Shih M-C, Huang H-S, Chen Y-C, Lu L-Y, Yu S-J. RETRACTED: Brevilin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis and Reduces Th17 Differentiation in Psoriasis Patients. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2022; 12(11):1888. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111888

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yen, Ling-Jung, Chung-Yang Yen, Chia-Ling Li, En-Chih Liao, Kai-Chun Wang, Meng-Chieh Shih, Hung-Sen Huang, Ying-Chin Chen, Ling-Ying Lu, and Sheng-Jie Yu. 2022. "RETRACTED: Brevilin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis and Reduces Th17 Differentiation in Psoriasis Patients" Journal of Personalized Medicine 12, no. 11: 1888. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111888

APA Style

Yen, L.-J., Yen, C.-Y., Li, C.-L., Liao, E.-C., Wang, K.-C., Shih, M.-C., Huang, H.-S., Chen, Y.-C., Lu, L.-Y., & Yu, S.-J. (2022). RETRACTED: Brevilin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Dermatitis and Reduces Th17 Differentiation in Psoriasis Patients. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(11), 1888. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12111888

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop