Effects of Wannachawee Recipe with Antipsoriatic Activity on Suppressing Inflammatory Cytokine Production in HaCaT Human Keratinocytes

Abstract EN

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated skin disease.

The pathogenesis involves T cells activation via the IL-23/Th17 axis.

Conventional treatments of psoriasis have adverse events influencing patients’ adherence.

Wannachawee Recipe (WCR) has been effectively used as Thai folk remedy for psoriasis patients; however, preclinical evidence defining how WCR works is still lacking.

This study defined mechanisms for its antiproliferation and anti-inflammatory effects in HaCaT cells.

The cytotoxicity and antiproliferation results from SRB and CCK-8 assays showed that WCR inhibited the growth and viability of HaCaT cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

The distribution of cell cycle phases determined by flow cytometry showed that WCR did not interrupt cell cycle progression.

Interestingly, RT-qPCR revealed that WCR significantly decreased the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, and TNF-α but induced IL-10 expression in TNF-α- and IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells.

At the protein level determined by ELISA, WCR significantly reduced the secretion of IL-17A, IL-22, and IL-23.

The WCR at low concentrations was proved to possess anti-inflammatory effect without cytotoxicity and it did not interfere with cell cycle of keratinocytes.

This is the first study to provide convincing evidence that WCR is a potential candidate for development of effective psoriasis therapies.