Article · Volume 20, Issue 1 · pp. 72–80

Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Glabridin Liposome on Imiquimod-induced Mice Psoriasis

Yongjie Lu¹, Lushi Cheng¹, Lu Ren¹, Dongqiu Chen¹, Shumin Guan¹, Siyang Zhu¹, Xian Xu¹, Bing Zhang², Minghui Tang¹, Chijian Zhang¹, Yong Ai¹, Lanyue Zhang³, Tinggang He¹

¹School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, CHINA.
²Guangdong He Ji Biotech Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, CHINA.
³Hua An Tang Biotech Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, CHINA.

Abstract

Background: Glabridin is one of the main components of the isoflavonoids in Glycyrrhiza glabra and possesses antiinflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects.Objectives: Herein, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of the glabridin liposome (GL) complex were studied in mice with imiquimod-induced psoriasis.Materials and Methods: After treatment with GLs, their effectiveness was assessed using parameters, such as Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, histopathology, inflammatory cytokines, and psoriasis-associated proteins.Results: The results demonstrated that GLs could significantly improve psoriatic symptoms, downregulate mast cell infiltration, and significantly reduce the PASI score of psoriatic mice. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results showed that GLs significantly decreased IL-23 and STAT3 mRNA expression. The results of immunohistochemistry and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that GLs decreased the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-17, and IL-22.Conclusion: GLs can alleviate psoriasis by inhibiting the expression of keratinocyte-activating proteins. These results suggest that GLs have great potential for the clinical treatment of psoriasis.

Keywords: Glabridin liposome; psoriasis; anti-inflammatory; imiquimod; skin tissue

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