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영어

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an intensely pruritic, chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease. The pathogenesis of AD has not been completely understood. However, according to a recent study, the cause of AD is complex interaction among immunological, genetic and environmental factors. The skin of AD patient reacts sensitively and abnormally to irritants, food, environmental allergens, stress, and microorganisms. That is both uncomfortable and distressing to patients as a result of its associated intense pruritus, erythematous, excoriation and scar. The central effector cells of AD are T lymphocyte, Langerhans cells, eosinophil, basophile, keratinocyte, mast cell and macrophage. The roots of Sophora flavescens (SF) have been used as a traditional medicine in Korea for the treatment of asthma, psoriasis and eczema, sores, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, diarrhea, allergy and inflammation. We investigated the anti-AD effect of SF throughout T lymphocyte, mast cell and macrophage. T cell of AD is associated with an increase in the amount of Th2 cytokines and Th2 cells and a decrease in the amount of Th1 cytokines and Th1 cells. SF inhibited the production of IL-4 and IFN-γ in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore in Jurkat T cells. Mast cells degranulation and release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandins and inflammatory cytokines. We measured anti-AD activity via amount of histamine release in RBL-2H3 cells. The histamine release was dramatically decreased as the concentration of SF. Macrophages was considered to play an essential role in inflammation. When activated by endotoxin, macrophages produce nitric oxide. The inhibitory effects of SF on NO production from lipopolysaccharide induced RAW 264.7 macrophages were measured. The goals of this research were to study the anti- AD effects of extracts from SF in vitro and in vivo.