Pruni Cortex Extract Accelerates Wound Healing in a Mouse Model of Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

The crude drug Pruni Cortex (PC) is a component of Jumihaidokuto, which is a Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatment of skin diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD). To understand the role of PC in the mechanism of action of Jumihaidokuto on the skin, PC was administered to AD model mice. NC/Nga mice were induced to exhibit AD lesions by treating them with Dermatophagoides farina extract for 2 weeks and PC was orally administered for a further 4 weeks. The dermatitis score and histopathologic parameters were observed from 1 week after AD induction (the acute phase of AD) to 4 weeks after AD induction (the chronic phase of AD). At 4 weeks, the dermatitis score was significantly lower in the PC-treated group than in the untreated group. However, in the histopathological analysis conducted 1 week after AD induction, the PC-treated mice did not show fewer inflammatory cells in the dermis, but showed more fibroblasts in comparison with the untreated mice. At 4 weeks after AD induction, the PCtreated mice showed fewer inflammatory cells and fibroblasts than the untreated mice. PC may accelerate wound healing by increasing the number of fibroblasts in the dermis from the acute phase of atopic dermatitis.