Inhibitory Effects of Ginsenoside Rb₁ on Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in Mice

Allergies are immediate hypersensitive responses to antigens and interleukin (IL)-4 is involved in the initiation and development of allergic responses. Rb1 has been known to have a variety of biological activities including anti-inflammatory activity, but the effect of Rb1 on allergic responses is not known yet. The present study was undertaken to examine whether Rb1 has an inhibitory effect on allergic response in mouse model. In allergic mouse model, our results showed that topical application of Rb1 on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions improved skin condition and inhibited starching behaviors. In addition, Rb1 application not only suppressed mRNA expression of IL-4 and IL-10, but also prevented the nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 transcription. Moreover, Rb1 application suppressed IL-4’s secretion. Taken together, these results suggest that Rb1 has a potent inhibitory effect in AD-related T cell cytokine production and may be a candidate for therapeutic agent in allergy. KCI Citation Count: 9