Rhoifolin attenuates atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in mice by regulating PPARα-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammation and pyroptosis processes

Rhoifolin alleviated pathological and histological changes in DNCB-induced Balb/c mice with AD-like responses. • Rhoifolin suppressed pro-inflammatory chemokine and cytokine production in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. • Rhoifolin regulated skin barrier function and inflammation via PPARα-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 pyroptosis signaling. Rhoifolin (ROF), a naturally occurring flavonoid glycoside, has been documented to possess a broad spectrum of biological properties, including anticancer, antioxidant, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a persistent, recurring inflammatory skin illness that frequently greatly compromises the patients' quality of life. Nevertheless, the role of ROF in AD pathogenesis and the associated molecular events have yet to be elucidated. Our findings revealed that ROF administration substantially ameliorated the 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like phenotypes, as reflected by decreased mast cell accumulation, reduced CD4 + and CD8 + T cells infiltration within lesional skin, lowered serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations, attenuated epidermal and dermal thickening, suppressed histamine liberation and pruritic episodes, improved SCORAD indices, concomitant restoration of skin barrier protein expression, and curtailed the production of multiple inflammatory factors. Mechanistic investigations, integrating network pharmacology forecasts, transcriptomic profiling, and pharmacological blockade experiments with specific antagonists, further confirmed that the anti-inflammatory action of ROF operates through the PPARα-regulated NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling cascade. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that ROF exerts favorable inhibitory effects against AD-like inflammation both in vivo and in vitro , underscoring its potential as a viable therapeutic option for managing AD and other inflammatory cutaneous disorders. Download: Download high-res image (81KB) Download: Download full-size image