Topical Apigenin Improves Epidermal Permeability Barrier Homeostasis in Normal Murine Skin by Divergent Mechanisms

• Published in: Experimental dermatology 2013-03, Vol.22 (3), p.210-215
• Main Authors: Hou, Maihua, Sun, Richard, Hupe, Melanie, Kim, Peggy L., Park, Kyungho, Crumrine, Debra, Lin, Tzu-kai, Santiago, Juan Luis, Mauro, Theodora M., Elias, Peter M., Man, Mao-Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0906-6705; 1600-0625
• DOI: 10.1111/exd.12102

The beneficial effects of certain herbal medicines on cutaneous function have been appreciated for centuries. Among these agents, Chrysanthemum extract, apigenin, has been used for skin care, particularly in China, for millennia. However, the underlying mechanisms by which apigenin benefits the skin are not known. In the present study, we first determined whether topical apigenin positively influences permeability barrier homeostasis, and then the basis thereof. Hairless mice were treated topically with either 0.1% apigenin or vehicle alone twice-daily for 9 days. At the end of treatments, permeability barrier function was assessed with either an electrolytic water analyzer or a Tewameter. Our results show that topical apigenin significantly enhanced permeability barrier homeostasis after tape stripping, though basal permeability barrier function remained unchanged. Improved barrier function correlated with enhanced filaggrin expression and lamellar body production, which was paralleled by elevated mRNA levels for the epidermal ABCA12. The mRNA levels for key lipid synthetic enzymes also were up-regulated by apigenin. Finally, both CAMP and mBD3 immunostaining were increased by apigenin. We conclude that topical apigenin improves epidermal permeability barrier function by stimulating epidermal differentiation, lipid synthesis and secretion, as well as cutaneous antimicrobial peptide production. Apigenin could be useful for the prevention and treatment of skin disorders characterized by permeability barrier dysfunction, associated with reduced filaggrin levels, and impaired antimicrobial defenses, such as atopic dermatitis.