To ascertain whether an aqueous fraction of Perilla frutescens Britton (PfB/af) has advantageous anti-atopic dermatitis activity, we used a 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced animal model of atopic dermatitis symptoms to investigate the effects of the extract. We performed an ear swelling assay by comparing thickness of the DNFB-induced ear, and measured the numbers of eosinophils as well as total immune cells. We analyzed the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, interleukin (IL)-31 and of the T-bet transcription factor. The results revealed that PfB/af (100 µg/ml) exhibited strong anti-atopic dermatitis activity, interceding drastic reduction (35%) of the immune response, as measured by the thickness of ear epidermis swelling, and resulting in decreased eosinophil levels (73.7%) in adjacent skin tissues. Collectively, the present results suggest that PfB/af has potential for mitigation of atopic dermatitis-like symptoms induced by DNFB in the mouse.

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