Dithranol downregulates expression of Id1 mRNA in human keratinocytes in vitro

The precise causes of psoriasis, a chronic skin disorder characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and incomplete keratinization, are unclear. It is known that expression of helix-loop-helix transcription factor Id1, which functions as an inhibitor of differentiation, is upregulated in psoriatic skin. We investigated the effect of the antipsoriatic drug dithranol on mRNA and protein expression levels of Id1 in the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line. Cultured HaCaT cells were treated with 0-0.5 μg/mL dithranol for 30 min. After 2 and 4 h, total cellular RNA and total proteins were isolated from HaCaT cells, and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to determine the mRNA and protein levels of Id1, respectively. Changes in normalized Id1 mRNA levels were observed only after 4 h of dithranol treatment. There was reduced expression of Id1 mRNA transcripts in the HaCaT cells treated with 0.1 μg/mL dithranol, but the reduction was not significant. The expression of Id1 mRNA was significantly downregulated (almost 50%) when 0.25 or 0.5 μg/mL dithranol was applied to the HaCaT cells. However, the normalized Id1 protein levels were not significantly affected. The molecular mechanisms underlying this finding should be investigated further to help determine the therapeutic action of this drug.