Decreased Expression of Caveolin-1 Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Psoriasiform Dermatitis in Mice

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by excessive proliferation and abnormal keratinocyte development, in which T helper type 17 cells and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation have pivotal roles. Moreover, caveolin-1 (CAV-1) has been implicated in the regulation of signal transduction, and aberrant CAV-1 expression is involved in a variety of diseases. However, whether CAV-1 is involved in psoriasis is unknown. Here we examined CAV-1 expression in the psoriatic epidermis and investigated its role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. CAV-1 was markedly reduced in lesional epidermis of psoriasis patients. CAV1 silencing in keratinocytes in vitro revealed significant activation of STAT3, leading to increased expression of keratin 16 and several cytokine/chemokines, such as IL-6, C-X-C chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), CXCL9, and C-C chemokine ligand 20. In addition, psoriasis-related cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), decreased CAV-1 expression in keratinocytes. Finally, administration of CAV-1 scaffolding domain peptide in a murine model of psoriasis-like skin inflammation induced by imiquimod improved the skin phenotype and reduced epidermal thickness and infiltrating cell counts. Furthermore, expression of TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-23 was significantly suppressed by this treatment. Collectively, our study indicated that CAV-1 participates in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by regulating the STAT3 pathway and cytokine networks.