Matrine Regulates Th1/Th2 Balance to Treat Eczema by Upregulating Interferon-γ

Although matrine (C₁₅H₂₂N₂O) has been confirmed to be an effective medication in the treatment of eczema, the mechanisms by which it does so are still unclear. In this study, the mechanisms by which matrine treats eczema were investigated by using oxymatrine, a matrine derivative, to treat guinea pigs with eczema. The differences between the treatment groups in this study were statistically significant (P < 0.05). We prepare nanoparticles to extract RNA. The results showed that the treatment with a high dose of oxymatrine (high-dose OMT) reduced the damage done by eczema to guinea pig skin tissue (i.e., skin lesions). The high-dose OMT inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory factor proteins, as quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The high-dose OMT also increased Th1 and CD4+TGFβ+ levels, as measured by flow cytometry. Examination of skin lesions showed that the high-dose OMT alleviated the symptoms of eczema. We used magnetic nanobeads to extract nucleic acids for detection with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and found that the high-dose OMT improved the expression of pro-inflammatory factor genes. Using western blot analysis, we also found that the high-dose OMT was able to regulate the expression levels of IFN-γ and TGF-β proteins. Our experimental results indicated that matrine treats eczema by upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating TGF-β levels to regulate the Th1/Th2 balance.