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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
Generation and Culturing of Primary Human Keratinocytes from Adult Skin
Published on: December 22, 2017
Comparison between hangeshashinto and dexamethasone for IL-1α and β-defensin 1 production by human oral keratinocytes
Hiroyuki Hato1, Atsushi Kaneko2, Chiho Maeda3
1Department of Oral Diagnosis and Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0813, Japan.
Objective:
Human β-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is a antimicrobial peptide that is constantly secreted by oral tissues. Hangeshashinto (HST), a traditional Japanese medicine, has been reported to be effective against stomatitis. This study aimed to clarify the profile of HST by comparing the system of production of interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and hBD-1 in human oral mucosal epithelial cells with dexamethasone (DEX), a steroid used for the treatment of stomatitis.
Methods:
Human oral keratinocytes (HOK) were treated with HST, DEX, or HST components (baicalein, baicalin, berberine, and glycyrrhizin) for 24 h, and subsequently cultured for 24 h with or without Pam3CSK4 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The cell supernatants, total RNA, and intracellular proteins were collected, and changes in IL-1α and hBD-1 protein production and gene expression were evaluated using ELISA and RT-PCR. The phosphorylation of NF-kB and the cell proliferative ability of HOK were evaluated by western blotting and XTT assay, respectively.
Results:
DEX (0.01-10 μM) significantly suppressed IL-1α and hBD-1 production induced by either Pam3CSK4 or LPS, and also decreased cell growth. In contrast, HST inhibited Pam3CSK4- and LPS-induced IL-1α production at a concentration range of 12.5-100 μg/mL without affecting the cell proliferative capacity and hBD-1 production of HOK. Baicalein and baicalin, which are flavonoid ingredients of HST, showed anti-IL-1α production.
Conclusion:
HST may be useful as a therapeutic agent for stomatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.
