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Updated: May 13, 2026

Generation and Culturing of Primary Human Keratinocytes from Adult Skin
Published on: December 22, 2017
Puerarin attenuates keratinocyte proliferation and inflammatory responses in psoriasis via downregulating TIMP2 and
1Department of Dermatology, Changsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Changsha Eighth Hospital), No.22 Xingsha Avenu, Changsha County, Changsha, 410100 China.
Abstract:
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and aberrant immune responses. Puerarin (PUE), a natural isoflavone from Pueraria lobata, exhibits multiple pharmacological activities, but its role in psoriasis remains unclear. The M5-induced HaCaT cell model was used to evaluate the effects of PUE on proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammation. Cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8, EdU, and flow cytometry, while cytokine levels were measured by ELISA. TIMP2 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related proteins were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. A TIMP2 overexpression assay was performed to verify the mechanism. PUE showed no cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells, but significantly inhibited M5-induced proliferation and inflammatory cytokine release while promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, PUE reduced the expression of TIMP2 and ERS-related proteins, and TIMP2 overexpression partially reversed these effects. PUE alleviates proliferation and inflammation of keratinocytes in association with downregulation of TIMP2 and inhibition of ER stress-related markers, suggesting that the TIMP2-ERS axis may be implicated as a potential therapeutic target in psoriasis.
Supplementary Information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-026-00969-x.
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