[Effect mechanism of fire needle therapy on vitiligo induced by hydroquinone in modeled mice based on skin tissue...

To explore the underlying effect mechanism of fire needle therapy on hydroquinone-induced vitiligo based on transcriptome sequencing.

Eighteen C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, and a fire needle group, with 6 mice in each group. The vitiligo mouse model was established in the model and fire needle groups using the hydroquinone depigmentation method. After successful modeling, in the fire needle group, fire needle therapy was operated on the white skin lesions, once a week and for 4 consecutive weeks. The skin and hair depigmentation conditions and depigmentation scores were observed before and after intervention. HE staining was used to observe skin morphology and melanin granules. Skin tissue from the local white lesions of 3 randomly selected mice in each group was subjected to RNA-seq to screen differentially expressed genes in skin tissue, followed by bioinformatics analysis.The mRNA expression of the partial differentially expressed genes was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.

Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the epidermis and dermis were thickened, and the depigmentation score of the skin and hair was higher (P<0.05), and the number of melanocytes in the epidermis and hair follicles, the number of melanocytes in the basal layer, and the number of epidermal cells containing melanin granules were decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the depigmentation score of the skin and hair in the fire needle group was decreased (P<0.05), and the number of melanocytes in the epidermis and hair follicles, the number of melanocytes in the basal layer, and the number of epidermal cells containing melanin granules were increased (P<0.05). In comparison with the blank group, 1 291 differentially expressed genes were screened in the model group (including 985 up-regulated genes and 306 down-regulated genes), the functional enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) primarily focused on keratinization and keratinized envelope, and the metabolic pathway analysis from the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG)was mainly enriched in the interactions between viral proteins and cytokines/cytokine receptors. When compared with the model group, 306 differentially expressed genes were screened in the fire needle group, and the GO enrichment was in keratinized envelope and the establishment of skin barrier, and the KEGG metabolic pathway analysis was enriched in the interaction between cytokines and cytokine receptors. Through WikiPathways enrichment analysis, fire needle therapy significantly exerted its effect through the oxidative stress and redox pathways. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA)showed that the Hippo signaling pathway and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway were significantly activated. Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the mRNA expression was elevated for superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1), monoamine oxidase (MAO), interleukin 18 (IL-18), interleukin 1 family member 8 (IL-1F8), interleukin 1 family member 9 (IL-1F9), C-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8), serine/threonine protein kinase 4 (MST1), and MOB kinase activator 1A (MOB1A) in the skin tissue (P<0.05), and the mRNA expression was reduced for glutathione S-transferase alpha 3 (GSTA3), glutathione S-transferase alpha 4 (GSTA4), gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT), Wnt family member 3A (WNT3A), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), catalase (CAT), and forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the fire needle group showed the decrease in the mRNA expression of SOD3, PPARγ, NQO1, MAO,IL-18, IL-1F8, IL-1F9, CCL8, MST1 and MOB1A in the skin tissue (P<0.05), and the increase in the mRNA expression of GSTA3, GSTA4, GGCT, WNT3A, TYRP1, CAT and FOXP3 (P<0.05).

Fire needling therapy can attenuate the depigmentation of skin in vitiligo induced by hydroquinone in mice. Its effect mechanism may involve the regulation of Hippo signaling pathways and PPAR signaling pathways, thereby mitigating oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and regulating the immune system, ultimately promoting the recovery of melanocytes and reducing the size of white patches.