ABSTRACT
Aim To explore the anti-psoriatic effects of honokiol on the mouse model induced by imiquimod and the underlying mechanism. Methods The mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, liposome solvent control group, dexamethasone positive group and honokiol high, medium, low dose groups. The progress of the disease was observed by the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). The morphological changes of the skin cells were observed by HE staining, and epidermis thickness was meas-ured. The expression of IL-17, IL-23, JAK, STAT3, TNF-α and NF-κB was semi-quantitively analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared to model group, the scaling and thickness of honokiol treated groups were alleviated. Inflammatory infiltration and micro abscess were reduced. The expressions of IL-17, IL-23, JAK, STAT3, TNF-α and NF-κB in model group were higher than those in honokiol-high and honokiol-medium group in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion Honokiol can inhibit imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like lesions in mice by inhibiting the IL-17/IL-23 inflammatory axis.