Acceleration of Skin Barrier Restoration via Activation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) by Agrimonia pilosa Leaf

Abstract

The formation and maintenance of the skin barrier are controlled by the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, and impaired skin barrier homeostasis resulting from abnormal keratinocyte function causes many skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Keratinocyte differentiation is regulated by intra‐ and extracellular calcium ion concentrations. Recently, it was reported that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) ion channel is functionally expressed in human keratinocytes. Activation of TRPV3 increased intracellular calcium signaling, which in turn increased transglutaminase 1, 3 activities as well as the subsequent formation of cornified cell envelopes in the epidermis. It was also reported that activation of TRPV3 promotes epithelial cell proliferation and wound healing in oral epithelia. Thus, TRPV3 activation may be a potential therapeutic target for skin barrier recovery in various dermatological diseases. The leaves of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb (Rosaceae, AP), which have traditionally been used in East Asia to treat conditions including sore throat, parasitic infection, and eczema, have been reported to possess anti‐inflammatory and anti‐allergic effects in lipopolysaccharide‐ and ovalbumin‐induced mouse models. We performed whole‐cell patch‐clamp and tape stripping tests to determine whether AP extract enhances barrier recovery via TRPV3 activation. We found that APH2O potently activated human TRPV3 and subsequently activated TGase activity in vitro. We also confirmed that topical application of APH2O improved the recovery of skin barrier disruption induced by tape stripping in mice. APH2O may be useful for preventing and treating skin barrier disorders, including inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported by the Convergence of Conventional Medicine and Traditional Koran Medicine R&D program funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare through the Korean Health Industry Development Institute (SHIDI) (To. JH Nam, HI15C0256).