Zhuyu Pills Regulate Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg Immune Balance in Acne Model Mice via JAK2/STAT3 Pathway

Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin condition characterized by immune dysregulation, often involving an imbalance in helper T cell (Th) populations like Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg. Current treatments, such as isotretinoin, have side effects, driving interest in alternative therapies. The JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is a critical regulator of immune responses and T cell differentiation, making it a potential therapeutic target for restoring immune homeostasis in inflammatory skin diseases. Understanding how traditional medicines like Zhuyu Pills interact with this pathway could offer novel treatment strategies.

Researchers established an acne model in ICR mice by applying oleic acid to the auricle and subcutaneously injecting Propionibacterium acnes, inducing 1 cm² lesions over 14 days. Fifty successfully modeled mice were randomized into five groups (n=10 each): model, low-, medium-, and high-dose Zhuyu Pills, and isotretinoin. An additional 10 healthy mice served as controls. Treatment involved daily gavage for four weeks: Zhuyu Pills at 130.54, 261.08, and 522.16 mg·kg⁻¹, and isotretinoin at 4.55 mg·kg⁻¹. Primary endpoints included auricle pathology (HE staining), serum cytokine levels (ELISA for IL-17, IFN-γ, IL-10, TGF-β, IL-12, IL-22, IL-4, IL-5), protein expression of p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 (Western blot), spleen T cell populations (flow cytometry), and auricle tissue expression of T-bet, GATA3, RORγt, Foxp3 (immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blot, real-time PCR).

The provided abstract is incomplete and cuts off before detailing the specific findings of Zhuyu Pills or isotretinoin compared to the model group. It only states that "Compared with the control group, the model group exhibited si...". Therefore, specific quantitative results regarding the effects of Zhuyu Pills on immune balance, cytokine levels, or JAK2/STAT3 pathway modulation cannot be extracted from this abstract.