Traditional Chinese Medicine Shi-Bi-Man ameliorates psoriasis via inhibiting IL-23/Th17 axis and CXCL16-mediated endothelial activation

Abstract Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory genetic disease, mainly manifesting in the skin. Conventional therapies, such as glucocorticosteroids and corticosteroids, have adverse effects that limit drug use. Hence, it is imperative to identify a new therapeutic strategy that exhibits a favorable safety profile. Shi-Bi-Man (SBM) is a safe herbal supplement sourced from various natural plants, including ginseng, angelica sinensis, polygonum multiflorum, and aloe vera. Purpose We aimed to find a potential treatment for psoriasis and investigate the underlying mechanism through which SBM alleviates psoriatic-like skin inflammation in mice. Methods We investigated the effects of supplementing with SBM through intragastric administration or smear administration in a murine model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis. The changes in body weight and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score were recorded throughout the entire process. Additionally, we used hematoxylin–eosin staining to observe the skin structure and performed single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the underlying mechanism of SBM in influencing the psoriasis-like phenotype. Immunofluorescence was conducted to verify our findings. Furthermore, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to investigate the impact of Tetrahydroxy stilbene glycoside (TSG) on the expression levels of IL23 in HaCaT cells. Results SBM remarkably alleviated the psoriasis-like phenotype by inhibiting IL-23/Th17 cell axis. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed a decrease in the expression of Il17 and Il23 in keratinocytes and T cells, concomitant with a reduction in the proportion of Th17 cells. Meanwhile, the activation of endothelial cells was inhibited, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of Cxcl16 . In vitro, the addition of TSG to HaCaT cells resulted in significant suppression of IL23 expression stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).