The circadian clock system is closely associated with inflammatory responses. Dysregulation of the circadian clock genes in the skin impairs the skin barrier function and affects the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a proinflammatory cytokine derived from T-helper type 2 cells; it plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Agerarin (6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromene) is a natural JAK1/2/3 inhibitor isolated from Ageratum houstonianum that has a protective effect on the epidermal skin barrier. However, it remains unclear whether agerarin affects the circadian clock system. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of agerarin on IL-4-induced PER2 gene expression in human keratinocytes through reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), immunoblotting, immunofluorescence microscopic analysis, and real-time bioluminescence analysis. We found that agerarin reduced IL-4-induced PER2 mRNA expression by suppressing the JAK-STAT3 pathway. In addition, real-time bioluminescence analysis in PER2:luc2p promoter-reporter cells revealed that agerarin restored the oscillatory rhythmicity of PER2 promoter activity altered by IL-4. These findings suggest that agerarin may be useful as a cosmeceutical agent against inflammatory skin conditions associated with disrupted circadian rhythms, such as atopic dermatitis.
Keywords: Janus kinase; PER2; STAT3; agerarin; circadian rhythm; interleukin-4.