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Article

Evaluation of Clobetasol and Tacrolimus Treatments in an Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Rat Model

Porsolt SAS, ZA de Glatigné, 53940 Le Genest-Saint-Isle, France
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9254; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179254
Submission received: 25 July 2024 / Revised: 22 August 2024 / Accepted: 25 August 2024 / Published: 26 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue News in Skin Diseases: From Basic Mechanisms to Therapies)

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation, inflammation, and aberrant differentiation. Imiquimod-induced psoriasis in rodent models has been widely used to study the pathogenesis of the disease and evaluate potential therapeutic interventions. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two commonly used treatments, Clobetasol and Tacrolimus, in ameliorating psoriatic symptoms in an Imiquimod-induced psoriasis Wistar rat model. Interestingly, rat models are poorly evaluated in the literature despite rats displaying several advantages in evaluating pharmacological substances. Psoriasis-like skin lesions were induced by topical application of Imiquimod cream on shaved dorsal skin for seven consecutive days. Following induction, rats in the treatment groups received either a Clobetasol or Tacrolimus ointment once daily for one week, while the control group did not receive any application. Disease severity was assessed using clinical scoring, histological examination, and measurement of proinflammatory cytokine levels. Both Clobetasol and Tacrolimus treatments significantly reduced psoriatic lesion severity compared to the control group. Clinical scoring revealed a decrease in erythema, scaling, transepidermal water loss, and thickness of skin lesions in both treatment groups with a more marked effect with Clobetasol. Histological analysis demonstrated reduced epidermal hyperplasia in treated animals compared to controls. Furthermore, Clobetasol led to a significant reduction in the expression levels of the interleukin-17 (IL-17a and IL-17f) proinflammatory cytokines in lesioned skin. Overall, our findings demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of both Clobetasol and, in a modest manner, Tacrolimus in attenuating Imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like symptoms in a rat model. These results support the clinical use of these agents in the management of psoriasis and mitigating psoriatic inflammation. They also provide insights into the use of rats as a relevant species for the Imiquimod-induced psoriasis model.
Keywords: psoriasis; rat; preclinical model; Clobetasol; Tacrolimus; Imiquimod psoriasis; rat; preclinical model; Clobetasol; Tacrolimus; Imiquimod

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MDPI and ACS Style

Guillaume, P.; Rupp, T.; Froget, G.; Goineau, S. Evaluation of Clobetasol and Tacrolimus Treatments in an Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Rat Model. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 9254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179254

AMA Style

Guillaume P, Rupp T, Froget G, Goineau S. Evaluation of Clobetasol and Tacrolimus Treatments in an Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Rat Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024; 25(17):9254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179254

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guillaume, Philippe, Tristan Rupp, Guillaume Froget, and Sonia Goineau. 2024. "Evaluation of Clobetasol and Tacrolimus Treatments in an Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Rat Model" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 17: 9254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179254

APA Style

Guillaume, P., Rupp, T., Froget, G., & Goineau, S. (2024). Evaluation of Clobetasol and Tacrolimus Treatments in an Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Rat Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(17), 9254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179254

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