Nervonic acid mitigates IMQ-triggered psoriasis in mice via inhibiting Th17/γδT17 cell invasion and modulating the gut microbiota

Abstract

Psoriasis is a persistent immune-mediated inflammatory dermatosis. The treatment of psoriasis now features natural medicine as an effective new alternative because of its notable effectiveness and few side effects. Nervonic acid (NA), a long-chain fatty acid mostly sourced from the seed oils of some wild plants, exhibits significant antidepressant and anti-inflammatory properties. Nonetheless, the pathogenic effects and mechanism of NA in the pathogenesis of psoriasis are unreported. This work demonstrated that NA markedly mitigated IMQ-triggered psoriasis-like skin inflammation and reduced the mRNA expression levels of chemokines (Cxcl1 and Ccl20) and inflammatory factors (S100a8, S100a9, IL-17, and IL-6) both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NA blocked the IL-17/IMQ-induced NF-κB and p38MAPK signaling pathways in keratinocytes or tissue lesions, downregulated Ccl20 production, and therefore disrupted positive inflammatory feedback by diminishing Th17 or γδT17 cell infiltration. Furthermore, 16s rRNA sequencing demonstrated that NA therapy significantly elevated the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, but the outcome for Mucispirillum was contrary within the gut microbiota. These bacteria are linked to the onset of psoriasis and inflammation, perhaps contributing to the alleviation of IMQ-induced lesions in mice. In conclusion, NA may alleviate dermatitis in psoriatic mice by inhibiting Th17/γδT17 cell invasion and modulating the gut microbiota. Consequently, NA stands as a highly promising choice for psoriasis treatment.

Keywords: MAPK signaling pathway; NF-κB signaling pathway; gut microbiota; nervonic acid; psoriasis.