Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB

Objective(s): Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that usually manifests as white and silver spots on the skin. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, we investigated the effects of ivermectin (IVM) on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in rats.Materials and Methods: Fifteen rats were assigned...

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Main Authors: Tayebeh Noori, Antoni Sureda, Samira Shirooie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2025-06-01
Series:Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
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Online Access:https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_25743_3e988b98d1026ded61a2f7dabf4be2ef.pdf
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author Tayebeh Noori
Antoni Sureda
Samira Shirooie
author_facet Tayebeh Noori
Antoni Sureda
Samira Shirooie
author_sort Tayebeh Noori
collection DOAJ
description Objective(s): Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that usually manifests as white and silver spots on the skin. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, we investigated the effects of ivermectin (IVM) on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in rats.Materials and Methods: Fifteen rats were assigned to 3 different groups (n=5 per group): the control group received normal water and food; the psoriasis group, in which psoriasis was induced by topical application of IMQ (1 mg per rat), and treatment group where rats were treated daily with topical IVM-gel (1%) from day 3 to 7. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) Score for the entire treatment period was used to assess erythema, silver scale, and skin thickness on the dorsal region of rats, and the spleen-to-body weight index on day 7 was examined. Moreover, histological assessment of skin tissues was performed using fluorescence immunostaining and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Results: The severity of lesions in the ivermectin group was reduced compared to the IMQ group, with a significant decrease in the average PASI scores. The results of fluorescence immunostaining showed that topical administration of IVM-gel reduced inflammation by decreasing Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) levels and p65 nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). Furthermore, findings from H&E staining revealed that IVM-gel decreased dermal fibrosis, epidermal thickness, and infiltration of inflammatory cells caused by IMQ. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that IVM-gel can effectively reduce psoriasis lesions due to its therapeutic properties, such as anti-inflammatory effects via targeting TLR4/p65 NF-κB.
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spelling doaj-art-dac35c8b7ae04d698c199c0e9768ebc42025-08-20T02:48:06ZengMashhad University of Medical SciencesIranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences2008-38662008-38742025-06-0128680881410.22038/ijbms.2025.83254.1800825743Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κBTayebeh Noori0Antoni Sureda1Samira Shirooie2Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranResearch Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress (NUCOX) and Health Research Institute of Balearic Islands (IdISBa), University of Balearic Islands-IUNICS, Palma de Mallorca E-07122, Balearic Islands, SpainPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranObjective(s): Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that usually manifests as white and silver spots on the skin. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, we investigated the effects of ivermectin (IVM) on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in rats.Materials and Methods: Fifteen rats were assigned to 3 different groups (n=5 per group): the control group received normal water and food; the psoriasis group, in which psoriasis was induced by topical application of IMQ (1 mg per rat), and treatment group where rats were treated daily with topical IVM-gel (1%) from day 3 to 7. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) Score for the entire treatment period was used to assess erythema, silver scale, and skin thickness on the dorsal region of rats, and the spleen-to-body weight index on day 7 was examined. Moreover, histological assessment of skin tissues was performed using fluorescence immunostaining and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Results: The severity of lesions in the ivermectin group was reduced compared to the IMQ group, with a significant decrease in the average PASI scores. The results of fluorescence immunostaining showed that topical administration of IVM-gel reduced inflammation by decreasing Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) levels and p65 nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). Furthermore, findings from H&E staining revealed that IVM-gel decreased dermal fibrosis, epidermal thickness, and infiltration of inflammatory cells caused by IMQ. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that IVM-gel can effectively reduce psoriasis lesions due to its therapeutic properties, such as anti-inflammatory effects via targeting TLR4/p65 NF-κB.https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_25743_3e988b98d1026ded61a2f7dabf4be2ef.pdfcytokineimiquimodpsoriasisrattlr4topical ivermectin
spellingShingle Tayebeh Noori
Antoni Sureda
Samira Shirooie
Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
cytokine
imiquimod
psoriasis
rat
tlr4
topical ivermectin
title Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
title_full Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
title_fullStr Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
title_full_unstemmed Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
title_short Ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod–induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in rat via targeting TLR4 / p65 NF-κB
title_sort ivermectin decreases inflammation and imiquimod induced psoriasis like skin lesions in rat via targeting tlr4 p65 nf κb
topic cytokine
imiquimod
psoriasis
rat
tlr4
topical ivermectin
url https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_25743_3e988b98d1026ded61a2f7dabf4be2ef.pdf
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